Joshua Tree National Park

Straddling the boundary between the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts lies the 800,000 acre Joshua Tree National Park.  Settled by early Indians, the Serrano and Cahuilla tribes.  In the 1800's cattle ranchers came, followed by gold miners in the 1890's.  By the 1920's most of the gold had been extracted, the Indians had been forced out,and only a few hardy white settlers remained.

Joshua trees grow mostly in the Mojave desert and are members of the agave family.  Though technically trees, their trunks are filled with a fleshy pulp that has no growth rings - making dating difficult.  Trees that reach heights of 30 feet or more are thought to be several hundred years old.

In the spring, clusters of white flowers form on the tips of the branches, after the flower appears, the branches split.  The random branching makes the Joshua trees varied shapes.  As the tree grows, the spiky leaves die off and form the shaggy bark.

Joshua trees get their name from a Mormon group passing through the desert in the 1850's who thought the trees looked like the prophet Joshua pointing them to the promised land.

We decided to drive off-road on the Geology Tour Road

Massive boulder outcrops abound - they were once part of a huge granite mass which has been eroded over time leaving giant piles of rock.

Malapai Hill - These two peaks rise 400 feet above the valley floor and is composed largely of black basalt.  The hill formed when magma rose up under the granite and cooled into black basalt.  Geologists are uncertain if the magma rose high enough to reach the surface, making it a volcano or if it just cooled underground - either way - it looks cool!

Gold Coin Mine - These two rusting metal tanks were once used to process ore from the nearby Gold Coin Mine.  The mine was discovered in 1900 and was lucrative for the next 38 years.  The tanks were used to process the ore with cyanide - one of the few solutions capable of dissolving gold.  Cyanide leaching is very effective and microscopic gold flakes can be extracted from low-grade ore.  Of course, cyanide is highly toxic ... but it breaks down quickly in sunlight ... good to know.

Just taking a peek.

Spring in the desert - the cactus are blooming.

Off the geology road is another more all terrain off-road that goes to the Sonoran Desert side of the park.  We thought it might be fun to explore ... some tricky spots going through the mountains ... after I fell directing Tom through one of many, Tom decided to turn back ... rental vehicle ... no winch ... middle of nowhere ... Yeah, let's turn around.

Checking out the road ahead.

Clean it off, put some ice on it - off to more exploring!

Bedrock mortars - distinct oval depressions created by Indians grinding seeds on the rock with granite pestles - Cool!

Barker Dam hike with petroglyphs.  In the 1960's  a movie was shot in Joshua Tree that required a scene with Indian petroglyphs.  The movie crew felt that the petroglyphs were understated, so they painted over them so they would show up better on film ...seriously?  

Hidden Valley - a jumble of rocks enclosed by towering rock formations.  According to local lore, in the late 1800's two outlaw brothers named Charlie and Willie Burton were wandering among the boulders when they discovered a narrow passage in the rocks.  Climbing through the rocks they discovered the secret valley.  Charlie has just finished a 16 year prison stint for double murder and was friends with local cattle thief Bill McHaney.  The three used the secret valley as a hiding place for cattle stolen  in Arizona, rebranded and sold to unsuspecting ranchers on the California coast.  years later, both Charlie and Willie Burton were killed in a barroom brawl.  And that's the Wild West folks.

The day is drawing to an end - time to head to Keys View for sunset. 

Perched on the crest of the San Bernardino  Mountains and offering panoramic views of the Coachella Valley and the mountains beyond - beautiful!

The white above the mountains is the Salton Sea.

From left to right:  Santa Rosa Mountains, San Jacinto Peak, San Gorgonio Pass and San Gorgonio Peak (11,500 ft.). In the valley, lies Palm Springs, and running through the valley is the San Andreas Fault.

Beautiful Sunset!