Sunrise on the Geology Tour Road

What to do in Joshua Tree National Park, take
a drive on the backcountry Geology Tour Road.
Pack a snack and take water.

Geology Road Tour JTNP

The vast open space of the Pinto Basin is breathtaking. The

Geology Road Tour  is a backcountry road with plenty of photo

opts. 

 

Geology Tour Road

 The dirt road is maintain in parts and the loop

requires four-wheel drive.

Geology Tour Road



 

PLEASE stay on the road and leave no trace!

Note the tire tracks that take away from the beauty.
 



Joshua tree bloom 2016
 

Frist Joshua tree bloom found on 1/31/16.

Geology Road Tour Joshua Tree National Park



 

Taking the a drive before the storm.

MANX BOULDERS

Manx Boulders area in Joshua Tree National Park offers some great

climbing routes.

 

 

A trip to Joshua Tree is a great weekend getaway. 

 

I enjoy sunrise hikes in the park.

 

So many rock to photograph.

 

The trail is easy walking.

 

Always enjoy your visit and catch a sunrise in the park. 

Rings Loop Trail

Hole-in- the -Wall area offers many hiking and walking trails.

A visit to the Mojave National Preserve with young children the Ring

Loop Trail is an awesome adventure.

 

 

Be prepared to see cattle on the tail. Dress for the high desert with

warm to hot clothes. 

 

 

The views will leave one speechless.

The Mojave Desert has so much to offer

and is worth the drive.

 

 

 

The wall are so interesting.

 

 

At lasted Banshee canyon is near!

 

 

Looking back in to Banshee Canyon. What a fun hike!!!

 

 



Quail Springs Picnic Area

Quail Springs Picnic Area

Quail Springs Sunrise 1/11/16

Early morning sunrise

Located less than twenty minutes from Joshua Tree the picnic area

offers many chance for awesome sunrise and sunset pics.



 

  

Quail Springs Rock Piles



The rock piles offers the opportunity to climb on the boulders.

 

Quail Springs Picnic Area

Plenty spots for a good picnic after a hike at Wall Street Mill or

Barker Dam.

 

Climbing Rocks

Plenty of good climbing routes.

 

 

 Always enjoy the rock piles.

Take time to stop at Quail Spring Picnic Area!

 



Sunrise at Wall Street Mill

 A awesome sunrise hike in Joshua Tree National Park to

Wall Street Mill.

Easy trial in a sandy wash. Great location for morning

side lighting.

 



Plenty of rusty objects.

 

 

Key's stamp mill is a look back in time.

 

 



I always enjoy the Joshua Trees!

 

 



 

 

Great combo hike is to include Barker Dam

The Views of Section "33"

Section 33

Section 33 is part of the Mojave Land Trust. The gateway parcel offers some several actives, from walking, picture taking,  building new relationships and wildlife watching. 

 



 



Hiking or Walking.

Section 33 is located on a nice gradual incline, with the north side as the low point. I prefer to use the trailheads located along the south side from Alto Loma Rd. Walking the north south trails at sunrise or sunset offer some great photos.

Light Painting

Many of trips for light painting. Very little gear required. flash lights, camera, tripod, and water. 

 

 



 

 

Horner the rules!

 

Please enjoy and leave no trace.

 

I prefer evening hikes in Section 33. Plenty of open

space to watch a sunset or storm clouds !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 2015 Storm Clouds

 

July Strom Clouds

 

Sunset Clouds over Section "33"

Evening hikes in Section 33.

 

 

Southwest Tall Clouds

Always enjoy the tall, low hanging

clouds!

 

What do you see?

The shapes are so interesting.

 

 



Hiking in Coyote Hole

Hiking in Coyote Hole

Many ways to enter Lower Coyote hole, I prefer from the corner of  Alturas Dr. and Alta Loma Dr. Nice sandy wash, a prefect place for the kids to run, four years old plus. Lots rock to climb with parent close by! Please help in keeping the area clean by packing out all trash and sometimes helping others

Adventure in Coyote Hole.

After many years of evening hikes with friends and family I have come to enjoy some interesting facts.

The first few minutes the every one is in a somber mood. Then the first adventure is found. Some sort of cave in the sandstone or it may be a granite rock ready for climbing.   

 

 

 

A smooth granite rock in the wash floor can build confidence! Building the basic hiking skills, keep your feet flat on the rock surface. And then it is time to move on to bigger and better.

 

Climbing Rock

 Over the years we have found many rock formations with many nick names.

 

The Rat?

Yet each shape has a story be hide every new discover. Take a hike thru Coyote Hole and write your own story that is ingrained in the hart of others!  

Rock piles in the hole!

Clouds always offer the chance of a great photo!

 

Respect the pass and find what they left behind.

 



Lower Coyote Hole

 

What to do in Joshua Tree 

Spend one hour hiking in Upper Coyote hole. It is fun to start from Onaga Trail at the flood chanel or sandy wash. Go down stream and look around at how wide the channel is and taking time to look at the smooth granite rocks.

 

 

 

As the channel narrows in the granite rocks in bottom are polished by the fast moving grains of sand. I find it interesting, how the polished granite in upper Coyote Hole mirrors life. It is in those turbulent times that we are polished?

 

Great hike for young climbers! Rocks are slick!

 

 

Just before the drop in to lower Coyote Hole 

    

The humble brings of the "PIG"

History of the Pig

Redneck science with the nephews is where the uncle acts like a little boy. The rocket stove, I have understood since my teen years in Idaho. This time it was leadership training for an earthquake and includes a rocket stove.

Take the time to learn how a rocket stove works, some day you may need the skill.

The boys made a rocket stove, boiled a large pot of water, and cooked hot dogs with dead dry mesquite wood found in the backyard.

Leaders need to protect family, friends and those who need help. Because of the earthquake we had no power or water and some foods needed to be cooked first and this stove would when working right sounds really cool. 
 

 



Pizza Oven?

I have always wanted a wood fired pizza oven and this project sounded like too much fun and YouTube was all too helpful. Clay, sand where all on site and easy to obtain. The only items purchase where the red clay bricks (I recommend the use of fire bricks).

Stomping in Mud.

Who doesn't like mud! The mixture was around one part clay and two and one half parts sand.
Add water and your good to go. I wished it was that easy.

One of the lessons learned the "clay is a Binder". A binder holds thing together.

Future Leader and Healer of Hearts hard at work. Mixing the clay takes the whole body! Just ask Mark, he rolled in the mud as a sign of his full deadacacation and pure pleasure.

Cob

Cob is the second layer and for the stove was a mixture of clay, sand, water, and straw. Mixing is no easy task and good old hard work is the best approach. Many hands make for easy, fun work with the bounus of lasting memories .
Mud balls work the best so sharpen your mud ball skills.

The stove survived the first few firing's. It's now time to cook the first pizza!!!

Mark the leader who rolled in the mud had the honor of the first pizza cooked in the oven.

I have tried many meals and desserts in the Pig. Peach cobbler is one of the best!