Willow Wash

 Not to be confused with Willow Hole Wash, willow wash is just our slang name for a wash that my friend Mitch likes to hike. I've never hiked it before, so join Mitch, Roger and I as we go explore this little slice of heaven in Joshua Tree National Park. 

 

Shortly after entering the wash, you see a large population of Desert Willow trees (hence our slang name).

When these bushy trees are in flower, they can be quite beautiful. The flowers remind me of jacaranda flowers, and they attract bees and hummingbirds. If they are dropping their leave (which turn orange), they can also be very photogenic. Otherwise, they provide welcome shade in a very arid environment.

 

Before reaching the wash, we come across a fairly large trash site full of old rusty cans. These are usually associated with mining activity, but we didn't see any signs of mining in the area. Perhaps this was the site of some old homesteader's cabin?
 

After a while, things get interesting. The steep rocky sides of the wash provide natural beauty, and following the wash requires some boulder hopping. The casual hiker would turn back here, but there's a lot more to see if you continue on!

 

Does anyone else see a face in profile?

Roger is watching me photograph Bladderpod flowers. This plant can flower all year long, and it's one of the few we saw in bloom on this hike. The bees and butterflies love it! Photo credit goes to Mitch.

 

 

Eventually we left the wash, and for most of the remainder of the hike, we had nice views north toward Joshua Tree and 29 Palms.

 

I'm pretty sure you can guess what this is. They're all over the desert now.

 

Do you see the house in the rocks? It sits just outside the park, with the park boundary as its back yard. One of the most architecturally interesting homes I've seen, and we had some nice views of it on this hike. It blends in beautifully!

 

This Mojave Yucca seems to be taking on an almost human shape!

A dead and hollowed-out Mojave Yucca (or perhaps one-eyed monster??!)

We finished up our hike pretty late (after sunset), so it allowed me to get some low-light shots of the surrounding mountains.

 

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe and stay healthy!!