Joshua Tree National Park

Nancy and I spent most of Tuesday Feb 1 in the Joshua Tree National Park.  We entered the park through the Utah Trail entrance at Twentynine Palms.  Some of you may know the Twentynine Palms is also home to a very large USMC Base.  It was rather cool around 38, but bright and clear.  A little breeze caused even more of a chill. 

Nancy has a NPS book that she keeps track of all the National Parks & Monuments by either purchasing stamps or using a stamp that each visitor’s center provides.  In this photo she is getting her JTNP stamp. 

Not sure what it was, but this time of year in the desert, as with most of our country, there is very little color available in flora.  So you grab a photo when you can.

Driving on into the park and near the pinnacle, you’ll find many rock formations such as this.  There are at least two campgrounds located near formations such as this and the campers climb the many rocks available near them.

Near the top of this BIG rock, you can make out a small figure of a young man.  His accomplice is down on the next level holding the support lines and adjusting and signaling as necessary to help his friend down.  I don’t know all the technical terms, so excuse my lack of colloquialisms.

Here is his friend, about 150 feet down the BIG rock.

Nancy, beside one of the thousands of Joshua Trees.

On our way to see the Barker Dam and lake that was created for the cattle many years ago.

Part of the approximately 1,500 acre lake formed as a result of building the dam.  Many waterfowl and animal life are attracted to the lake.

Nancy and I on an old ‘30’s pick up left for dead not far from the dam and the Wall Street Mine and gold mill.  We never made it to the gold mill, as we could figure out the trail.  NPS had a temporary trail and it was poorly marked, so we gave up after about 90 minutes.

Old warrior keeping a sentry over the valley below.

Well, we better sign off for now.  There is just so much to see here in JTNP.  One really needs to spend at least three days here in order to take most of it in, and do some hiking.  This is my first blog using Live Writer and Blogger, so, I hope it works.  Till next time, Joe & Nancy