Photo Blog with Waterfalls, Hiking, Outdoors, and other Adventures
2018 trip to burn up vacation days in Las Vegas & SoCal.
Skies were looking a little “iffy” tonight so I just chilled at the campgrounds lazily trying for astro photos. Early on skies were mostly clear. No galactic core this time of year but it never gets old sitting under dark skies. (Don’t forget to click photos for detailed full-screen views!) Wispy clouds started rolling in from … Read more
Final stop for the day was a race against sundown to hike the box canyon at Hidden Valley. One of the plaques along the nature trail details how this was once a forest covered in trees and is now relict or restricted to a smaller area than was once found. Not really much to say … Read more
From Keys View I stayed on the western side of the park and hiked the short 1 mile Barker Dam Nature Trail loop. Overall this hike is quite flat & easy. Much of the area is covered in sand or bare stone with minimal rock hopping. Although if rocks are your thing, this is a … Read more
Drove down to the southwest part of the park for panoramas at Keys View atop the Little San Bernadino Mountains. An informational sign gives basic info and details how haze/pollution can limit views across the Coachella Valley. Looking southeast from the sign on a clear day you might view the Salton Sea some 20 miles … Read more
Quick stop at a popular attraction called Skull Rock. Assuming you can find a parking spot on the roadside pullout, access is extremely easy by walking about 100 feet. Why is it called Skull Rock? Pretty obvious but it looks like a skull. Shocking right? Some trails run through here but I passed to get … Read more
Lunchtime was over and it was back to the trails. Right across the street from Live Oak was the popular Split Rock Loop. Split Rock itself can be found right behind the trail head sign. Probably the best info sign I have seen yet, this one carried a simple message: “THIS IS A COOL PLACE … Read more
Stopped briefly for lunch at one of the picnic areas without name on the map. Looking at the screen cap below of the official NPS map you would never know this one is called Live Oak. You also wouldn’t know there is a trail leading out to a lone ancient oak tree. Maps here could … Read more
Stopped at the Oasis Visitor Center many times during my stay. Their parking lot was the nearest place I could get LTE service but also has some cool educational displays. And some more displays & dioramas detailing history of the park, geography, and wildlife. Two main reasons for this post: first is to drop pins … Read more
For the first major hike today I drove outside the park & back in to the north-central most point at Fortynine Palms Oasis. Temps were starting to climb but overall today was beautiful and stayed around 80 degrees tops. Not bad for December, eh? The trail climbs sharply up the mountainsides right from the start. … Read more
Today I was on a mission to make the most of my time. Thankfully last night was freezing cold and winds gusted to 40mph which forced me to sleep in the rental and wake early. On the positive side I was awake well before sunrise and made my way to the Cholla Cactus Garden for … Read more