February 3.2017 – Joshua Tree National Park

           Awaking to a spectacular sunrise falling on an almost surreal landscape of large rock that appears to be more cartoonish than realistic, I have successfully made it to Joshua Tree National Park.  Last night reached the visitor’s center shortly before sundown and learning that the only possible vacancies for camping were forty minutes away I sped off in search of a place to try out my camping gear.  I arrived at the Jumbo Rock campground in darkness.  All campsites appeared to be occupied and I was prepared to move on to the next camping opportunity, which was a two-hour drive away, when a friendly camper flagged me down.  I was obviously looking for a site, and the stranger informed me that there were a few unoccupied sites hiding behind a pair of oversized RVs.  The campsites all have some small paved parking by the roadside but these sites were a small distance back not clearly visible from the road and within a few steps quite isolated from other campers.  The RV’s had blocked the entrance to these sites so they still were free and perfect for a motorcyclist who needs a small parking footprint and some isolation. 

            I set up my tent and crawled inside for warmth.   It was quite a cold night.  A purpose of this side trip was to try out a new sleeping bag and while it was not freezing the light winds kept the tent flaps blowing all night, and the new bag, while lighter and more compact than my old one, is not as warm.  For the last few years my sleep has not been well.  Stress has taken away my dreams and I was just getting used to oversleeping the morning in comfort in the family guest room….  Last night I remembered all my dreams.  Mostly because I did not get comfortable for a long stretch of uninterrupted REM sleep.  Dreams were mostly of being cold although there was episode of a small child who was crying from having eaten a pepper that I’m still working out…..  You’ve got to love your subconscious; always making the left turns in the minds narrative.  I was however rewarded with a beautiful sunrise.

            The curating of the wilderness in Joshua tree is excellent.  Every few miles along the winding desert valleys are signage set up in turnouts on the road.  These were perfect for a motorcycle-guided tour of the Geology and biology of the two valleys that make up the park.  They are quite different in most aspects and just when I was wondering what some aspect of the environment was there was a sign in a turnout to explain.  In the higher and colder Mojave basin the landscape was Dr. Seussian, and the roads were covered in patches of blown sand.  I was particularly careful to keep the over 500lb bike upright.  The lower basin of the Colorado Basin was vaster in scope to large for any one picture to do it justice.

The Ride Home:

            Due to obligations I mentioned in previous posts I set out to return back to the Oxnard/Ventura area making the whole trip a there and back again, overnight experience.  I left the park via the southern entrance returning to the southern tip of the Coachella valley.  I set off north up the valley in order to stop by College of the Desert one more time.  Now after my visit to the college, the most logical travel through the large valley would be to take the freeway, which goes along the valley floor, but I have learned from my Dear friend and motorcycle mentor (Chris Weld) that the best motorcycle trips go across valleys with changes in elevation.  You see the best windy roads are usually found in the mountain passes, as are the most spectacular views of the valley.  After wandering out of Joshua Tree National Park to the warmth of the cities of Palm Springs and Palm Desert (where by the way, there are entire retail businesses solely devoted to purveyance of ceiling fans, and golf karts) I looked up at the looming snow capped Santa Rosa Mountains and decided to go home through the mountains.  Being a solo traveler, I did not have the rational advice of any of Tolken’s wizards or hobbits to tell me this was not a good idea….

            Off I set up route 72 on a steep vertical assent into the Santa Rosa mountain range.  The sight of a group of mid week riders (yes, they have those in So Cal as well) coming down the pass assured me I was not headed into impassable terrain.  At the top of the range I was rewarded with spectacular view and Icy road surfaces.  Hard to believe so much variation in temperature and riding conditions could be found so near each other.  Learning to trust my instincts and confirming that I could never be truly lost with GPS the mountain pass came out somewhere south of riverside with more spectacular vistas in that direction as well.  Routes like this are why we ride they take your breath away.  What was not taken away was the over three hour Friday afternoon commute back through the LA basin but with light rain and judicious use of HOV lanes I arrived back where I started intact and having clocked just shy of 300 miles of travel for the day…