Day 4: Joshua Tree in the Rain
Climbing in the… Snow?
Our group awoke on Day 4 to the sound of raindrops hitting our tent. Rain? In a desert? I thought. Surely this is a dream. Though I had seen a slight chance of rain in the forecast before our trip, I hadn’t given it much credence. Turns out the forecast was correct: it was raining steadily outside.
We agreed that there was slim to zero chance of bouldering, since wet granite is nearly impossible to climb. Shane and I decided to venture into the park in search of a trad climb we were interested in. Maybe the weather would clear up as we headed south?
We discovered how misplaced our optimism was when – as we ascended in elevation in search of the climb – the rain turned to snow. The small chance of us climbing quickly evaporated, leaving us in a state of despair. We found the crack line that we wanted to climb, but – as expected – it was soaked. Downtrodden, we returned to our car and started heading back to camp. This day was our last full day in the park, and therefore our last good opportunity to climb.
Too Wet to Climb
Shane and I returned to Indian Cove and reunited with the rest of the group. Aaron’s ankle had continued to swell, ruling out the possibility of a minor sprain. At the campground, a few of us passed the time by climbing the nearby rock piles. The rain had paused long enough to allow us to climb without slipping, which we were thankful for.
Most of the campers at Indian Cove had cleared out. COVID had disrupted many travelers’ spring break plans, which was evident at the campground. The campground was nearly full when we arrived, but now resembled a ghost town. Between the dreary weather, quiet campground, thoughts of COVID, and Aaron’s injured ankle, we were all feeling rather depressed.
Tour de Joshua Tree
Not wanting to waste the day, I suggested that we embark on a drive through the park. We had only seen the park’s northern sector, and I was curious what else there was to see there. So, we hopped in the cars, drove to the west entrance, passed our previous days’ climbing spots, and ventured into new areas of the park.
We stopped first at Skull Rock, a rock on the side of the road aptly named for its resemblance to a massive skull. There, we clambered around the rock and took a few photos. I – unfortunately – slid on the wet granite and bashed my knee pretty badly. It didn’t prevent me from walking, but caused me to limp around for the rest of the day.
The Cholla Cactus Garden
From there, we continued driving on the park road until we reached the “transition zone,” where the Mojave Desert changes into the Colorado Desert. Accordingly, the landscape changed abruptly. Rolling hills, distant mountains, and barren ground replaced the boulder piles and Joshua Trees. Once entering the Colorado Desert, it wasn’t long before we reached the Cholla Cactus Garden. As a short walk through beautiful vegetation, we figured this was an Aaron’s-ankle-friendly activity.
We took our time wandering through the cholla cacti. Their odd structures and unique colors provided an interesting break from the otherwise barren landscape. It gave us a chance to appreciate the fascinating flora found in the desert.
The Cholla Cactus Garden was the furthest south we chose to venture in the park. After completing our tour of the cacti, we began driving back to the campsite. In hindsight, we should have stopped by Keys View as well, but I didn’t know of its existence until after our trip.
Venturing into a Pandemic-Stricken World
Once we reached Indian Cove, we decided to drive to a nearby town to pick up dinner. We were a little tired of packaged meals and – with the lackluster day we’d had – figured we could treat ourselves. We picked up Panda Express and stopped by Walmart, both of which showed early signs of the pandemic’s grip on California. Panda had already begun implementing social distancing markers, and Walmart was fresh out of toilet paper.
Joshua Tree’s Sky Clears Once More
We returned to our campsite and happily ate our dinners. As we ate, the sun once again began to shine. Several of us clambered atop a nearby rock pile to watch the sunset since the rocks had already dried. Up top, Shane and I agreed to a plan to squeeze in a little bit more climbing before leaving in the morning. We’d wake up super early in the morning – well before sunrise – and venture to the trad climb we’d scoped out earlier in the day. We’d be damned if we couldn’t end our stay in Joshua Tree on a high note.
Once the sun set, we returned to our tent and played some board games. After a heated game of Catan, Shane and I turned in early in preparation for our 4:30 AM wakeup time. We were ready to offer a proper goodbye to the National Park on the rocks.