Three Nights in Joshua Tree - Day 2

The night was cold and windy. Very, very windy. In the morning Bucci and I fruitlessly searched White Tank campground for a more sheltered campsite. We then drove over to Belle Campground to continue our search. After picking up a leftover pile of 2x4's and deciding on a new campsite we drove pack over to White Tank to pack up our gear. When we got to Belle someone else was in our campsite, we were heartbroken. Eventually we picked out another site with a good western view, affording us as much evening light and warmth as possible. We unpacked all the camping supplies, re set the tent, staked it down and decided to tie the fly down with an extra rope to combat the wind. As we fumbled around with the last rope the wind got the better of us and blew the tent with all our sleeping gear in it off the stakes, into a bush. After extracting the tent from the bush, we detached it from the bent tent poles and glumly threw the hole mess in the car. With a whole morning wasted we set off the the 49 Palms Oasis figuring if we were at the park we might as well see something of the place.

Bucci and I slowly ate our lunch in the car, making a mess of things in the process. Finally we gritted our teeth and stepped out into the cold and wind. Only it wasn't quite as cold and windy. As we started hiking it was actually warm. After about 10 minutes on the trail I stashed the jacket I was wearing behind a rock and took off several other layers. The view behind us was amazing - the town of Twenty Nine Palms stretched out below us. We hiked on in shorts and t-shirts up a ridge through the hardscrabble desert. I rounded a corner and came upon the most amazing sight - there in the middle of the desert was a huge stand of Fan Palms. As we approached the oasis I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the most beautiful place I have ever been. The fan palms form a dark, cool moist grove where the afternoon light filters in. The view around is all brown desert but the oasis is a wonderful enclave of green. We stayed in our own little eden as long as we could - taking pictures and reveling in the beauty of it all. A place even more amazing because of the disastrous morning we had had.

The sun sets early in December so we hiked quickly back to the car, wanting to catch the sunset at Keys view. Driving to the top of Keys view one climbs to over 6,000 feet. The view is extraordinary. We gazed out over the park, Palm Springs, and the Salton Sea in the distance. The wind was intolerable but the sunset was a wonderful orange. On the drive home we glimpsed in the headlights a coyote scampering off into the brush. Bringing the day's adventures to a close, possibly the greatest turnaround of a day I have ever experienced!

Upon returning to camp Bucci made a blazing fire and we cooked up a tasty chicken stew for supper. As night grew late the wind died down. Still dreading the thought of another cold night in the tent we cleared out the 4Runner, put the seats down and settled in for a very comfortable sleep.