Joshua Tree National Park - Artist in Residence Day 11

Lucky Boy

I had to stop by the school again to have the kids sign their names on a display that will accompany our paintings.  Then I headed into the park to hike the Lucky Boy Vista and Lucky Boy Loop trails.  Today was an insanely windy day, which made the temperature blissful, almost cool, for hiking.  I love being able to wear a long sleeve layer for the sun, but I hate to overheat.  The wind also created areas of blowing sand that would intermittently obscure some of the hills and mountains.  The trail out to Lucky Boy Vista is an easy one, with just one, reasonably brief, incline to get to the top of a plateau.  On the plateau are numerous mine shafts, this is the location of the Elton Mine.  At the end of this trail is a spectacular view looking down on the Split Rock area, and I was able to pick out a number of the rock formations you can see when hiking the loop trail down there.  The trail used to connect the two, but it has not been maintained for some time, and by accounts that I read, it requires using one's map and compass skills.  Since I was looking for something easy today, I headed back to where the Lucky Boy Loop trail leaves the Vista trail, and took that, wandering through washes in the Desert Queen Valley, eventually ending at the parking area for the Desert Queen Mine, and then a half mile or more hike back to the Lucky Boy parking area.  This loop is a newer hike, and it's quite nice.  If you keep your eyes open, there are some interesting finds.

I returned to my housing in late afternoon, grabbed a shower and got ready to head down to Palm Springs with Ranger A for a fun evening.  We had dinner at Rubio's and wandered the weekly street fair.  As miserable as the wind was up here in the high desert, it was still more intense down in the Coachella Valley, blasting her car with sand.  To be expected, but luckily the location of Palm Springs shelters it a little, and walking around in the warm evening air was lovely.  Crossing the valley, the sand blows like snow in the midwest, fingers of it reaching across the road.  

View along the road out to Lucky Boy.

Starting out on the trail, which used to be the road access to the Elton Mine.

Blooming Mojave Mound Cactus

Passing through the old gate, beginning the ascent to the plateau.

An old mine shaft, covered with mesh and partially filled in.

Looking down on Spit Rock.

Panorama of the view from Lucky Boy Vista.  

Blowing sand.

This image shows the haze of sand that was in the air all day.

On the Lucky Boy Loop.

Monzogranite boulders.

Lots of yucca through here.

A hedgehog cactus, I believe.

A Parry Nolina bloom stalk

Another Nolina, starting to open up.

Prickly Pear Cactus.

Continuing along the wash.

I spotted a wide side wash, and decided to explore just a little ways.  Glad I did, I found this view, and the top of a dam.

View of the dam from below.

I spotted the outline of a jackrabbit created by shadows on the rock in the middle.

Tenacity.

Rattlesnake Weed.

Bedrock mortars.

Prickly Pear with interesting erosion patterns.

The wash opens up.

Almost to the parking area, end of the trail.