International Travelling On a Nickel and a Dime - a Primer for retirees: Hiking Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree is one of my favourite parks,given that it has a wide variety of hiking challenges, and the entire park is a wonder of nature. The Joshua trees are reputed to have been so-named because their appearance resemble the upstretched arms of Joshua leading pilgrims to the promised land. A few hours drive from Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix, it is fairly accessible and offers enough for intrepid hikers for a week or longer, depending upon how much you want to do. Right next door to the north, the towns of Yucca, Joshua Tree and 29 Palms are the off site places to stay, although there are some really good campsites in the park itself.

The Fall or spring seasons are the best time to visit Joshua Tree, as the summer is blistering hot, and the winters are cool to freezing. Temperatures vary considerably throughout the park. is about the best time of year to spend time at Joshua Tree National Park in California. Temperatures are in the teens to twenties (Celcius) and the only weather to cause problems has been the wind. Some parts of the park are like wind tunnels, and are not good for the hair. Notice the headphones. I was listening to the U2 album Joshua Tree at the time..

For the most part, at the base of the mountains, there isn't much wind at all. Today I was hair challenged in two places, at Keys View, the top of a mountain with 360 degree views of the Park and other parts of the Mojave Desert.

If you are wondering why the sky over the valley is so cloudy, well, it isn't cloud. Joshua Tree is just over 100 miles east of Los Angeles. On most days the prevailing easterly winds blows smog from the city into the valleys of the Mojave Desert. Or at least that's what the sign on the top of this mountain says.

Ryan Mountain peak

The second wind challenge was on the hike up to and on the top of Ryan Mountain. Narrow passes up the trail channel the winds so there is a substantial breeze. Several things about this trail. First, if you go on a Sunday, there are hundreds of families going up, so don't be surprised to be passed by elementary school kids barrelling up the hill. As it is a 1200 foot hike, they are pretty tired by the time you get to the top, so they are a lot slower going down. Given that cell tower signals are weak in the park, you don't see them looking at the screen instead of the views. A plus for natural education!

Second, in some misguided policy, the park decided to make steps up much of the trail, using flat ended boulders, so those of us with potential knee problems face the double jeopardy of hiking over the stones going up, and falling with a clunk on each step going down. Nature did it better!

Yesterday I saw two coyotes. The only serious predators in the park. It's strange, but the park brochures and pamphlets are very informative about all the creatures in the park that are there to see, except the predators. A scant mention of venomous snakes, and no references to coyotes. I guess they do not want to scare the tourists.

Tips:

carry water, sunblock, a hat that covers your face and good boots
tell someone where you are hiking for the day
if you feel you have strayed off the poorly marked trail, turn around immediately and go back to the last trail marker
carry a compass and a map. After a while the great views tend to look alike
start with shorter trails and work your way up to the longer ones. Get a sense of the park.
travel with a friend, unless you are very cautious or experienced. If you are hiking alone, stick to the well travelled trails.
carry reflective material - you can buy very light materials specifically for this. Cell phones do not always work in this park

In General

As part of your planning for this location, you most definitely have to consider safety. It is a dry desert which is unforgiving to people who do not take safety seriously. So, dress appropriately for for sun and heat, and in the off season, prepare for cooler nights if you get stuck. Deserts tend to have wider extremes of temperature between day and night, because there is no cloud cover to trap heat, and remember to ensure you have more than enough water to last between leaving accommodations and returning at night. For specific information on Day Hikes in the park visit their web page Trails are mostly well surfaced,but sometimes not very well marked, so you will need a compass and a map and a clear sense of direction. If you find the trail surface is getting rougher or covered in vegetation, ask yourself if you are still on the trail, stop, and look around. I found it easy to lose the trail, even when I was paying attention. Always let people know where you are going, and advise them what to do if you do not check back in by a fixed time. In some places where I have hiked, trail heads have sign in / sign out books - I have yet to see any in Joshua Tree. If you are not a seasoned hiker, start on the shorter trails first, especially in hot weather. Fatigue catches up easily. Once you know your capabilities, then you can begin on the tougher outings.

In addition to day hikes and nature walks, Joshua Tree's 585,000 acres offers wilderness hiking adventures, but consider this, much of this is unposted and requires significant back country experience and knowledge.

Here's some more pictures