Out on a Ramble Near Geology Tour Road (Part 1)

 Cloudy skies, interesting rock formations, and flowers were the highlights of this hike in Joshua Tree National Park. I'll let the photos do the talking. Well, most of the talking!

 

 

Amaranth (purple) and Cinch weed (yellow). A nice combination!

 

 

A beautiful yellow carpet of Cinch weed.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like I said, just a little ramble. I love hiking on cloudy days!

  

Thanks for stopping by!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Surprise Tank at Night

 Surprise Tank seen during mid-afternoon is interesting, but as the shadows draw longer, the light becomes golden, and the sun begins to set, it nudges towards amazing. After the sun sets and the stars begin to rise, the setting becomes magical. Not many get to experience sunsets and stars because it requires an open desert hike back to your car in the dark, using a headlamp and GPS app to navigate. I definitely consider myself fortunate.

Just after sunset, the air became still and reflection off the water at Surprise Tank was better defined.

The top of the dam at Surprise Tank can be seen in the photo above. Built many years ago by ranchers to entrap water for livestock, it still catches water to this day. Somewhat of a secret location, there's no trail leading here and it's not marked on maps.

 

 

 

It was a totally dark, moonless night, and it was dead quiet. By about 9PM, the stars were out and the Milky Way was visible (photo taken 9.20.25). I used my headlamp to light up the rocks. You can even see stars reflecting off the surface of the water! Just a guess, but I'll bet there are very few (if any) photos of the Milky Way over Surprise Tank.

 

As I sat at the edge of this little pond with my headlamp on, pondering the universe, I thought I saw movement in the water. Sure enough, there were little critters swimming around! They seemed to be attracted to the light. I never would have believed there are shrimp in Joshua Tree National Park, but after a little Google searching, I'm now a believer. I think these are Fairy Shrimp. Their eggs (cysts) can lay dormant for decades, only to magically spring to life by adding a little water. Remember "sea monkeys" when you were a child? Yup, those were Fairy Shrimp. 

 

Hiking at night off trail can be a little unnerving. You want to avoid colliding with anything or stepping on anything sharp, pokey or bitey. You need to check your GPS app often to continue in the correct direction because there is no trail to follow and it's easy to veer off in the wrong direction without realizing it. It's surprisingly difficult to walk in a straight line in the open desert in the dark!

Things take on a different appearance at night. The dead fronds of a Mojave Yucca look like some sort of hairy creature!

 

After the hike back to the car, driving to the desert house, and grabbing a few hours sleep, I was up early the next morning and treated to a beautiful sunrise!

 

Thanks for dropping by!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Surprise Tank

 I've hiked to Surprise Tank a number of times over the years, but I've never been here at night. Being out here for the night sky and the Milky Way was something I really wanted to experience, but first, let's do a little exploring. I'll show you night skies next time I post.

With the recent rain, I was looking forward to getting out to the desert (and hoping to find water at Surprise Tank). As I entered Joshua Tree National Park, the Chinch weed was everywhere! It was like a yellow carpet that went on forever. It contrasted beautifully with the blue sky!

 

The rock formations around Surprise Tank are fascinating!

 

 

Perhaps the skull of a pack rat or kangaroo rat. How it came to be impaled on the spines of this Joshua tree is a mystery.

 

Nolina flower in the light, while everything around it is in shadows.

 

 

Nice view of Surprise Tank from the rocks above.

 

Surprise Tank in 2021 after a good rain or two.

 

Well, I got my wish... kind of! Surprise Tank with water, 9.20.25. Just not a lot of water, but better than nothing. Somewhere between a mud puddle and a pond. For 98% of the year, it's bone dry behind the dam, so anyone who has every hiked out here and seen water should count themselves as fortunate!

 

Above, 9.20.25. Below, 12.28.21, with a lot more water.

 

Ravens are very curious birds. This one sat on this rock, cawing at me for about 30 minutes while I explored Surprise Tank. I got the impression I was invading his territory!

 

Even a little water in the desert is magical!

 

 

I've talked to people who have said they looked all over these rocks for Surprise Tank and could never find it. Even when it's right in front of you, it blends in quite well! This is another of those wonderful "unofficial" locations in JTNP. No trail goes to it, Park Rangers don't talk about it (I'm sure many don't know it exits), and it's not on any maps. My favorite kind of place!

 

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Scorpius Arch Milky Way

 So it's August and well into triple digit temperatures for this hike. I'm out in the Joshua Tree wilderness area on my way to Scorpius Arch. It appears I am the only human being in the entire area. The highway was empty on my drive out. Smart people stay indoors when it's this hot. In my defense, it's a short hike, and most of my time here will be after the sun goes down.

I've hiked out to (or passed by) Scorpius Arch many times over the years, but have never tried photographing it under the Milky Way. In my quest to keep trying new things, tonight should be fun and interesting!
 

 

View from underneath the arch.

 

As I wait for the night sky, I'm treated to a really pretty sunset!

 

  

 

 

 

After sunset, I have time to mess around while I wait for the stars. If I look directly at the camera with my head lamp as I click the remote shutter button, I get this huge flare. 
 

I'm really pleased with the way the Milky Way aligns with the arch. Plus, it's a beautifully clear sky. This turns out better than I was anticipating!

 

Milky Way over Scorpius Arch.

 

Lots of lighning off to the east.

 

I'm lucky to come across this desert tarantula on my hike back to the car. I rarely see them! This is an iPhone photo with lighting from my headlamp.
 

Thanks for joining me on another beautiful evening in the desert!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.