Joshua Tree, CA- April 22, 2008

Earth Day seemed a marvelous time for a field trip to Joshua Tree National Park. Located in the town of Joshua Tree, two deserts come together; the Colorado (named because the Colorado River forms a border) and the Mojave Desert. The Colorado Desert has an elevation of less than 3000 ft. while the Mojave, reaches 5,000 ft. and is the home of the well-known Joshua Tree. Jenny described it well, when she recalled that the tree looks like the tree in Dr. Suess's well-known book, The Lorax, which I had read to them on Dr. Suess's birthday.

The tree, known for its twisted, spiky form, is a giant member of the lily family (yucca brevifolia), though you would never know it if you observed it up close. Each branch, which forms after flowering, is filled with sharp, dagger-like spines....I know because I touched one!
These trees grow an average of 1/2 inch per year and the oldest in the park is thought to be about 300 years old. We showed up to see them at the end of their flowering season; clusters of white-green flowers on long stalks.

I was amazed at all of the colors in the desert, despite having heard about it before. It was the perfect season for viewing wildflowers and there were so many varieties and colors. I had actually visited Joshua Tree years ago, but my companion felt it was too dangerous to get out of the car for fear of scorpions and rattlesnakes. This time, I had a ball hiking and seeing up close, all the wonders of the desert.

Joshua Tree, in the Little San Bernadino Mountains, is also known for the amazing geological displays and rock piles which we enjoyed viewing and climbing. It is believed that the process that created the current landforms, began 100 million years ago when molten liquid oozed upward and stopped below the surface of the top rock. These intrusions formed a type of rock called monzogranite which in time, formed fractures and rectangular joints. These fractures eventually became split, eroded, and slowly became the "broken terrace walls" that remain there today.

I also hiked to an area called Barker Dam, pictured as the water hole in my slides. Many years ago, this small lake was made by damming the water with large boulders. It seemed odd to walk into the desert and find this water source and lush area where many mallard ducks were spending time on their migration route. I also saw lots of lizards, a couple of rabbits, squirrels, and some interesting birds during the day.........but no rattlesnakes or scorpions!