Il Dolce Far Niente: Desert

Showing posts with label Desert. Show all posts

12 January 2014

Exploring and Hiking on Joshua Tree National Park

November 2013

This was the place where I'd wanted to go for a long time and now finally made it, for the very first time though.

To me the place had been legendary for one reason, Gram Parsons. The Country Rock star went there often, to watch UFOs, enjoyed some 'material' famous at his time etc, last time too much though. Well, my reasons where pure outdoor related, enjoying scenery on a desert based National Park (NP).

Had earlier bought James Kaiser's book about the Joshua Tree NP. He'd described all important information pretty well in his book. National Geographics' waterproof maps found its place, too (sweating in mind, not due to rain).

First impression was that it was a mecca for rock climbing. Over 8000 routes in there. Just wow. When Yosemite gets snow, climbers head to Joshua Tree.

The Joshua Tree NP is located about two hours drive east from Los Angeles in Southern California. Nearest bigger city is perhaps Palm Springs. The NP lies on above 4000ft, in a southern part of Mojave Desert. The San Andreas Fault goes between the NP and San Jacinto Wilderness.

Late November was a good time for visiting, temperature stayed between 10-20C. It's a very large park, too. There were a few famous places which I wanted to see. Some roads crossed the park, which helped to jump from one place to another.

Had a quick look at the Visitor Center at Joshua Tree town. Usually these places provide a pretty good overview of the place, and it's the last chance of getting some material, equipment and stuff. There's an entrance fee to NPs in the USA. Having an Annual Card is worth if one visits a few of them around the year.

The NP had a few Camping sites, too. All full of young people, obviously lots of climbers. Very friendly and relaxed atmosphere in all of them.

The first place was the Key View, a peak where opened a grand view towards Coachella Valley and San Jacinto mountains towards west.

The Cap Rock was the next one where to stop. This was The Place. If you've seen the film Grand Theft Parsons, you know why. Short trails were surrounded by a huge rock there.

Continued east to Arch Rock. Nice trails lead through Camping site to the huge rock, formed like an arch. Circled through trails, took some snapshots.

Next headed back to west to Scull Rock. Went for a longer trail, which circled again through a Camping site and some other massive rock formations. Climbers returned from their daily session back the Camping site. Really friendly people and even they looked exhausted they were ready to go back and teach some basics. Awesome.

Second last stop was at Ryan Mountain. It had a few climbing routes. There was full action in many of them. Perhaps at this point the Joshua Trees, i.e. cactus based trees were best looking.

My last stop was at Barker Dam. Did again a 5km hike on a trail. The small pond had little water. Mainly the rocks around the pond were the ones which attracted people here. Petroglyphs were the second interest.

After rushing few places headed back to a Joshua Tree town. A cool hippie style desert town looked interesting. Had a dinner on Crossroads Cafe, authentic place. Final look at Joshua Tree Inn and headed back to Palm Springs.

I'm really glad I've been able to explore through Joshua Tree NP. Worth every second spent there.

A few snapshots

A Joshua Tree

Welcome!

A typical view, rock climbers on top

Someone had remembered GP at Cap Rock

A route # xxx

Ryan Mountain

Attractive rocks

On a White Tank Camping Site

Strange looking

Arch Rock

On top

Arch Rock

A view

Capturing moments at Scull Rock

Somewhere there between rocks

Erosion and weather eaten rocks

On a trail

Perhaps breaking all composition rules but this is what it looked like

She. In action

The final view

31 December 2013

Summing Up My Outdoor Year 2013

December 2013

January

My outdoor year 2013 started slowly in January. First activities were walks on nature. Walking on the coast has always been inspiring, like watching these ice skaters at Kallvik:

Did some snowshoeing at Vaakkoi, too:

Cross country skiing, running, walking, snow shoeing, these were prescription for outdoor cure.

February

February was a lazy month for outdoor activities. Something was about to change.

March

Got a new job offer in Autumn 2012, considered it a while and then finally accepted it. It was about to move from Finland to the California, US (where this post is now written 10 months later).

Lots of plans for different outdoor activities were flown in mind. However, started from the easiest ones, walks, cycling and some hiking. Ultimate plan was to search and find a sea kayaking club were to join ASAP (unfortunately that search is still active).

California offered some cool State Parks near new home, like Torrey Pines:

On the beaches one could see many species of birds as Pelicans, as well as seals:

April

In April continued walks on different beaches. Did few day hikes, e.g. to Palomar Mountain and Hellhole State Park. (Outdoor) Swimming came back to weekly agenda, too.

Had bought a new road bike earlier in March and started to grow miles with it on local roads. These roads were not flat, but very hilly, including mountains over mile high. While having hikes on trails had noticed them to be most suitable for mountain biking. Soon after on May a new mountain bike found its place from a garage.

May

May was filled with cycling, as bike commuting finally was started. Pro cyclists visited us while the first stage of Tour of California cycling race filled the streets in Escondido:

Day hikes scheme continued, bringing new places as Elfin Forest, Los Penasquitos, Iron Mountain, Volcan Mountain and San Elio Reserve.

June

On June, any outdoor activity (except swimming) had to be started early as heat hit hard at 10am by latest. Wanted to experience the real heat, too. Drove over the mountains to Anza-Borrego desert State Park. The temperature was +43C. Did a short hike there and that sure was enough. Did first hiking on Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).

Did a lot mountain biking on June:

July

On the fourth of July weekend headed even further to the mountains. San Jacinto, peak over 3000m, lied on two hours drive north east from San Diego. Idyllwild, a cool hippie town on mile high had some great lodges. Did mountain biking and hiking, conquering San Jacinto peak. On San Jacinto Wilderness, took more serious hiking on the PCT, too.

The rest of the July was filled by city walks in San Diego and LA, as well as road and mountain biking. An injury in foot did not allow any serious running.

August

In August started to join in cycling races and events near San Diego. The first event, CycloSDias, was an event promoting city cycling. The next one, Bike The Bay, was a bit more serious, crossing A Coronado Bridge.

September

In September did the first more serious cycling race, Giro di San Diego. Some heavy climbing on the road. Tough but rewarding. Continued city walks on small cities north of LA.

October

October started with another cycling race, Tour of Poway. Legs were empty on first mountain, Happy End. Otherwise spent reasonable time on a mountain bike saddle, too.

Explored new mountain region, east of San Diego, called Laguna Mountains. All trails there were over mile high in altitude. Did some hiking and mountain biking there on consecutive weekends.

Autumn was truly visible there, too. Leaves of sudden oak trees were either red or bright yellow throughout pine forest.

Cycling, new city breaks and a day hike on Santa Ysabel were in agenda.

Another PCT experience took place in Laguna Mountains, too. Near the edge of mountain, one side showing meadow and forest of Laguna and another edge Anza-Borrego desert.

November

November started with another cycling race, Tour de Julian. The real mountain race. Again, empty legs after the first real climb. And again, the very Happy End.

Did another hiking near Laguna, on Cuyamaca mountains, containing the highest peak on San Diego County.

Probably the best hiking took place later in November in Joshua Tree National Park. This legendary NP did show its best. Rock climbing there looked absolutely tempting, who knows if ...

December

Among cycling, December contained city and beach walks as well as a relaxing holiday on Oahu island, HI.

Summing Up

GPS recorded altogether some 3000km where most of it came from cycling. As a great disappointment, there was no paddling activities recoded during 2013. Hope that's going to change in 2014.

The best photo I took during 2013? I would pick up this one as it explains pretty well the sight which have become more and more familiar to me during 2013:

Happy New Year!

24 August 2013

Hiking on Anza-Borrego Desert

June 2013

Never been to desert, not to mention hiking on there. As there's a desert near by, decided to give a try, i.e what's it like to hike on a desert on a hot day. Bit a of crazy idea though.

Less than two hours drive from San Diego, there's an Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. A short study of its map revealed there were multiple hiking paths on there. Even the Pacific Crest Trail crossed it. On the edge of its boundaries there was something interesting, a palm oasis. A trail to it seemed to be short enough. Even the park Visitor Center was near by it. Target was set.

A road ascended via Julian, crossed mountains and started to descend on a plain of the desert. There were villages here and there. Wasn't so easy to imagine people used to live there.

Temperature showed +43C, like a hairdryer blowing towards your face from 30cm distance. There was no shade. Nowhere. Took the road towards Borrego Springs, a small census on the desert. There were some palm trees, a shopping mall, a golf course, hotels. Internet search told the city to be art oriented. Could come there at winter time. I bet night sky on there would be spectacular.

Arrived at the State Park Visitor Center. Stepping out from a car was already an experience. Noticed that the idea hiking there was more than crazy, even life dangerous.

Went quickly into a cool showroom. Chatted a while with really friendly staff and watched an introduction film about the desert state park around the year. Amazingly there used to snow at winter time. Staff told me it wasn't the hottest season yet, so more was to come. The film was very interesting, showing such a versatile life of animals and nature there through all seasons.

From the Visitor Center took a short drive to a Camping area, where the trail started. The trail was called Palm Canyon Trail. It was a short loop to an oasis of palm trees with a small waterfall. At least so a brochure explain it. The trail was not on a desert plain but started to ascend to the canyon within near naked and rocky mountains. Heat was evident, you couldn't escape it.

Brochure explained bighorn sheep used to live there. Disappointingly didn't see any of them, though 'believed' they were watching you all the time.

After an hour and a half hike started to see palm trees, like a small forest down in the canyon. Green colour and even some traces of water felt strange. Wondered the palm oasis a while. Pretty impressive trees, a small waterfall looked really nice in a naked and rocky canyon.

Drank more and more water. Exhausted feeling after such a short hike. Now it was descending trail back. Absolutely maximum distance to do in such a heat.

Surprisingly there were many species of birds flying around you. Possibly something to eat then, too.

After arriving back to the car, felt really tired. A short hike on a desert was done.