Day 13 - Joshua Tree continued

Miles hiked = 5.0

Elevation = 3000 ft



I awake to the sounds of bees humming in the creosote bush and a blue, blue sky (left the entire tent unzipped last night... basically sleeping in a mesh enclosure). A hummingbird hovers overhead. Oh, happy day! Good morning!



I head back to the Oasis Visitor Center for another hiking recommendation. Dave is there again, and seems thrilled that I enjoyed Split Rock Loop so much. He recommends the Lost Horse Mine hike, and then asks if I would be interested in a ranger guided tour of Keys Ranch. "It's really neat - the whole operation is still standing, and as of now, there is no one else booked for the 1pm tour." Sold, and for only $5 I have a private tour.



Unfortunately, the clouds are moving in and the wind has picked up (according to the Visitor's Guide, average May precipitation is 0.06 inches). I reflect that I left my waterproofs back at camp, and didn't put up the rain fly. Oh well. Lost Horse Mine is a 4 mile out and back trail (with an optional 6.2mi loop) up to the mine. The prospector who owned it lived here alone until the 1930's. After no one had seen him for a spell, they came out to the mine and found him dead. Huh. That's kind of... depressing. At least he didn't own cats who ate his face.

Lost Horse Mine Trail

Fields of blooming Nolina

Lost Horse Mine

Blooming cacti

For some perspective, me standing next to a blooming plant. It's almost 10 feet tall.

Anyway, the trail climbs through valleys of blooming Nolina, and up to the mine. The views are amazing, especially from the top of Lost Horse Peak above the mine. However, the temperature is dropping fast and it's getting REALLY windy. I don't want to be late for the tour of Keys Ranch, and head back down.

Look very very very closely... mojave rattlesnake!

The Keys' Home. After 17 years of marriage, he finally got around to building his wife a kitchen.

Now coming to Hoarders...

At the locked gate heading into the ranch, there are 2 other people waiting - a couple who are teachers at middle schools in Apple Valley, CA. We chat for a few minutes, then meet Ranger Pat for the tour. He takes us past the gate and up to the old schoolhouse. He seems very pleased to only have 3 people. "Boy, it's getting late in the season! Fewer and fewer people are coming, course, we shut down for the summer soon. Too damn hot." Pat has been stationed at multiple parks, the most recent being in Hawaii. He doesn't seemed as thrilled with J Tree, ("Too damn dry. Sometimes we get down to 2% humidity.") However, he does seem very excited about the acting (?) he gets to do during their interpretive tours. "I get to play a a grumpy old man who has a bad leg, and I get to use a cane and talk about living on the Keys Ranch!" He gets very animated when talking about his role. Personally, I find historical re-enactment a little creepy, but I keep that to myself. The old ranch is very interesting, especially since it is left just as it was the day Mrs. Keys died, with implements strewn everywhere (I think they might have been able to star in a very special episode of "Hoarders").



After the tour, I head back to Keys View, which overlooks Palm Springs to the southeast. You can't see anything. In fact, the sign says (in large font), "What's wrong with this picture? SMOG!". You can actually banks of smog rolling through the San Gorgino Pass from LA. It's kind of gross. However, you can also see the San Andreas Fault in the middle distance, which is much cooler.

See that brown cloud to the right. Smog. Or smug, not sure which.

This is as focused as it gets... the smog causes haze in the valley below.

The wind has picked up even more (is there a word for really, really windy? 'Cause if so, insert it here.) I return to the camp, and realize that every other campsite on my turnout is vacant. Cool! As I walk around, I realize that the ENTIRE campground (at least from the entrance road to my side of the camp) is vacant. I am completely alone in the desert. "This is great!!!!"; I am thrilled. I take a shower (oh Solar Shower, I love you) under the desert sky, and attempt to cook dinner in the wind. The only reason why Campsite 10, Indian Cove will not be my absolute favorite site ever is because the rock formations funnel the wind right through the area. It's getting even more windy (50-60 mph gusts, according to the weather radio). I worry about being alone briefly, but there are no wolves, bears, mountain lions, or other large predators to kill me. A rattlesnake might incapacitate me, but I could still get to help.



Unfortunately, the wind is rattling the tent so badly that I wake up every 5 minutes. After 2 hours, I say "fuck it" and pissed-offedly crawl into the car to sleep. Fuck this noise.