Today we headed back to Joshua Tree National Park. The desert is something I miss dearly when I’m on the east coast. I have so many memories here; sunrise, sunset, long hikes in the backcountry, the milky way and endless starry nights. It’s a magic place… hard to put into words, really.

We hiked one of my favorite trails today, the Panorama Loop from Black Rock Campground. At the beginning of the hike, there was a raven perched in a joshua tree. I took a moment to make his acquaintance and listen to what he had to say. His message clearly stated, “Welcome back! We’ve missed you!” (As I said, the desert is a magical place.) :)

The hike on the Panorama loop starts in the far northwest section of Joshua Tree National Park. Much of the trail is hiking through a sandy wash with a moderate incline until you reach the base of a mountain where you’ll make your way up to the high point of the loop. The trail winds through the canyon walls and the scenery is lush and green abundant with juniper, pinyon pine and oak. It’s a very diverse section of desert and that’s why I love it so much. There’s also a spring which contributes to the greenery on this section of trail. At the top of the loop the views are some of the best I’ve seen in the park, in my opinion. You can look out to Mt. San Gorgonio, Mt. San Jacinto, Yucca Valley, Coachella Valley and the Salton Sea. The winds were really strong today and we descended just below the high point and took shelter behind some boulders to sit and have a bite to eat while we enjoyed our surroundings. A few groups of horseback riders passed us as they made their way down from the top of the loop. To me, horses and desert encompass everything that is wild and free. This resonates so deep within my heart that it brought a tear of joy to my eye. I guess I am sentimental that way. Being here in this moment and being home again in the places that I love, I was filled with contentment. I laid atop a boulder and just let the winds pass over my body while looking up at the blue sky. As much as I could have stayed there forever, we needed to start heading back. We continued along the trail through the pinyon pines and joshua trees until we arrived back at the start of the loop. It was a wonderful day!