Tripometer – 9825 mi
Gas Gauge – 753.971 gal
Location – Black Rock Canyon Campground, Yucca Valley, CA
Lodging – $30
Cans of OFF – 4
We were approached by a ranger from the NPS this morning as we didn’t check in the prior evening. During the conversation we talked about the climate in the park and the differences that are being seen recently. According to the ranger, the amount of rainfall in the park has dropped dramatically over the past couple of decades. Paul poked a bit at the comment the ranger made to see how the ranger would discuss the issue, but try as he might, Paul could not get the ranger to utter the words ‘Climate Change’. (Even while wearing a blatantly democratically leaning t-shirt.) We were amused when she asked us to please keep a campsite free of garbage and food leftovers to protect the wildlife and our equipment. Curious, we asked what wildlife we should be concerned about getting into our garbage. The ranger was most concerned about chipmunks and ravens. Compared to the grizzly bears we’ve been worried about for the past couple of months we found this most amusing and nodded our heads dutifully.
We were somewhat dismayed at the condition of the campground roads as we drove in yesterday. The paved roads in our campground are being left to degrade back into the dirt. At this point only about 50-70% of the road surface is paved on all of the roads in the campground. Potholes and dirt patches are the norm. This is very different from any other national park campground that we have been to before. Typically national parks are impeccably cared for and one can expect the best of amenities at one of their campgrounds. The ranger explained that with recent budget cuts to the national parks they are focusing what funding they have on conservation and not worrying about visitors. We think that sounds like a great plan. The only way to ensure future funding is to ensure the park visitors see the full impact of the Trump budget cuts on the quality of their parks. Resist!
Stratis’ trailer needs new tires. He has made an appointment at a local tire dealer to have the two tires replaced but the tires have to come up from San Diego via delivery truck. While Kelly worked, Paul took some time to pound out a few blog entries and generally misbehave with Stratis in the campsite. The tires never showed up at the tire dealer so the day was largely spent in a holding pattern waiting on a call from the shop.
As the closing time of the shop approached and no tires were forthcoming, we climbed into one car and headed off to Joshua Tree N.P. for a hike. Arriving at the trailhead at dusk, most of the photography taken during our evening hike left something to be desired. We hiked around a trail on the floor of ‘Hidden Valley,’ a secluded valley the was largely protected from human use or development by natural rock formations until mere weeks before the national park was declared. Apparently a local cattle farmer blasted an entrance to this valley to graze his cattle within a month before Joshua Tree N.P. was created. We especially enjoyed the flora within the valley. The odd light thrown by the setting sun over the rock formations surrounding the valley cast unusual and sometimes creepy shadows over everything. Paul really got a kick out of the ironwood trees growing in the valley. There was one particular ironwood deadfall that if it were regular wood dried in the desert sun would have been easily liftable. This piece of trunk which measured around a yard and a half long was heavy enough that one person could barely lift it.
Ranger is not taking kindly to being kept in the trailer in the evening. We have decided that he can be with the group as long as he doesn’t sleep on the ground. He is now a permanent table dog at night. When the sun sets we invite him to fall asleep on the picnic table to stay out of reach of scorpions. He seems to be OK with this arrangement.