Nightglow Window

J Tree Day 2

I'm stiff and sore as I make my coffee this morning and the wind, there's always the wind, whistles through the Joshua Trees here at Jumbo Rocks Campground -- the largest campground in the Park. After breakfast and a quick game of desert bocce ball with Hannah, we drive over to Atlantis, only to find the climbs we were after already occupied by a class. Bummer. We cast about for a half hour, trying to figure out what to do. I even climb up the back of the formation to look if we could set up an anchor up top, but I'm not comfortable with how it looks and I really don't want to horn in on the class.

So we head back to camp for a few hours, then explore the old Desert Queen mine, a place of tall tales, deceit, and murder back in the wild days before the park. Wow, this must have felt like the end of the earth back then, 80 years ago, when the roads we so take for granted were still decades away. We rumble over the washboard dirt road to Barker Dam, which is still full of water, and hike around the loop trail. Then it's back to the Hall Of Horrors where Hannah and Sydney climb on Holds To Hollywood, a fun 5.4.

Morning at the secret spot lookout, Jumbo Rock Campground, Joshua Tree N.P.

Hannah sizes up the climb.

Sydney, back on her nemesis.