Joshua Tree National Park

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Martin Hash
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Joshua Tree National Park

Post by Martin Hash » Mon Nov 18, 2019 12:27 pm



Looking on a map, going to Joshua Tree National Park isn’t something you do because it’s convenient, unless you’re driving Route 66. Surprisingly, the place is bigger than the State of Rhode Island. It’s aptly named, the place is littered with Joshua Trees, but the big attraction is the volcanic rock out-juttings, called Inselbergs, cut by environmental forces: underground water & pressure, plus wind and rain. They are complicated and fascinating, and at one point driving through the interior, we were ringed by them in a valley surrounded by 6 mountain ranges. There are hikes through narrow causeways and over around impressive spires, and over windswept domes.

Gwynne in Crevice.JPG


We hiked Skull trail and Face trail, named after imaginative similarity with some of nature’s artwork/handiwork. Established in 1936 and declared a National Park in 1994, with 2.8 million visitors a year, it's definitely popular even though my wife, Gwynne, and I had never heard of it. Obvious the Boy Scouts know about it because there’s a trail named after them; I felt nostalgic just reading that sign. Now having seen it, Joshua Tree deserves to be in the top echelon of National Parks.

Skull Rock.JPG
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