Thursday, June 14, 2018

Broken Nose Alcove

I hadn't hiked this area of Joshua Tree National Park since October of 2015, but I remember liking the hike and seeing some cool stuff, so I'm going to take you along with me to revisit the area. Another reason for the "revisit" hike is how interesting the area looks on satellite view (Google Earth). Lots of cool rock formations in an area that is rarely visited. Sounds like my kind of place!

So where exactly am I taking you today? It's a secret! I ended up finding a very cool alcove and I don't want to advertise the location. I'm sure you understand
Since over 2 1/2 years have passed since my last hike in the area, I was curious to see if I would be able to find the same sites. I didn't find the above eagle head (or perhaps American Indian head?) rock formation that I saw on my first visit.

Neither did I find "glove rock", which I thought was pretty cool when I spotted it on my first hike. Looks like a hand attacking a yucca family!!

Nor did I find "trash hole" rock where some old miners stored there trash all those years ago.

I also didn't find this cool rock with three little alcoves. The lowest one (far right) was large enough to crawl inside! So far I'm not doing to well finding key spots from my hike here back in 2015!


But I did find this cool little shelter. Very mysterious, I wonder who built it and why??

Here's a shot from the inside looking out, taken back in 2015...

Here's essentially the same shot from a couple weeks ago. Except for the sun flare and harsh shadows, things look identical!

So let's continue our hike. I'll just point out some of the weird and interesting rock formations along the way. Just stop me if you have any questions!
A big chunk of granite sticking up in the wash. Seems weird and out of place, so I guess that makes it worthy of a photo!

Mojave Yucca and Red Barrel cactus

Miniature arch!

Under-rock shelter. These rocks are HUGE, and the shelter is bigger than it looks!

Rocks, rocks, and more rocks! This area reminds me of what is called the "Wonderland of Rocks" in Joshua Tree.


Now that's just flat-out weird!! I'll have to remember to share this one again for Halloween!

Can you see the broken nose? Well, not so much broken as totally sliced off!

Here's a closer look at "Nose Rock". Pretty cool! At this point in our hike, I'm thinking about turning back. The sun is setting and I want to keep us safe. But that little hiker voice in my head is saying "don't be a wimp, just a little further", so, of course, I listen to the voice and off we go!

Whoa!! Turns out that little hiker voice was right. This is an amazing alcove and an exciting discovery just a short distance past "Nose Rock"! I've seen plenty of alcoves in my day, but none quite this large! It's easily 20-25' wide and close to 6' high, and it appears to be quite deep in some areas. I've never seen photos of this alcove or seen any posts or blogs about it, which makes it even more mysterious and cool!

The problem is, how can we climb up into it and explore?? I desperately want to check out the inside for human footprints, artifacts, petroglyphs, or who knows what we might find!

The rocks directly in front of the alcove are straight up and down, and about 10' above the lower rocks. It's beyond my climbing ability, and I would never attempt it alone (or even with you!). But what about dropping in from above? It looks like, with a bit of luck, one might be able to climb in from the opposite side of the alcove, directly behind the broken nose (see nose photo) and then drop down into the alcove from above. Well, perhaps more than a bit of luck will be needed, and it's not going to happen on our hike today! The sun has already set and we need to hoof it back to the Jeep quickly to avoid hiking in the dark. Tune in next week for the exciting conclusion of "Broken Nose Alcove"!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.
Thanks for stopping by!!

43 comments:

  1. Gorgeous photos and interesting place as usual

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  2. These boulders and rock formations are grotesque and beautiful … grotesquely beautiful? They remind me of sleeping giants and creatures straight out of a fairy tale that might awaken at any moment. They are wonderful shots and feats of nature!

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  3. I always enjoy your photos and the crisp, blue sky behind the rock formations.

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  4. A beautiful landscape. I'd love to get out to see Joshua Tree someday.

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  5. Incredible landscape - plus you captured it wonderfully.

    Worth a Thousand Words

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  6. OK, now this is interesting. Great shots of mysterious places!! Love the cactus photo.
    Lisa

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  7. I love all your zany desert rocks.

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  8. Amazing rock formations, they are always intriguing.

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  9. Harsh, unforgiving, and sublimely beautiful.

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  10. Looking forward to the exciting conclusion to this story! Stunning shots, as always!

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  11. There seems to be no limit to the variety of rock formations in that area. Your photos are as clear and crisp as ever and I'm looking forward to the next instalment.

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  12. It's not just that the landscape is amazing--- your pictures couldn't be better! I am in awe. By the way, I was surprised to find that yuccas grow just fine in this part of the world-- when planted. I didn't know the flowers were stinky till we brought some in one day.

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  13. Stunning pics.
    Greetings from India

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  14. The last alcove looks a lot like the german bunkers along the atlantic wall from WWII. Very interesting again.

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  15. Hello, what a great hike. The rock formations are wonderful. I love the yucca plants and the mini arch. Gorgeous sky and lovely photos. Have a happy day and weekend!

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  16. Nature is amazing! Great photos!

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  17. Never mind the sky in 'Skywatch Friday', just forget it, those magnificent rock formations win again. Great post, Peter!

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  18. What an adventurous hike! We'll see the conclusion...

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  19. The Halloween rock looks like a dinosaurs head.
    I've gotten caught out in the dark on hikes when it was so thick a flashlight could not cut the darkness and even the dog was scared. Never again I think.
    Loved all your photos but I always do.

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  20. Wow! So much to see, so much to admire, so few words I can find to express the wonder of Joshua Tree, so many years since I could even think of hiking. Thanks for sharing yours.
    Kay
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  21. Gorgeous series of desert sky shots!

    Happy Weekend to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  22. So gorgeous, and - yes, I am waiting eagerly for part 2.

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  23. Wow this is fascinating and you have us waiting for your next!

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  24. You see some very cool stuff on all your hikes in the desert. And, those rock formations are out of this world.

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  25. Wow, you and your adventures. This is amazing. Can't wait for the next installment.

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  26. Such a fascinating park! Great pictures!

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  27. how interesting with those tins cans, what sort of food was in them?

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  28. Love the names you give (and don't give) the rock formations you come across. I think either eagle or American Indian Head works equally as well. It seems as though it would be easy to get lost out there given that you didn't come across three of the structures you saw on your previous trip. Thank you for taking us along with and I'm filled with anticipation as to whether we can get into that alcove or not and get back to the car before sunset.

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  29. An adventure for next time SPP. There are some fabulous rock formations out there, good to see them ✨

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  30. Wonderful landscapes.
    What incredible rock formations.
    Greetings
    Maria
    Divagar Sobre Tudo um Pouco

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  31. 2nd photograph looks like a lion, reminds me of the movie "Lion King".

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  32. Looks like a really wonderful area to explore. History, geology and much more.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  33. Thank you for the rock formation tour! I really enjoy all the different unique rock formation. They are beautiful!

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  34. Superb hike, though I thought you would have a Garmin GPS to record waypoints on and store so you could return to the same place easy. Can't get over some of the rock formations

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  35. I guess what I am wondering is.....the shots you took in 2015.....the rocks or formations are gone---where did they go?
    Awesome shots
    MB

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  36. The rocks sure get our imagination rolling. Love the photos and your narrative. Heading over now to read part II.

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  37. Another great post Pete! Great photos and amazing scenery.

    I'm totally intrigued by the rock shelter with the stacked stones. Somebody sure did a lot of work! If there are no signs of anything Indian related, it must newer. Do you know if there are any old mines in the area?


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  38. Great shots as always. The one for Halloween is my favourite.

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