Posts tagged as:

Joshua Tree National Park

Thanksgiving Hiking

November 24, 2009

At one of the four pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinners I’ve been invited to, one of my friends remarked that Thanksgiving in L.A. was becoming like Halloween – an extended 2-3 week celebratory period that may or may not have a party or dinner scheduled on the actual holiday itself. And I like it that way. For [...]

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Desert Blooms Incoming

February 13, 2009

If you’re looking to make a dash to view some desert wildflower blooms, now might be the time to start planning for a trip down south. The California Travel Girl tipped us off to the first wildflower report from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which is just starting to see the first flowers pop through the [...]

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e-Survivalist in Joshua Tree

May 6, 2008

This weekend, the LA Times ran a story by Dan Neil, following his adventures as he tries to make a six-day, north-south backpack through Joshua Tree National Park — weighed down with 7 pounds of high-tech gear. And that’s 7 pounds in a pack that already tips the scales at 50 pounds. Ultralight, this is [...]

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Concert for Trash Prevention

April 7, 2008

Remember that proposed trash dump right outside of Joshua Tree National Park? If you were around during the prehistoric early days of this site, you would — it’s one of the very first things I posted. The on-again, off-again legal relationship still hasn’t made any progress since the last appeal, but the coalition of groups [...]

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Welzenbach Explained

March 5, 2008

If you’ve ever been reading a trail write up and come across a phrase like “class-three bouldering,” you may have stopped and asked yourself, “What the hell does that mean?” Well, it’s called the Welzenbach System. “OK,” you say. “Now what the hell does that mean?” Tom dug up a clear, short, and wonderful video [...]

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Hiking The Maze

February 1, 2008

A newly-designated trail near the West Entrance, this loop encompasses parts of the North View, Maze, and Window Rock trails. A fantastic route that winds through large boulder formations, desert washes, slot canyons, and Joshua Tree forests, this path encompasses just about everything people love about Joshua Tree in one lightly-traveled trail. Highly recommended. The [...]

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Hiking Barker Dam Loop

January 29, 2008

A short and well-trodden nature trail in the center of the park. An easy way to get a glimpse at one of the most accessible areas of the Wonderland of Rocks, as well as seeing evidence of Native American petroglyphs. There is also a small, man-made reservoir here that will provide the rare chance to [...]

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Hiking Ryan Mountain

January 28, 2008

A straightforward, relatively easy hike up one of the most prominent, centrally-located peaks in Joshua Tree National Park. From this popular trail, hikers can get nearly 360 degree views of the entire park. This is a wonderful way to get a feel for the scope of the landscape, and a highly-recommended stop for first-timers. The [...]

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Good Eats at J-Tree

February 22, 2007

While on the subject of Joshua Tree, I figured I’d give a little shout-out to the place I always stop on the way out to refuel and relax. It’s called the Crossroads Cafe, and it’s right outside the West Entrance in the town of Joshua Tree. The sort of funky little cafe you really only [...]

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Hiking Inspiration Peak

February 20, 2007

A quick up-and-down that not only escapes the crowds at popular, drivable Keys View, but also provides better vistas of Joshua Tree National Park and its surrounding mountains. Joshua Tree, like all National Parks, has more than its fair share of cargoing sight-seers – that disproportionately loud and messy group that drives on paved roads [...]

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