Sunset and Stars at the Hall of Horrors

 In my last post, I was out searching for (and eventually found) the Hall of Horrors rock formation at Joshua Tree National Park. It was such a pretty afternoon that I decided to stick around to check out the sunset, and a little later, the Milky Way. So off I went, meandering in the open desert looking for something that might make a good Milky Way forground, being careful to track my course since I would be hiking back in the dark.

 

Joshua tree shapes seem so random and weird, with no two trees looking the same.

 

 

 

 

 

I settled on this location for my Milky Way foregound. If my calculations are correct, the MW should rise between those two upper branches of the Joshua tree.

 

 

There's nothing quite as relaxing as sitting under desert stars! And I wonder if I got lucky with that little horizontal streak traveling across the MW? Planes have blinking lights and leave a characteristic light trail, so it's not a plane. My guess is meteor or satellite. Whatever it is, it adds to the mystery and beauty of the night sky!
 

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Linking with Skywatch Friday.

The "Real" Hall of Horrors!!

 Way back in the summer of 2021, I hiked the area in Joshua Tree National Park called "The Hall of Horrors" for the first time (to see the post, click here). I was there to try and find an arch called "Triumph Arch", but I couldn't help wondering about the scary name. After successfully finding the arch, looked around for the Hall of Horrors, but was unable to find it. I headed home and did a little research. It turns out, hidden deep in the rocks is a long, narrow, high-walled "hallway." It's a fun challenge for rock climbers (especially if they have Spiderman superpowers!), and it's where Hall of Horrors got its name. Rock climbers name many of the formations in the Park, and they come up with some that are pretty wild! Here are just a few examples:

• A View to a Thrill
• All Pain, No Gain
• Anglosaxophone
• Burnt Weenie Sandwich
• Erotic Dome
• Harpo Speaks
• Just Plain Stupid
• Mulligan Slab 
• Tilt-O-Meter 

You get the idea. There are literally thousands of these names throughout the Park. Check out the excellent reference Joshua Tree Bouldering by Robert Miramontes.

 

Oh, and if you're claustrophobic, Hall of Horrors is best avoided!

Triumph Arch and a random climber who joined me for a few minutes as we explored the arch (2021).

 
So here I am again, 5 years later. What took me so long to return?? I decided on this visit, I would try to find the Hall of Horrors, but my main objective was to take some sunset photos and then stay for the Milky Way. This time I did some research and had a pretty good idea as to the location. Reviews of the Hall of Horrors mentioned it's hard to find, and a number of people were discouraged after hours of looking. People also said that if you do find it, it's difficult to get into. A number of people mentioned having to squeeze through some tight boulder spaces. I gave myself a 50/50 chance at best (I'm too old to squeeze through much of anything!!). Let's go see what we can find.

 

This rock formation looks like it melted under the sun!

 

Giant egg-shaped rock along the trail.

 

A rare opportunity to enjoy some shade.

 

 

 

We must be getting close. This climber's marker identifies the Hall of Horrors as straight ahead, somewhere in the rocky boulders. Why "real" Hall of Horrors? Is there a fake?? Accept no substitutes!!

This is the second arrow in the sand I come across in my search. It's taking some of the fun out of it, making it a little too easy. I climb past the Nolina bush, get on top of that big flat boulder, and from there I can see the Hall of Horrors. It's really amazing!

The Hall is impressively long and very high. It's narrow, but not oppressively so. My problem is there's a large boulder blocking the entrance to the Hall (not shown in the photo). I try squeezing under some rocks, which isn't too bad, but then there's a second area to squeeze under that is just too small. If you're a small, petite, flexible person, no problem. But I'm not small, or petite, or flexible! And the thought of getting stuck under boulders on a solo hike scares me enough that I don't make the attempt. I backtrack to where I started, and it looks like the only other way into the Hall is over the top of the boulder. I estimate it would be 6-7' down the smooth face of the bolder before a landing that I can't see. But the bigger issue it how to get back out of the Hall?? Climbing back up the smooth boulder may not be possible.

Photo credit: Flying Dawn Marie

This photo (which I came across after my hike) shows the boulder blocking the Hall of Horrors from the inside. You can see the area on the lower left that some petite people said they squeezed through. It's smaller than it looks from this view. From the top of the boulder (where the woman is standing), that little ledge in the boulder isn't visible. Also, I don't recall seeing the rocks at the base of the boulder. From this view, it looks like you could perhaps slide down a short distance on your tummy and catch that ledge with your foot. Likewise, it might give you footing for the climb out. Maybe another time when I'm hiking with a partner!

Photo credit: Aarika Chilson

My research turns up the fact that there is a second, narrower Hall of Horrors that runs parallel to the "Real" Hall of Horrors. Nope, no way would I even consider it!

Photo credit: www.pinterest.com.pin214695107214087598

If you're a rock climber, I guess you can do crazy stuff like this!!

 

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Linking with Skywatch Friday.

 

PS: I'll be posting sunset and night photos from this hike in the future. 

Weekend Sports Under Beautiful Skies

 It was a very busy weekend, with our granddaughter being so involved with sports. She's on a flag football team, a signature soccer team, and a starting player on her school soccer team. I'm a full-time driving service and on the sidelines cheering her on. Getting her to all her games and practices is a full time job! On the one hand, youth sports is awesome. It keeps 'em busy and out of trouble. It helps kids understand how to work as a team and the importance of practice and commitment. And it keeps them in excellent physical conditon. On the other hand, as the parent/gardian, it swallows up my desert adventure time. But that's OK. I love seeing her so involved and doing so well.

 

Friday night was flag football under the lights. She's brand new to flag football, but in our area at least, it has gotten extremely popular very quickly. I've even heard flag football teams will be competing in the next olympics! It's been a tough season so far because she's on a newly formed team with quite a few of the players having never played before. It turns out that most of the teams have girls that have played together, and had the same coach, for multiple seasons. They are excellent, experienced players, and Lilly's team is 0-3 with lopsided scores. She's competitive by nature and doesn't like to lose. Oh well, if you're going to play sports, you have to learn how to lose graciously and how to improve as a team by learning from you losses. They get better every week.

Flag football under Friday night lights, and a gorgeous full moon. This phone camera shot doesn't do it justice at all.

 

Lilly had soccer games Saturday and Sunday. During Sunday's game, she was sharing the field with Canadian Geese!

It appears the geese are helping our goalie make sure the other team doesn't score!!

 

Lilly is #23. At this age, these girls kick the ball HARD, and I was worried a goose might get injured. Fortunately they eventually wandered off the field and no geese were hurt, although there were a couple close calls!

 

Parents in the foreground. Geese in the background and finally off the field. The sky was exceptionally pretty during Sunday's game!

Sunset from my front porch on Sunday. One of the prettiest I've seen in a while!

 

My wife spotted and photographed what I think is called a "sun dog". Google tells me that a sun dogs is a bright, colorful patch of light. For whatever reason, it's always seen about 22 degrees to the left or right of the sun. Ice in the atmosphere acts as a prism to produce the colors, but only during certain precise conditions. Sun dogs are rare and don't last long. And I have no idea where the name comes from. Have you ever seen a sun dog? By the time I started looking, it was gone. Glad my wife got the photo!

 

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Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Green Streak at the Mojave Preserve!

 I've strayed from my usual hangout of Joshua Tree National Park and traveled north to the Mojave Preserve near the ghost town of Cima. As mentioned in my previous post, our trip here seemed to be jinxed right from the get-go. But as sunset settles in, the rain has stopped and the wind has died down, and the skies are truly amazing. In this case anyway, perseverance seems to have paid off!

I think I read that the Joshua trees in the Mojave Preserve are a different species, or maybe subspecies, than what is found in Joshua Tree National Park. Here, it's common to see multiple branches coming up from the base of the tree, and the foliage is more dense. You don't see that in Joshua Tree. 

 

 

 

Mitch has a nice view from his tent!

 

Mammatus clouds glowing pink in the sunset!

 

 

 

And now, for my favorite photo of the trip. I was excited to shoot the Milky Way because night skies are darker here. Not only was it a new moon night, but there was supposed to be a meteor shower at its peak. Looking through my camera, I wasn't seeing any meteors, but the MW looked wonderful. I used a 15 second exposure for the MW, and right after I activated the shutter, I saw a huge meteor streak across the sky! I remember thinking "Please please please be on the photo!!" It not only showed up, but the composition was perfect, with the meteor streak running parallel to the MW. Added bonus: the meteor streak was green, which is something I've not seen before! Here's what Google says. 

"A green streak from a meteor happens when specific chemical elements inside the space rock- most notably magnesium or nickel- vaporize and glow brightly as the rock speeds through Earth's atmosphere. A green streak from a meteor is quite rare."

Interesting, wouldn't you agree?

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Linking with Skywatch Friday.