I had a good omen to start my day.
Before heading into Joshua Tree I stopped to grab wood from a guy selling out of a UHaul on the side of the road.
Two very full wheelbarrows for $40.
This Joshua Tree wood just hits different. It's got a witchy vibe.
I love good witchy wood.
And ideally from a random dude off the side of the street.
You know his vibes were solid.
#boner
Two songs that defined the day:
More - Jan Blomqvist -- sticking with the steady peaky vibes
Me vs Maradona vs Elvis - Brand New -- anchoring in with an OG
A little dance music
A little rocking out
The right combo for a fun day at JT
My last little sender before we wrap up this three month sabbatical. We aint done yet.
I'll start thinking about work when I have to go back to work on the 28th.
No work today.
I'm posted in the Mecca Hills, south of Joshua Tree. En route to day two of adventure in Anza Borrego with Julia tomorrow.
Every time I've ever taken the southern route into Joshua Tree I've made a note of this little 10 mile stretch. It packs a punch.
Huge canyon. Open camping. No neighbors. Great disc golf options. Big fire. The perfect combo for me. A great pit stop.
The goal going into today was to figure out backpacking in Joshua Tree. I've always been deeply frustrated with the campsites and I was craving a better option.
I solidified my New Years Resolution this past week. In 2023 I want to plan 8 desert trips during full moons (and two for new moons). That's a lot of good nights lined up in 2023, but I needed a better JT overnight option because JT will likely host many of those senders. Today was the day to figure that out.
I figured it out quick.
Get the permit for free.
Park on the side of the road, ideally next to some jumbos, walk 10 minutes.
You're completely alone, camp wherever the fuck you want.
Problem solved.
I'm honestly confused why I thought it was a mission in the first place. The answer is so blatantly obvious.
The main reason I love Joshua Tree is because of how alone you can be.
But for the number of times I've been to Joshua Tree, I really should have seen more of the park than I have. I'm a bit of a one trick pony when it comes to Joshua Tree. Jumbo Rock campground, head in at campsite 6. See ya at sunset.
Today was slightly different because I brought Blu with me. I don't hate the park rangers at National Parks, but they are not my friends. If I want to experience Joshua Tree with my best friend, she's allowed. Catch me if you can.
And Blu served to be a great forcing function, as I didn't want to interact with any park rangers, which meant exploring beyond my coveted Jumbo Rocks.
Kind of.
I literally just found a pull out less than a mile from Jumbo Rocks campground, and sent it. A perfect backpacking sitch. No authority. "Dog friendly". Complete isolation, instantly.
This is why Joshua Tree reigns supreme.
But its not all roses and butt cheeks here.
In a swift change of pace, my heart was heavy with sadness on the drive in today. A bit of a funk the past couple of days. I wasn't in the best head space for a big sender in JT. Or maybe it was the exact head space that's perfect for JT.
I had some chocolates as my breakfast dessert. Early sunset means early start. And JT is always that flavor of sendy.
When in Rome.
The sadness hit me like a ton of bricks. A deep sadness. The first hour was not fun. But I embraced it. No such thing as a bad trip for me. Like a sponge, I let the sadness slowly settle in where it needed to. I didn't run from it. I didn't rush it. I accepted it. I processed it.
It was a tough first hour, but I'm thankful for the experience. I feel more at peace with that sadness which is good.
And then More came on shuffle and the dance party started. A fresh start. Send it.
Blu found a little cave where she dug a hole and posted up. I danced on top of the rocks, with the sweeping valley as my venue. A lit solo rager for a good 90 minutes. My kinda fun.
Accepted the sad. Then danced it out.
A winning formula.
And for a little dose of extra fun, and as a thank you for indulging me --
Electrico - Sotomayor
It's so fun!
