Joshua Tree National Park - Artist in Residence Day 21

North View/Maze/Window Rock Loop

Today's hike brought me to an area I haven't spent time in yet: the Maze.  So named for the maze of washes, ridges, boulders, and generally rough terrain.  I know of two recent missing hiker incidents in this area, one search ended well, one not.  As always, I have my map and compass and did proper reading about the route.  I also have a couple nifty apps on my phone (they function off-line) that track your route, so it's easy to retrace your steps if you follow the wrong wash.  It's a newer trail, offers some nice diversity, and really I didn't have any trouble staying on-trail.  That said, it helps if one actually reads the sign.  I headed down the wrong wash to start with, seeing the word "North" and not thinking twice about it saying North Canyon versus North View.  Since I watch my route, it didn't take long to see that I was not following the correct trail.  Back where I meant to be, the first quarter, maybe even third, of the hike has a lot of up and down as you wind your way high up in the mountains at the north edge of the park.  There are some great views from this trail, in all directions.

Meeting up with the Maze Loop, I continued on that trail, down from the ridges, in and out of washes.  It turned out to be a hot day, and those washes were stuffy hot with no breeze.  It was a relief when the trail wound its way up through some boulder fields, eventually offering nice views of window rock.  Past window rock, the trail works its way toward the road.

After an exhausting day, having logged 7 miles in the heat.  I stopped for dinner at the Joshua Tree Saloon and used their wifi to work a little.

Heading down North Canyon, not where I meant to go.

Finally caught some quail, they are tough to get, even with the telephoto.

Back on track.

I'm guessing that this is unopened blooms of the mojave beardtongue

Hedgehog cactus

A reasonable flat section of the North View Trail.

A lovely high valley with views to the north (behind me).

Perhaps this formation should be called "the throne."

A view to the west, including Mt. San Gorgonio.

The tallest nolina I have seen yet, towering far overhead.

Views to the north.

I was just thinking that I haven't taken any interesting scat pics yet.  This is a huge amount of coyote scat in one place.

 

Continuing on...

Another view north.

Beavertail cactus about to bloom.

Silver cholla.

Down into the washes as the trail approaches the Maze Loop.

Reaching the area with more boulders.

There were so many bees on this nolina, but they move so fast, it looks here like just a couple.

Tenacity.  This yucca fell at some point, but it looks like its roots kept a hold on the side.

Another very large nolina.

Early view of the window.

 

It's shaped like a thunderbird from this angle, more like a square as the trail turns in front of the rocks.

Window Rock.

A rare view of the root system of a Joshua tree.  Quite shallow to absorb light rainfall.

 

Chia, which is one of my favorite smells of the desert.  It rivals the tundra tea in Alaska, in my book.

Large swaths of desert sunflowers today, and more bees.

Nearing the end of the trail.

A look north, the trail wound around on the other side.