Well, after a few weeks of decompressing after school finished, I've finally gotten out and about to enjoy my summer! On Tuesday afternoon, we took an semi-spontaneous trip out to Joshua Tree National Park to go for a hike. The temps were projected to be in the 90s, so we were prepared to wake very early (~4:30am) to be able to drive the rest of the way and start our hike by 6am. We decided to go into the southern entrance, as there was an interesting sounding trail head: Lost Palms Oasis. I wasn't sure if we would be able to make the 8 mile round trip hike (I was very concerned about the heat) but, we had our sunscreen, sun hats, and camelbacks ready to go.
We got a bit of a late start, but left the hotel around 5:45am, and we weren't out of the parking lot before the rain began!!! Although California rainstorms are nothing compared to some other parks of the country, we definitely drove through some downpours on the way there! The sky had cleared by the time we reached the park (and we were early enough, we saw a coyote crossing the road with his/her breakfast) It was about 6:30 when we reached the trail head-- of course, thinking of the sun/heat, we hadn't thought to bring rain gear (it was the 4th of July, in California, in the desert!!!) But, we decided to risk the rain and start the trail.
As we left the parking lot and started the trail, we saw the first (and only) other person on our early morning hike. He quickly passed us (after pausing to take a picture of a jack rabbit that was standing on its hind legs-- those animals are huge!!) and we didn't see him again until we reached the oasis that was the goal/endpoint of the trail. Around the first mile-marker, the rain started up again. Our t-shirts and cargo pants were completely soaked before long, and the rain continued for at least a mile or two. Although it became a bit uncomfortable to be hiking in soaked clothes, it was quite nice that the rain & clouds kept the weather cool. The temps were quite comfortable, and it didn't get warm/muggy until the last mile or two on our way back to the car.
All in all the hike was wonderful. It was about 4 miles out to the oasis, and the hardest part of the trail was the last bit scrambling down the rocks/boulders to get into the valley floor of the oasis. I was definitely feeling tired at that point (and it was tough climbing back out!) but, the view was well worth it! We never really dried out, as the rain had lifted in/around the oasis, it started up again not long after we began the walk back. The rain meant that we didn't get as many pictures as we normally would, but the shrubs/cactus looked amazing! All of the plants had bright green shoots and many were blooming/flowering as a result of the rainstorm. Although I loved the view, the best part was realizing that I could tackle an 8 mile hike! The estimated time for the moderate/strenuous hike was 4-6hrs, and we were back to the car in 4.5 hours--- not bad for 2 non-athletic (and at least one out-of-shape) people!
To continue my summer goal of being more active, we decided to go for a bike ride today. After digging our bikes our of the storage closet, pumping the tires (and a quick trip to the bike repair shop!) we managed to ride down the bike path to the beach; about 10 miles round trip. We got a later start than we'd intended, but the views were beautiful as all of the sailboats were returning to the marina (sorry, no pictures for this one). My hope is to continue hiking & biking (at least 1x/week) during the summer--- my body certainly can use the increased activity after sitting inside a classroom for the past 3 years!
As we left the parking lot and started the trail, we saw the first (and only) other person on our early morning hike. He quickly passed us (after pausing to take a picture of a jack rabbit that was standing on its hind legs-- those animals are huge!!) and we didn't see him again until we reached the oasis that was the goal/endpoint of the trail. Around the first mile-marker, the rain started up again. Our t-shirts and cargo pants were completely soaked before long, and the rain continued for at least a mile or two. Although it became a bit uncomfortable to be hiking in soaked clothes, it was quite nice that the rain & clouds kept the weather cool. The temps were quite comfortable, and it didn't get warm/muggy until the last mile or two on our way back to the car.
All in all the hike was wonderful. It was about 4 miles out to the oasis, and the hardest part of the trail was the last bit scrambling down the rocks/boulders to get into the valley floor of the oasis. I was definitely feeling tired at that point (and it was tough climbing back out!) but, the view was well worth it! We never really dried out, as the rain had lifted in/around the oasis, it started up again not long after we began the walk back. The rain meant that we didn't get as many pictures as we normally would, but the shrubs/cactus looked amazing! All of the plants had bright green shoots and many were blooming/flowering as a result of the rainstorm. Although I loved the view, the best part was realizing that I could tackle an 8 mile hike! The estimated time for the moderate/strenuous hike was 4-6hrs, and we were back to the car in 4.5 hours--- not bad for 2 non-athletic (and at least one out-of-shape) people!
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