** editor's note - I still don't believe it was set, for I NEVER sleep through an alarm.
Thus, I was preparing myself that our leaving 2.5 hours late probably meant we wouldn't get a camping spot at Jumbo Rocks campground on a Friday. :(
Sure enough as we paid and drove through the Ranger Gate we were informed that all campgrounds were full already except one clear on the opposite entrance (30 miles of slow turns through the Park). With expectant breath we stopped at the campgrounds on the way as we made our way to the Cottonwood site. Luckily we found one in Jumbo Rocks after all - someone must have recently packed up. We were so excited!
Jumping out of the car Patrick and I started pitching the tent and unloading food while Ciara happily started running and climbing around on our campsite's backdrop of ...you guessed it: big rocks.
That afternoon we continued exploring the huge, slightly orangish boulders - climbing, scaling, slithering through small passages - that was definitely Ciara's favorite part of the trip. We then continued down a trail to see Skull Rock. It's amazing how much it resembled a skull! As we shot photos and Ciara climbed around, a very amiable family from London joined our spot and I knew the minute I heard the father's accent that P would mention he was from Ireland and that he also lived and worked in London for a year. The 2 ended up sitting together chatting about photography as they both had expensive cameras and the Brit commented that he was a professional photographer. Meanwhile, I chatted with the mom and her daughter who was about Ciara's age. Anyone who knows me knows I love foreigners, so I enjoyed myself plenty. The daughter was so sweet and bright. She commented to me, "I know I've only been here 3 days but I REALLY like America. The people are SO nice...!" Wow - God Bless her for saying that:)
Finally after returning to camp and having dinner we went to the presentation (solar-powered, of course) at the Ranger Station. I really enjoyed it as they talked about the dangers of light pollution from LA, San Diego and Riverside that are making it harder to enjoy stargazing in the Desert. The ranger went on to point out constellations and I even saw a shooting star!! But it was very windy that first night and quite cold so we left a little early to warm up at the fire and then hit the hay.
The next day we awoke and Patrick contentedly fired up his new camping gas stove that he just bought. He was adamant about having eggs, bacon, sausage and hashbrowns for breakfast - even though I rolled my eyes stating he was high-maintenance and that I grew up camping and happily eating a simple bowl of cereal. Well, there you go.
After breakfast we took an easy couple-mile hike to Baker's Dam. It was lovely - not too hot at all. The path also led us to real petroglyphs drawn at least 100 years ago by the native Indians in the area. That was amazing to see in the caves. We then went off the trail a bit and found a few more, faded but true - - very cool!
After a big lunch and a short nap for Ciara and I we then drove a ways and got out to hike the 4-mile, more difficult terrain and hilly trail up to Lost Horse Mine. I had done this trail a few years back and remembered it being long and harder going then just a leisure trail. But I didn't let Ciara in on that. She was already commenting at lunch that she wanted to go back to the campsite to climb on the boulders. But her dad and I both commented that we'd have time to do that later and that we like to get out and hike and see things on our trips.
Poor Ciara - at 9 and a half years and Physical Education only twice a week at her school (don't get me started ya'll) she isn't in the shape that I was at her age. The trail was a 'trek' to her. She did her best and pulled through it but not without 1 tantrum (he he he) and a whole lot of complaining. But she did it - although she was disgusted when we got to the gold mine to see that they had constructed a chain-link fence around most of it since it was so unstable that they couldn't have people climbing around it. "We came all this way and we don't even get to go inside it??!!!" she exclaimed. Ha ha ha. I had known that already as well, but didn't fill her in on it beforehand. Smart Gal...
Nighttime was less windy that Saturday and we had a huge fire and roasted and ate a disgusting amount of marshmallows and Ciara actually went to bed before us this time since she was exhausted.
The next morning was our final hike to the ruins of Key Ranch. Not too much left to the shambled old building, but it always interests me to think that at some time someone lived and worked in this exact spot so many years ago.
Alas, time to pack up and head home - I truly love the desert and seeing it bloom this time of year with the wildflowers was an extra treat. Good Times :)
Click on Slideshow below!
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| Joshuatree |
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