March 15-19, 2020 —
After stopping in Arches National Park for a glorious day among the sandstone arches, my friends and I continued our spring break. Shane, Jack, Aaron, Alex, Will and I began the last leg of our journey to our destination: Joshua Tree National Park. Climbing in Joshua Tree was an experience most of us had dreamed of, and we were ready to make that dream a reality. As we drove across Utah, news of COVID-19’s grip on the country continued to break. The remainder of our trip was uncertain. Would states close their borders? What restrictions would the government impose? Would public facilities – restaurants, gas stations, campgrounds, national parks – remain open? We knew none of the answers, yet we trudged along in hope of a successful trip.
Plan your trip to Joshua Tree National Park
Table of Contents
- Day 1: Crossing the Desert
- Day 2: Finding the Friction
- Day 3: Breaking Bones
- Day 4: Joshua Tree in the Rain
- Day 5: Climbing into the Sunrise
Day 1: Crossing the Desert
Our drive through Utah was far more beautiful than our earlier drive across the uninteresting Midwestern states. Tall buttes, red cliffs, canyons, boulder fields, and mountains dotted the landscape. We traversed the Colorado Plateau with a generous 80 mph speed limit. Every time we crested over a hill, expansive views greeted our tired eyes.
By early afternoon, we reached the St. George area – home of Zion National Park – and entered the road into the Virgin River Gorge. The gorge’s huge rock walls, winding road, and steep drops guide drivers through three states in only a few minutes. We began in the southwest corner of Utah, then entered the northwest corner of Arizona, and finally crossed Nevada’s eastern border. Entering and exiting the gorge almost felt like navigating a wormhole. When we entered, bright red sandstone defined the landscape. When we exited, it felt like we were in an entirely different world.
On the other side of the Virgin River Gorge, we discovered Nevada’s eastern terminus. The new landscape contained relatively flat land, distant mountains, greenery, and occasional resort towns. Though four of us had done the drive the year before, it was no less exciting to see the landscapes again.
The Las Vegas Strip
We continued down I-15 for another 90 minutes before reaching Las Vegas. While it wasn’t our destination, our group agreed to make a couple of stops around the city. We started by driving down Las Vegas’ famous strip, home to some of the most extravagant hotels and casinos in the world. During the stretch, we rolled down our cars’ windows and hung out the windows to take photos. Even though I could never imagine myself staying or gambling in any of those places, it was pretty sweet to see.
Hoover Dam
After completing our drive down the strip, we continued to our next stop: Hoover Dam. Sitting only 30 minutes from downtown Las Vegas, it seemed silly not to check out the famous hydroelectric dam. We weren’t disappointed. The massive structure was every bit as impressive as movies, photos, and stories painted it. We spent about an hour exploring the concrete jungle that kept Lake Mead at bay. We ogled the massive vertical drop from the dam’s terminus to the Colorado River. The large number of electric power lines stemming from the dam captivated our gazes. Realizing that this dam supplied power to the entire greater Las Vegas area instilled awe in us all.
Once we completed our tour of the dam and bought souvenirs, we began the final few hours of driving to Joshua Tree. Before long, the flat Mojave desert replaced the dramatic sandstone landscapes. As the sun set and the our surroundings darkened, cars became scarce. The expansive desert gave us an intense feeling of isolation, terrifying and exhilarating us simultaneously.
At 10 PM, we finally arrived at Indian Cove Campground in Joshua Tree National Park. After erecting our tents, we began taking advantage of the park’s status as an International Dark Sky Park. We climbed a nearby pile of boulders and gazed at the stars, discussing our plans for the week. Our group named constellations while discussing the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the country was falling into chaos around us, our present situation – life in the blissful isolation of a National Park – comforted us.
After we hopped into our sleeping bags, it didn’t take long to drift off to sleep. We were exhausted from a long day of travel and eager to get our hands on Joshua Tree’s many eligible bouldering routes.