Sign In, Please!

 Well, where do I begin? I left off last week sharing photos from the "Broken Nose" alcove hike in Joshua Tree National Park, and mentioning I saw something that might be a cave. I didn't have enough daylight to visit it, so I hiked back on a later date (which is the topic of todays post). I also mentioned that my one regret from the hike was not taking a picture of the register I had left in the alcove. I placed the sign-in register in the alcove about 2 1/2 years ago, very curious to see if anyone ever found (and managed to climb into) the alcove. To my immense surprise, one person had indeed signed in!

Here's the amazing part. I got an email the other day with the below photo attached.

This just blew me away! Someone named Terry had read my post and forwarded a photo of the register sign in. It's exactly what I wanted! Looks like he visited late in 2018. No one has visited in the last two years (since Terry's visit). But who is this mysterious Terry person? Turns out, this is the same person who just happened upon me on a hike to some pictographs here. At that time, he recognized me and connected me to my blog. And at the time, I remember thinking "what are the chances of someone running across me in the middle of nowhere, and being someone who regularly reads my blog? One in a million?? And now Terry has amazed me again by being the only other person who has visited Broken Nose alcove, and took a photo of the register. I'll say it again, what are the chances? One in a million?? Anyway, thank you Terry. You continue to amaze me. One of these days, we absolutely need to hike together!

 

So, lets move on to my follow-up hike to the Broken Nose alcove area to see if we can find what looked like a cave. 

Looks like a fish head, looking up at the sky!

Looking into the alcove. Hard to get a sense of scale, but it's quite large.
 

I may have to visit again just to check out this part of the alcove. See that area of daylight? It's possible the alcove opens up just beyond the rocks in the foreground. You would have to literally crawl in (hands and knees) but there might be something back there. I have my telephoto lens, so lets take an even closer look.

 

Yes, it's certainly possible there is a secondary alcove or cave just past these rocks. If so, who knows what might be back there? May be nothing, but may be something significant. Definitely worth a look!
 

Reminds me of a crab claw!

 

A nice look-back at the alcove.

 

California Buckwheat eking out an existence in the desert rocks.

 

A beautiful little cave, but not the one I'm looking for.

Another desert plant trying to survive, growing on bare rock.

 

There it is! Well, it looks a little less cave-like from this angle and this light. On my last hike, this opening in the rocks really captivated me. Lets go take a closer look.

 

From up close, you can easily see a large boulder blocking a section of what looked like (from a distance and in the shadows) a much larger opening. Oh well, that's part of the fun of exploring. You never know what you might find!

 

This "cave" turns out to be rather shallow and small. Nothing interesting inside that I can spot. I've never hiked in this immediate area, so let's do a little more exploring before finishing up todays hike.

 

I always like the way the bold green California Juniper stands out against the tan colors of the desert boulders. Its light blue berries add a nice dash of color!

 

 

Tenaja: "A shallow water retention area, usually in a rock or boulder". From a distance, I would have sworn that this was a large puddle of water. As I got closer, I could see the area was a discolored indentation, likely from retaining water for extended periods over the years. These areas can be an important source of water for wildlife.

 

Multi-colored lichen

Mojave Yucca seems to have lost its head!

I'm hiking in deep shadows, yet the hills N of 29 Palms are bathed in purple sunlight!

 

The hike is nearly completed. Can you see my car (center of photo)?

Thanks for stopping by and joining me on this adventure.

Stay safe and stay healthy!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.