Leaving Las Vegas was easy, the route south took me through the Mojave National Preserve where I got my first taste of the endless expanses of Joshua trees, long straight roads, beating sun, and not much else. Profoundly beautiful.
A passed through some small rural towns and finally entered Joshua Tree National Park. Similar to the Mojave NP, apart from the random sections of smooth rounded granite which arise out of nowhere, a rock climbers paradise!
The park was busy, the small clusters of designated camp sites mostly taken, but eventually I found a place to camp for the night. It was another scorching day, I tucked in close to a large boulder to shelter in the shade and waited out the worst of the heat.
I was tired and exhausted from the previous weeks adventures in the desert, but after a helpful coffee I mustered the energy to go for a drive to see what was around. A sign for 'Skull Rock' caught my interest, so I parked up and started hiking. I followed what I thought was the main trail, but soon wandered away from the road and deeper through the granite boulders.
I was hiking along when all of a sudden, not more than a few metres away, was a Rattlesnake! I couldn't believe my luck! It was stretched out, on the move in the late afternoon sun, when I stumbled across it. A beautiful creature. I took some photos, then a few steps forward for a better look, when it suddenly coiled and reared up. Another step and its tail started to shake violently! I was in no danger but a shiver ran up my spine at the sounds of the rattle, and a huge surge of adrenaline coursed through my body. I was ecstatic! I stood for a while and marveled at what was in front of me, then moved away to not cause it any undue stress.
I returned back towards the car, finding 'Skull Road' a few metres off the main road. I was so glad to have missed the obvious (and a little underwhelming compared to a rattlesnake) formation and continued on through the park.
I turned into Hidden Valley, watching my steps carefully this time. Here I saw plenty of evidence for climbs, fantastic looking features with chalked holds, and further into the area I came across some active climbers. After a brief chat I was back to the car as it was getting close to dusk.
What better way to spend a sunset in the desert than to find the highest peak around and waited for the sun to settle down through the haze for the night. I drove to 'Keys Lookout', saw the thick layer of smog settle in over Palm Springs and Cochella Valley, and watched the sun die down.
Back to my camp site for a few cold beers, still buzzing from my discovery that afternoon. When I couldn't think the day could get any better, the stars and moon came out and I was treated to a breathtaking nights sky. With no light pollution around I felt like I could almost reach and touch the stars, they were so clear. I admired the view from atop a nearby boulder until exhaustion overcame me and I retired to my tent. The next morning I packed up my things and set off to San Diego.
What a phenomenal experience, my only regret is that I couldn't stay longer.
Many more photos here
