Majestic Wash

Majestic Wash... kind of a hokey name, but it works for me. When I first came upon my favorite arch in Joshua Tree National Park (Majestic Arch), I was following this wash. Ever since then, I think of this wash as "Majestic Wash". I was looking for a new place to hike, and after closely checking out Google Earth, I could see this same wash headed W/SW and climbed some rocky foothills into what looked like a valley, surrounded on all sides by rocky peaks. Perfect!! I love exploring new areas. Lets go check it out.

Desert Smoke Tree under a cloudy sky. Just prior to this hike, I had upgraded my old iPhone 6 to an iPhone 12, so many of these photos were taken using my new phone.

It turned out to be a perfect day to be out exploring, and the wash I was following was a nice one. As usual for this part of Joshua Tree, I wouldn't see another human being all day. Not even any footprints in the wash I was following (sharp-eyed observers might notice footprints in the photo above, which are mine). 

*** Disturbing Photo Alert ***

You may want to skip past this one...

Not sure I should have posted this photo of a rabbit I came across in the wash. It seemed like a recent kill, and I couldn't imagine what kind of predator would eat just the head and leave the rest. Certainly not a coyote, fox or bobcat, which would eat the entire rabbit. I Googled it and found out it was likely an owl. They are known to swoop in and eat the head right off small animals like rabbits. That was news to me. One theory is that it can be difficult for the owl to fly away with such a large catch. I also learned that indigestible parts (bone, fur) are later regurgitated as a round "pellet" (vs. being pooped out). I've seen their pellets many times, but was never sure what they were. OK, enough about the gross biology of owls, and sorry if I offended anyone. Moving on...

 

Big rock being held up by little rock.

As I followed the wash, I noticed what I assumed to be two shallow alcoves up in the rocks. The one on the left looks steep and difficult to access, but I decided to check out the one on the right. The opening had a deep shadow so no way of knowing how far it penetrated into the rocks. Likely a dead end, but let's go see...

 

This entry wasn't exactly spacious!

 

Imagine my surprise when I ducked inside and found this! Wow, not a shallow alcove at all, but a cave. The other "alcove opening" was actually a second opening into this large, spacious cave. What a cool find!

 

Heck, with a little tidying up, you could live in this place!

 

Let's continue on our hike and check out a little more desert scenery...

 

Just me and my shadow out enjoying this hike!

 

A very large alcove (taken with my 400mm lens)

Yet another large alcove and, on the right, an arch. These will have to wait for another time to explore, although I have my doubts about being able to get to them. Who knows, perhaps that alcove has never been explored. 

My favorite arch find of the hike.

I wonder if there's any way to climb up to this unusual rock formation??

I came to an area where the ground was littered with thousands of beautiful rose quarts. A rock-lovers paradise!

 

Was it just my imagination, or was this dude with a hat watching me??

Definitely being watched!

When the rock formations start watching me, that's usually a signal that I should start heading back! This had been a recent favorite hike. I love exploring new areas and finding new arches, alcoves, etc. 
 

On the hike back to my car, I said hello and goodbye to my old friend, Majestic Arch. I've climbed up there three times now. I haven't posted photos from my most recent visit, but I will be in the weeks ahead.

 

Thanks for joining me on this adventure!

Stay safe & stay healthy.

Linking with Skywatch Friday.