Joshua Tree, Nov 9-10

“The WanderWomen and I will be camping and rock climbing at Joshua Tree on Nov. 9-10 with some staying to the 11th. Could include some day hiking and exploring for those who are interested. Dinner Saturday night will be a Dutch oven extravaganza!

I am bringing my son and daughter.

Care to join us? We are going to try to save several campsites together, depending on the response.

Contact me at prrosenkrant@csupomona.edu or Carolina at Club@Wander-Women.com for more information.”

“Hi Phil, how's it going?

I'll let Dom know about this trip. The kids are pretty busy with school and thi8ngs. They may not be able to break free. If they can, they would likely need to scramble for a tent, but someplace down tere must rent 'em. Maybe she'll drop you a line....”

“Strider - Good to hear from you.

I have a Eureka Timberlite 3 that they could borrow.

Should be a lot of fun.”

“Joshua Tree NP is awesome! I'm on the right coast, so no can do. I know you guys will have a blast!”

“Good luck getting even ONE site. The place get sooooooooooo crowded this time of year.
Was there a week ago, and it was so great. Went to the Didgeridoo Festival on the outsid of town. Lots of great didj players from all over the world were there, as well as some of the best Didgeridoos I've ever played or seen.
Enjoy the Tree, it is one Spiritual place for sure.”

“Mid-week at Joshua Tree is empty. Black Rock Campground did not have a soul in it a week ago, and there are some great hikes from that point. Indian Cove is another great starting point, especially for the 16 mile RT Boy Scout Trail. There are camping facilities there also. Should you need a motel, they are costing about $44 a night, the gas is about $1.34 a gallon, and food in restaurants is terrific and cheap. Jerry's in Yucca Valley has evening specials to kill for. Prime Rib on Thursdays for $10.99 and on Wednesdays, Porterhouse Steak for $12.99. The Saloon in Joshua Tree has happy hour prices of $1 for a good sized well drink and free tacos. The Boy Scout Trail includes flat desert, some climbing, and the higher desert in the main park leading to the Wonderland of Rocks at the opposite end of the trail where more camping is available. Day emps get into the 70's and nighttime temps into the low 40's.

Here are some pics from our three days last week.

http://community.webshots.com/user/mountainmaster2003”

“Phil - I am on the right coast too, but the wrong one for this trip. Do you ever go in the spring or summer to Joshua Tree?”

“mountainmaster -thanks for the info. We are checking on the weekend situation. Thanks for the restaurant recommendations. Could come in handy since they are within driving distance of the campsites.

keyhole - Summer at Joshua Tree is very hot and most people avoid it. I have always camped there November - March. Our Scout troop usually camps there in March. Maybe someone will get something going next spring.”

“Thanks, Phil. I would love to hike there. I'll ask again come spring. Have a good hike!”

“I am flying to Anaheim on the tenth. Wish I had known sooner.

My recollection of JTNM was weird rock formations and abandoned mines. I never did get too far off the road.”

“You can fly???”

“Boy, I bet his arms will be tired.”

“Good call Wind Passer:-)”

“:p”

“Bacpac...how long you gonna be here in Cali?
We just need any ol'excuse to get out more...wanna get high? 10,12 or 14,000' what's yer pleasure?”

“bacpac - Where are you gonna be?”

“Anaheim.

What? Did I misspell it again?”

“bacpac - So what are you up to in Anaheim?”

“you mean, Analheim?”

“bacpac - They do have a famous mountain in Anaheim. Ever heard of the Matterhorn?

If you plan to visit Disney's California Adventure, I can give you some free advice.”

“Phil:

Where are you camping on Saturday night? I might just head out to JT.

Kathy”

“It'll be warmer at JT than the Sierras. It got pretty cold last weekend.”

“wingding - The latest plan is that the Wanderwomen will arrive on Friday afternoon and try to get a site or two (depending on the number of people who say they will come). It is first-come-first-serve. They will start with the West Entrance and work their way East until they get a spot then post a message.

I will be cooking dinner with my Dutch ovens on Saturday night...yummy!

Should be fun, even with a small group. The WanderWomen bring their climbing gear to share with whoever is interested since it is one of their favorite things.

Hope you can make it!! I can forward some email tomorrow.”

“Phil:

I don't climb, but If I know where you guys are going to be I'll stop and say hi. I wonder what my chances are for getting a camping spot if I go in on Saturday morning.

Kathy”

“Kathy - I don't climb much myself, but I rapell when I get a chance and like to watch. I may do a little exploring, but my daughter is not a very fast hiker.

Not sure if there will be many spots available on Sat. If you know how many people are coming total, they will try to get several spots together if they can. My friends who couldn't make it on the Dingleberry Lake hike may be joining us also...don't know for sure yet.

No matter what, you must join us for dinner & campfire, etc.”

“Joshua Tree...I just met, yesterday here in Missouri in my office, one of the research scientists who, back in the 60's, was responsible for creating the plan for fauna stabilation areas. This guy was old, but his handshake was rock solid. Neat old codger...I love JT. it was the place that set my heart and mind free 3.5 years ago, right after moving to Missouri and my divorce...JT holds a very special place in my heart and always will...one day I shall return there....you guys have fun and listen to the wind at night...my first flute song may still be heard on the winds.”

“stikmon - nice reflections. JT has a beauty of its own.

That reminds me of meeting the first "naturalist" for Glacier National Park. He was 85 when I met him in 1985. He said he had the best carrier in the world. He spent his career in about 9 different national parks.”

“the people from backpacker magazine are going to be at joshua tree this weekend.

FYI”

“I think the campgrounds will be really full, so we're going to backpack in JT and try to find Carey's Castle. That means I'll be out in the backcountry on Saturday night, so I don't think I'll make the campfire.”

“Kathy,

OK. Thanks for letting us know.

Maybe we will see you somewhere anyway.

bbinkley - any idea where the backpacker people will be?”

“Just got an email from the Wander-Women. The trip is postponed due to the weather. 20-30 mph winds are forecasted thru Sunday which, IMHO, is the bad part of the forecast.

We will try again later!”

“Here's part of the BACKPACKER magazine trip plan I received...

"Meet at 5 pm at the trailhead at Boy Scout Backcountry Board, on main park road south of West Entrance. This is the southern trailhead for the Boy Scout Trail. Backcountry camping is allowed one mile from the road, so we'll hike in at dark. Bring headlamps (or hike in earlier on your own)."”