[Bloated Chipmunk]

Last month I hit up some familiar & not-so-familiar hot spots in Joshua Tree Natl. Park, as part of a group trip w/fellow Canyoneers. The organizer hadn't made a specific itinerary beforehand, so we played it by ear for each day's adventure. Different people in the group cut their trip short, & some shorter than others, & by the end of the wk. it was just me & one other remaining. We stayed @ one of the group sites @ Cottonwood CG & thankfully each night was pretty quiet, minus some fierce winds on the last 2 nights. Since most peeps are @ least somewhat familiar w/JTNP already, this report will mostly be photos, broken down into each day of the trip. DAY 1: Mast Pk. Loop (from CG) Since it was only a partial day after the long drive from SD, we just did a quick hike from camp on the Mast Pk. Loop Trail. We skipped the side trail going to the top of the pk. since no one was interested. Canyoneers get way more excited over plants & animals than they do peakbagging, lol.

TH

Pencil cholla

Jackrabbit

Hedgehog

"Sandy wash"

Old mine

Mine sign

Rattler

Rattler

Cottonwood Oasis

Stats

Rt.

Nightcap

DAY 2: Hidden Palm Oasis This hike was one I did just a mo. prior, but this time had the pleasure of seeing a chuckwalla. Afterward we drove to Chiraco Summit for gas, ice, & refreshments.

Lizard

Lizard

Lizard

Juniper

Blooming ocotillo

Trail down toLost Palm Oasis

Lost Palm Oasis

Chuckwalla

Chuckwalla

Chuckwalla

Chuckwalla

Lost Palm Oasis

Lost Palm Oasis

"Ass Scratching Rock"

Hangin' out in the shade

Stats

Rt.

Break time

DAY 3: Cholla Garden, Malapai Hill, "Alien Pods", Barker Dam, Maze Loop On this day we did a bunch of short hikes, & I was the only one who went all the way to the top of Malapai Hill. Cholla Garden:

Seems like it should warn of cholla instead

Cholla garden

Cholla garden

Cholla garden

Cholla bloom

Nest

Beavertail about to bloom

Malapai Hill:

Malapai Hill

Balanced rock below Malapai Hill

Aiming for the saddle

Hedgehog

Approaching the summit of Malapai Hill

Summit views

Summit views

Summit pano

Summit pano

Summit views

Summit views

Summit views

Summit views

Phallic rock

Summit of Malapai Hill

Zoom of our cars below

Stats

Rt.

"Alien Pods" (Tent Catapillars):

Checking out the Claret Cup & "alien pods"

Claret Cup

Claret Cup

Barker Dam:

Barker Dam TH

Apricot Mallow

Apricot Mallow

Lizard

Claret Cup

Claret Cup

Barker Dam

Barker Dam

Barker Dam

Barker Dam

Barker Dam

Barker Dam

Claret Cup

Pictographs

Pictographs

Pictographs

Stats

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Maze Loop:

@ TH for Maze Loop

Window Rock

Window

Window

Horned Lizard

Stats

Rt.

DAY 4: John's Camp, Split Rock Lp, Arch Rock

Group Camp #3

With everyone else gone, these last 2 days were left for me & Linda to explore. John's Camp:

Purple Aster

Heading toward John's Camp

Stats

Rt.

Split Rock Loop:

Split Rock Lp pano

Split Rock Lp pano

Hanging rock

Short slot

Skull Rock

"Heart Rock"

Paintbrush

Stats

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Arch Rock:

Arch @ Wht Tank CG

Back @ camp, I joined Linda in her camper as she graciously made me dinner.

DAY 5: "Utah Canyon" (Mecca Hills) After packing up camp in fierce winds & a quick stop @ the VC, we left the park & went to Mecca Hills to check out "Utah Canyon". It was a nice short hike through a picturesque canyon that climbs to a viewpoint above the badlands.

TH @ "Utah Canyon"

Slot

Slot

Slot

Slot

Who lives there?

Mecca Hills pano

Mecca Hills pano

Salton Sea & badlands

Salton Sea & badlands

BC in slot

Palo Verde

Stats

Rt.

We said our goodbyes & each made our way back to town. I stopped in BS for a refreshment to top off the trip.

Post-JTNP margarita

[Ski]

those are some really curious pictographs.