What a day it was! So much to see. So many miles to travel.
SO HOT Top temp 48 (47.7777C)
I was awake at 6:30, just after sunrise and already the day
was hot. The kids were up next and we had our breakfast first. We didn’t leave
base until 9:30, complete with our snacks and cut lunches. Off we went into the
Joshua Tree NP. Unlike yesterday there were very few clouds in the sky. I took
several photos from the same vantage points as yesterday, to compare rain
versus dry and hot.
Our first stop was Quail Springs where the children did some
rock clambering and we found a few lizards. The rock formations were just
incredible. Granite that had cooled in cracks and been eroded by water. Then we
set off for Hidden Valley which was used in the last century by cattle
rustlers. They left the stock in the natural amphitheatre, which of course
destroyed the natural vegetation. The short track of one mile was fairly easy
to negotiate and was well signed, but it was VERY hot and we needed plenty of
water. I took many photos in here. Eventually we returned to the air- con car.
Susan continued to drive us to the vantage point called Keys View (5185 feet)
where before us lay the Mohave and Colorado deserts, the San Andreas Fault,
Coachella Valley and beyond nestling below
San Jacinto (3506 M), Palm Springs. (You can take a cable car up from Palm
Springs) The tallest mountain in the distance was San Gorgonia. (3302M) They
were all most impressive. Taller by far than Mt Kosciuszko at 2228M. From the
far left of the lookout, you could see the Salton Sea. Despite a good sign, it
was difficult to ascertain the location of the San Andreas Fault. After
avoiding the local bees, we drove back down the hill to re-join the main route
through the park, by now it was 98 F (37C) outside.
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| view from Keys View |
We travelled through the hills, past Ryan Mountain, the Lost
Horse Mine (gold), Cholla Cactus Garden, strange ocotillo plants, smoke trees, across
the valley floor to Cottonwood Spring. After leaving the park, we had to stop
and consider some options about our next route. Oscar took advantage of the
stop to get rid of his travel sickness. Tricky travelling with three adults and
one child who suffer from travel sickness! Eventually we decided to cross the
highway and go through Box Canyon. A very good decision. That route was also
very scenic, but made up of conglomerate rock formations. The road uses the dry
river bed. At the end of the hills and expanses of dusty barren areas, before
the sudden and surprising orchards of date palms, vineyards and other
vegetables, fed by channels of water from the Colorado River.
We stopped at Mecca (apt name) for fuel and a late morning
tea/ lunch break at Starbucks. Very slow service, but Susan needed a good break
from driving. The thermometer was reading 108F. (42C) I was chatting to a bike
rider who had ridden from Florida and was waiting for the sun to go down before
continuing on with the last 15 miles to Palm Springs. It was hot and going to
get hotter.
We set off to follow the road along the Salton Sea. Public
use is not allowed in summer as the water gets to a temperature of 90F, but
there were many birds along the shores. It was a very pretty spot, but fairly
smelly. It is well worth doing a search on this area. Quite fascinating, but
has the potential to be an environmental disaster.
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| Salvation Mountain in 47 C heat |
We went to Salvation Mountain (in the middle of nowhere- the
Imperial Valley) where Leonard Knight had created a project to proclaim his
religious beliefs. Fabulously quirky and well worth a visit despite the long
journey and the incredible heat. It was 117F by now. I did have some concerns
about possible safety regulations for the construction. We continued up the
road through Slab City- a region of squatters to East Jesus, where Susan and I
braved the now 118F (48C) heat to look in the “sculpture park”. Again some very
quirky original designs from junk.
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| sculpture at East Jesus |
Back down the road past the solar energy plant to re-join
the highway and head back to Mecca where we had left Troy’s cap. The sun was
getting lower, turning the mountains on the opposite side of the Sea to shades
of blue. Very pretty, but hard to photograph because of bugs on the windscreen.
Another short break at Mecca, before heading back up Box Canyon with the sun
sinking and creating beautiful shades of reflective light on the rocks. I think
10 minutes earlier would have been most impressive. By the time we re-crossed
the highway and headed up into the Park the sun was setting. I managed to get a
few shots through Susan’s driver’s side window. Slowly it darkened making
driving quite difficult for Susan.
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| sunset |
We decided to come back a different way, cutting down our
time negotiating the winding park road to come down the mountain to 29 Palms
and then along Highway 62. After ringing several businesses we had to go all
the way to Joshua Tree to the Sonic fast food outlet. By now it was 8:30 and
most places were either shut for meals or had a long waiting time. At Sonic we
were served quickly, but definitely NOT a GF establishment, so I had fries. We
ate and returned home soon after 9:15. Susan had her shower and was in bed immediately.
7 hours of driving. The children quickly followed and I typed up my day’s news
until 11:20. On one trip to the car I saw a huge falling star and there were
many smaller ones tonight. In fact it seemed to be a better display than last
night?
It was a long and MOST amazing, albeit an extremely hot day.
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