Return to Lookout Alcove

This remote part of the desert has become something of an obsession for me. I first posted about it here. You can find a second post here. This area doesn't have the classic desert beauty that the higher elevation Mojave has, which gets more rainfall and has Joshua Trees. But it also doesn't have the crowds. Actually, it has almost no visitors whatsoever, and that's a big part of the draw for me. There's also the push/pull feeling I get, wanting to share cool things I find, yet hoping this area will stay undiscovered and rarely visited. For now, I'll keep the location vague.

The goal of this hike was simple: Return to "Lookout Alcove", one of the coolest alcoves I've found to date. Since discovering it, I couldn't stop thinking about a return trip. Making sure I could find it again and getting a few more pics is all I really wanted to accomplish. So let's go take a look!

It's not the easiest place to hike. No trails and lots of rocks. You follow the washes and do a LOT of homework on Google Maps before you go. I set waypoints so it becomes an exercise of follow-the-dots, and I leave detailed information with my wife about exactly where I will be hiking.

Ah, there it is. Bonus points if you can spot the alcove!!

Beautiful! If you continue to walk closer to the rocks, you lose sight of the alcove. But from a distance, it's quite a sight.

After climbing the adjacent rocks, here's what the alcove looks like. The flat light of midday doesn't do it justice. The alcove comes complete with a large side window and a smaller porthole opening, which is definitely an upgrade!

I would guess that in another few thousand years, this alcove is going to erode into a really beautiful arch. But none of us will be around to see it!

A selfie for perspective, achieved by propping my iPhone against a rock and using the 10 second delay. Thankfully, no wind suddenly kicked up and blew my phone down the rocky face! Unfortunately, the alcove isn't tall enough to be able to stand up when inside, but absolutely perfect for a cool, shady spot to relax. An awesome spot to throw a sleeping bag in for an overnight stay, and you won't get better views anywhere!

Having accomplished the goal of my hike and still having a few hours of daylight left, I decided to continue exploring the area to see what else I might find.

There were rocky alcoves...

And more alcoves....

Many of the rocky alcoves come complete with beautiful views!

There were arches (this one looks like a drumstick to me!)...

And more arches! Not sure you can call this second one an arch, but anyway...

This was a favorite find of the day. An upper level and lower level alcove, side-by-side. The ground floor alcove was deep and had the appearance of stone steps and rocks being arranged at the entrance. Then again, by this time, I had been hiking in the hot sun for a number of hours!

Closer shot of the ground level alcove...

And the view from inside looking out. Surprisingly large and roomy!

View from the upper-level alcove. Neither alcove had any sign of human activity, footprints, etc. I looked closely at the ground level alcove, because it was deep enough to have been a significant shelter. Only the rocks at the entrance seemed "arranged" to me, almost like rocky steps that had shifted over time. Add another one to the many unsolved mysteries of the desert!

What started as a modest hike with a simple goal turned into something much more interesting and memorable!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.
Thanks for stopping by!!

Searching for Clouds

This past weekend I took my granddaughter over to the local park for a bike ride (no trip out to the desert this weekend). I noticed it was a nice blue sky day with some big, puffy white clouds. So I put the telephoto lens on my camera and off we went. Usually I have my trusty 16-35mm wide angle lens on my camera, but I wanted to try something different and get some "close up" cloud shots. Also, there are some great views from the park if you take the time to hike up the hill, and I thought the telephoto might come in handy.

I'm pretty sure some of what we are seeing in the above shot is the Port of Long Beach, with some of the cranes used to offload containers from the ships being visible. That's about 20 miles away (as the crow flies) from where I was standing when I took this shot (400mm focal length). The faint hills in the background are probably Palos Verdes. On a really clear day, I can see Catalina Island, which would be about 40 miles.

A lot of the big puffy clouds had already disappeared.  My plans for capturing dramatic cloud shots were literally floating away! The above shot is about the best the sky had to offer, so I remembered the photographer's mantra about staying flexible and look for the opportunities as they present themselves.

So, switching gears....

I'm really fortunate that Lilly doesn't mind posing for grandpa. Even Mr. Bunny seemed to be happy to pose for a photo!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.
Click on the link to check out great skies from around the world.
Thanks for stopping by!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, have a happy and delicious celebration. Just a quick post, and then I'm off to gobble down some turkey and stuffing!!

Sullivan Road in 29 Palms, CA (looking west). I couldn't resist stopping in the middle of the road last night to take this (on my cell phone through the windshield). At least I didn't have to worry about traffic!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Fifteen Minutes of Fame?

Cousin Scott and I were recently hiking in a somewhat remote area of Joshua Tree. We had gone past the "crowds" at Barker Dam (I'll share my Barker Dam photos in the near future) and went off-trail in search of some pictographs that Scott had never seen (although you've seen them in a previous post here).

Look closely and you can see Scott exploring the area.

Photographing the pictographs!

As we were sitting, enjoying the shady alcove, pictographs and a granola bar, we see a hiker coming our way. His name is Terry, and he is clearly an experienced hiker and has seen more of Joshua Tree backcountry than I have! As we talk about some of our favorite hikes, he stops me and says "I have to ask you what your name is?" I tell him, and he says "what's the name of your blog?" I tell him and it turns out he is a regular reader! What are the odds of running into a regular Spare Parts reader out here in the middle of nowhere?? He even knows Cousin Scott from some of my previous posts. How cool is that? For the next 15 minutes we talk and it seems so odd to meet a stranger out here in the middle of nowhere who knows my blog and appreciates what I do. Terry, I know you will be reading this. Just want to say thanks, you made my day, and I hope we meet again!!

A little later in our hike, Scott checks out Alister's Cave. Lots of rock art at this site, and some beautiful rock formations.

File this one under "things you see in the desert". Old trailers and RVs are a common sight out here, in various states of disrepair. Seen while we were driving around 29 Palms before our hike.

Another common sight... an abandoned homestead cabin. Someone's dream. Back in the day, the government gave out 5 acre parcels for free. All you had to do was "improve" the land by building a cabin on the site. Young families from LA snapped up these parcels as a weekend getaway, built little cabins, brought the kids out, and have many wonderful memories. As the years went by, many were abandoned, but a surprising number are still owned and the property taxes are being paid (which would be very low). They still represent someone's dream of "someday"... I'll go out and rebuild my little desert cabin and use it the way my parents (or grandparents) used it back in the day!

Back at Barker Dam, we came across two rock climbers. Can you spot the one climbing up the seam in the rock face?

Nice swirly clouds over Joshua Tree boulders.

Shooting into the sun from Barker Dam, just opposite the rock climbers.

Linking with Skywatch Friday.
Click on the link to check out great skies from around the world.
Thanks for stopping by!!