We spent another relaxing weekend in Joshua Tree. Before we left, I researched a few different hikes, but I wasn’t really tied to any one plan. We didn’t get up super early, so by the time we got to Joshua Tree it was around 11:30 am. There was a sign on the 62 diverting people to enter the park at the north entrance. That’s when I knew it would be a long line of traffic to get into the park. This is the price you pay when you don’t get up early. Rather than wasting more time, I remembered the Boy Scout Trail. You can gain access to the trailhead at Indian Cove Road. So that’s what we did and it ended up being a lovely day void of any crowds. The hike on the Boy Scout Trail starts out fairly flat and then slowly begins to ascend gradually. We were taken through beautiful winding canyons surrounded by huge walls of rocks. The scenery was wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed this pleasant, leisurely hike through the backcountry. When we reached our turnaround time, we headed back. With the days being much shorter, we’d soon be running out of daylight. The Boy Scout Trail is a little over 7 miles one way. If you begin on the Indian Cove side, it hikes you into the park. You can also start from the trailhead off Park Boulevard and hike all the way to Indian Cove. Some people like to do a car shuttle so then you only have to hike the 7 miles one way. After the hike we checked in at my absolute favorite place to stay in Twentynine Palms, The Campbell House. Then we had dinner and drinks at The Twentynine Palms Inn. Afterwards, we came back to the room, put on our fluffy robes and watched old movies on TV. I get so relaxed when I come here! The next morning we had breakfast in the main dining room and then headed out. We drove to Juniper Flats and hopped on the California Riding and Hiking Trail until we reached the junction for the Stubbe Springs Loop. From there we decided to loop it back on Juniper Flats road. It was an unseasonably warm day for November. Hopefully, when we come back in January, it will be cooler. At any rate, we had a wonderful time just as we always do any time we visit this magical desert.
After our snowshoeing excursion on Mount San Jacinto, we drove an hour to Twentynine Palms to spend the rest of the weekend at our favorite bed and breakfast, the Campbell House. We arrived early enough to relax for a bit before heading out for dinner and drinks at the Twentynine Palms Inn. It was a great way to end the day. I slept very well that night until I awoke around 5:45 am and decided to wake my husband up so we could head into the park by 6:48 am in time to watch the sun come up. As much as I would have liked to sleep in, I never miss a desert sunrise. We quickly put on some clothes, threw our backpacks and some extra water in the car and drove into the park. The colors were phenomenal as always! It was chilly, but I was bundled up so I barely noticed. It was quiet with not many people around since it was still very early. The only sounds we heard were the birds peacefully singing and I saw a huge hare hop by. His feet were quite large and he had long, black tipped ears. I took a some photos as the sun came up and then we spent some time simply enjoying the tranquil morning before heading back for breakfast. Later on, after checking out of the bed and breakfast, we decided to drive through the park. We had mixed feelings about it since all of the issues going on with the government shut down, but we wanted to see for ourselves. We discovered that there were rangers working both the West and North entrances (without pay). The park looked like it was being well taken care of by the volunteers. The ranger told us that the Visitor Center on Park Blvd. was open and being operated by Joshua Tree National Park Association. We stopped off at the visitor center and made a donation. It was the least we could do to help their efforts. If I lived near and worked in Joshua Tree National Park, I'm sure I'd be working for free too. Joshua Tree is a very sacred and special place. I was happy to see it being well cared for.
