249) Joshua Tree II

After work was finished at the camp Mei, Diana, Tony and I headed back to Joshua Tree for four more days before my flight back to Denver. The weather was a little rough, but overall it was another great trip to the Josh.



It seems like the night sky is always wonderful while in the desert- the nights we were there were certainly no exception. In fact the sky exceeded normal conditions, as it happens we were there during a meteor shower. Certainly a highlight of the trip, all the nights we were there we saw lots of shooting stars, some really spectacular. Every once and a while you would hear a few people gasp as there eyes caught an exceptional streak across the sky.



The only down side to this trip was the weather. Sometime during the middle of the nights the weather turned on us. High winds, rain or sleet and freezing temperatures. So I was forced to sleep in the tent those nights. Normally I love falling asleep trying to keep my eyes open looking at the stars, but these nights I would have been forced to face the extremes and run back to the tent anyways, so I decided to start there.



Overall it was a great way to end my first trip to California. Tony and Mei certainly helped create some great memories for me- I am sure I will not be able to think of Joshua Tree without also thinking of them.

248) Cali

I have been wanting to go to California for many years, but the way things go it didn't happen until just recently. The basis of my going there was for a job with the YMCA of Metro L.A. I was part of an outdoor science school at a camp near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino's.



My brief two weeks in California did not leave me disappointed, and as of now keeps me trying to figure out how to move back long term. I say that now, but perhaps the job in Miami I have starting at the beginning of the new year will change my mind. But what I love about California is the diversity. The population is extremely diverse, not only in ethnicity, but also culture and interest niches. Equally as impressive to me is the diversity of the land. In one day you could be laying in the sun at the beach, hiking on a snowy mountain top, rock climbing in the desert, or walking through temperate rain forest. The landscape is epic. Now I understand why so many great photographers love Cali.


Unfortunately I did not take many pictures from around camp- I was literally working from when I got up to when I went to sleep a lot of the time I was at camp. Almost the entire first week I took all my meals standing or walking around, not having the time to sit. Getting a program on it's feet is not an easy task, but it is also extremely rewarding to be part of.


The whole experience was kind of a non-stop blur. We condensed a weeks worth of training into two days, worked a week, partied in LA, climbed in Joshua Tree, went back for the second week of work, went back to Joshua Tree to climb, party and hang out. Then before I knew it I am back WI.



One of the best things about the camp experience were the people that were pulled together for the two week gig. It's hard to imagine what kind of people might be willing and able to work for just two weeks like that- but the crew of people there were amazing for the most part. Ages ranging from 20 to 50, with all different backgrounds, experiences and stories. It was pretty cool to see that all play out.

247) Joshua Tree

I spent the past two weeks in California working at a YMCA camp- but that is for another post. This post is about the first weekend we spent in Joshua Tree National Park.






Joshua Tree is a climbing mecca for L.A. residents. Our first weekend off Tony, Mei and I went down to L.A. first for a party, and then spent the rest of the weekend in Joshua Tree. It is a desert park filled with very interesting granite formations and of course the Joshua Trees, which are not actually trees but in the Yucca family.




The trees seem to get more interesting and bizzar every time you see them. It is a weird landscape that will be flat for huge expanses with only these Joshua Trees filling the void, appearing to be equally spaced. Enlarge the photos above and below to see the climbers.






It is even more weird to drive through the park at night when your headlights are the only source of light- somehow the plants just seem to pop out of nowhere and you feel like you are driving on another planet.










Be sure to take a closer look at some of these photos in order to see the people subjects in them- some are small and hard to see from the regular view (in order to enlarge just click on the photo).

246) National Geographic Video

I just came upon this video, and thought it was great. You may have to sit through a commercial in the beginning, but push through it- the video is rad.


Another quick note, notice in the opening shots he is wearing Outdoor Research gear- easily some of the best outerwear you can buy.

245) Here and There

These first two shots I took this morning. Nick and I were planning a hike for today, but he cancelled unexpectedly early this morning. Having already left the house when I got word of this, I decided to take a walk around an area I have been interested in since I got here. I was heading back to my car just as the sun broke over the mountains and saw this tree from within its shadow, the light making it glow (above picture).





These next two are from the Chicago Lakes area, the first from along that trail. The second is Echo Lake, which is right on the road and acts as an access point the the trail and as a picnic area.


This last shot is from off the porch during the first snow storm of this season.

244) Two Weeks in Apache Kid (the second hitch)

The Apache Kid Wilderness is in Cibola National Forest, located on the western side of New Mexico about halfway down the state. The reason we were there was because a few years ago wildfire raged through the area leaving a lot of standing dead. After a while those dead trees started to fall, completely covering the trail, rendering it nearly if not totally inaccessible to hikers. So our job was to clear the Apache Kid trail- the namesake of the wilderness.








We were to join up with another crew that had been there for weeks. There wasn't a lot of work needing to be done to finish the project, and it went fast with two crews. It was basically all cutting and chopping and moving trees. Because the work that was in need of finishing was way up the trail, we had to go back country, meaning we set up a base camp a few miles into the wilderness and worked from there. Nearly all of my crew, including myself, really enjoyed being back country. It is a very different and interesting way to live- the only break from the elements is what you get in your tent.





My crew seemed to be a bit less prepared than the other crew. I noticed a lot of the other crew brought up wet-wipes and cleaned themselves that way. I was assuming we could wash in a river, which turned out not to be possible. But no matter what you bring, about two weeks in the back country will make you look like a mess.





The great thing for our crew was that we stumbled into that area at a perfect time. All of the aspens and oak trees were in peak color, making for some beautiful hiking. After the forest burned a few years ago, the first trees to come back were aspens, by now a few years old. They were low enough to allow for some nice views, but old enough to bring great colors.