Spectacle at Garrett's Arch

 My friend Roger shared a photo with me of Mojave Mound Cactus at the base of Garrett's Arch in full bloom. This is a big deal. Mojave Mound Cactus usually grow in small clumps or mounds. It's claimed that the Mojave Mound Cactus at the base of Garrett's Arch is the largest grouping in all of Joshua Tree National Park. I have no way to substantiate that claim, but it's the largest grouping of the cactus that I've personally seen. To have it all in bloom under that beautiful arch would be a spectacular and rare sight indeed!

A typical mound of Mojave Mound Cactus, taken in April of 2022

Also called Hedgehog, Claret Cup, and Kingcup Cactus, it's brilliant red flowers with bright green things in the middle (stigma?) make it one of the prettiest flowering cactus you will run across.

Roger said if I wanted to see this visual display, to go right away. The flowers were already starting to show signs of being past their prime. Which meant I didn't have time to coordinate calendars and this would be a solo hike. I was kind of OK with that, having hiked out to Garrett's Arch a number of times in the past. However, I had only hiked by the arch (not up to it), and I was a little nervous about doing that solo. To ascend up to the arch requires navigating some very steep, smooth rock. I decided to see how I felt when I got to the arch. Take it slow and easy, and if at anytime it felt unsafe, to head down.

 

I took the time to refresh myself on the hike out to the arch by checking AllTrails. It had been a while since I had hiked there, and always by following the same approach out and back. AllTrails suggested a loop hike, which sounded interesting and would allow me to do something new. Almost all of the reviewers said navigation was difficult, and to download the GPS route to your phone so you don't get lost. A number of people said they had to give up before getting to the arch because of difficult boulder scrambling and/or getting lost. For the most part, there is no trail to follow, so a GPS route (and knowing how to use one) is critical. A few of the more seasoned hikers recommended following the loop counter-clockwise so you can get through the most difficult section of boulder scrambling at the beginning of the hike when you are fresh. Makes sense to me!

So off I go. In the screenshot above, the AllTrails route is in red. My actual track is in blue. You might notice that there's a big section in the upper right that doesn't align. Not a good thing! As I followed the Wall Street Mill trail on my counter-clockwise loop, all was well and I was feeling pretty good. It was a hot day, but not unbearable. Just past the Wall Street Mill, the route takes you into the Wonderland of Rocks. I entered at the correct location, but I could see only one clear pathway to follow (a well defined wash that branched a little to the left). I could see other footprints, and it was an obvious trail to follow. I was so confident that I was going the right direction that I didn't feel the need to check my phone to see if I was still on the AllTrails route. But the further I went, the more difficult it got! There were a couple spots that were unpassable and I had to figure out alternate routes, including bushwhacking through heavy brush. I finally pulled my phone out of my pocket to make sure I hadn't strayed from the route and couldn't believe it. My jaw dropped: I had strayed from the route almost the moment I entered the Wonderland! 

 

To backtrack now would mean to give up on Garrett's Arch. It would be a long, difficult backtrack and I wouldn't have the time or energy to start over. But to continue on posed a real danger. I was getting tired, and there was a very real possiblity I would hit a dead end. The further I went, the further it would be to backtrack. I decided to forge on, fingers crossed, but found myself wishing for a hiking partner!

I was really getting tired and worried when I came around a rock formation and spotted a rocky outcrop I recognized. It has a worn letter "A" on the rock... hard to see, but once you've seen it, you don't forget it. When I spotted that, I knew I was near the arch and safe. It was like a weight being lifted off my shoulders! I little further on and you can clearly see Garrett's Arch (photo above) and the steep granite face I would have to climb if I was going to make it up to see the cactus bloom.

 

The first part of the climb is the most difficult. The rock is steep and sheer without any footholds. I have no photos because I was focused on the climb and on not slipping down the rock face and killing myself!

 

Almost directly below the arch, but no sign of the bloom.

 

Ah, there we go!! Kind of a hidden flat area directly below Garrett's Arch with a huge amount of Mojave Mound Cactus in bloom. It was magical seeing it in person, and we are seeing something that very few people have seen!

 

The cactus blooms were clumped all around the base of the arch, and my biggest challenge was trying to photograph them AND the arch in the same frame. I was down on my knees for this shot for a lower perspective. I didn't know it at the time, but I was right on top of an ant pile, and wow were they angry!! I ended up having to remove most of my clothing to flap and slap the ants off, and I still found myself picking off stray ants for the rest of the afteroon!

I put on my Rokinon 14mm (almost a fisheye) lens. It allowed me to capture a larger area under the arch, but it makes the flowers look smaller. Kind of a trade off.

 

What a beautiful arch! No way that I could see to climb up and in, with it's steep vertical walls. But there's always a way. Maybe from the backside? Perhaps another day.

 

Time to start heading back. My wide angle lens flattens everything out and makes it look deceptively easy. I scooted down on my butt the whole way, since one slip or twist of the ankle could send me falling all the way to the bottom. Getting down from Garrett's Arch turned out to be one of the most difficult parts of the hike.

 

It sure felt good to be back on terra firma and off those rocks!

 

Thanks for joining me on this adventure!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.