Joshua Tree, Salton Sea, Slab City - See Kit

Foto Horizon Home Joshua Tree National Park Dec 28-31, 2007

(a) Joshua Tree | (b) Salton Sea | (c) Slab City

During the end of 2007, Tam, Suszan and I drove to Joshua Tree National Park. We stayed overnight in L.A. on Friday night. On Saturday morning, we drove 140 miles eastwards to this desert landscape and spent a cold night at the Black Rock Canyon Campsite. On Sunday, we visited the unique Salton Sea and colorful Slab City, located next to the Mexican border. See Kit

(a) Joshua Tree National Park

Straddling the San Bernardino County/Riverside County border, the park includes parts of two deserts, each an ecosystem whose characteristics are determined primarily by elevation.

Below 3,000 feet (900 m), the Colorado Desert encompasses the eastern part of the park and features natural gardens of creosote bush, ocotillo, and cholla cactus. The higher, moister, and slightly cooler Mojave Desert where we visited is the special habitat of the Joshua tree, from which the park gets its name. In addition to Joshua tree forests, the western part of the park includes some of the most interesting geologic displays found in California's deserts.

1. Big Cactus - Joshua Tree National Park

2. Joshua Tree

3. Joshua Trees and Rocks

4. Desert Cactus

5. Desert Plant

6. Rock Climber in Hidden Valley - Joshua Tree National Park

The dominant geologic features of this landscape are hills of bare rock, usually broken up into loose boulders. These hills are popular amongst rock climbing and scrambling enthusiasts.

7. Tree and Rock - Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park

8. Massive Boulders at Hidden Valley - Joshua Tree National Park

In the park, exposed granite, monoliths and rugged, twisted-rock mountains testify to powerful Earth forces. At Hidden Valley, the trail that we took winds between massive boulders and leads us through this legendary cattle rustler's hideout.

9. Tree and Rock Pile - Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park

10. Lone Joshua Tree, Hidden Valley

11. Another Type of Cactus - Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park

12. Small Reservoir Behind Barker Dam - Joshua Tree National Park

13. Landscape at Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park

14. Reservoir Behind Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park

15. Tam at Barker Dam - Joshua Tree National Park

Built about the turn of the 20th century to hold water for cattle and mining use, the dam today forms a small rain-fed reservoir used by park wildlife.

16. Joshua Tree, Barker Dam Trail

17. Another Type of Cactus - Joshua Tree National Park

18. Jumbo Rocks - Joshua Tree National Park

19. Jumbo Rocks Campsite - Joshua Tree National Park

The life force is patient here. Desert plants, looking all but dead, lie dormant in wait for rainfall to trigger their growth. At the edges of daylight and under stars desert animals come to life. Waiting out daytime heat, they run, hop, crawl, and burrow to the slow rhythm of the desert. Under bright sun and blue sky, the night creatures seek shelter, leaving bighorn sheep and golden eagles.

20. Skull Rock - Joshua Tree National Park

21.Rocks and Boulders - Joshua Tree National Park

22. Arch Rock - White Tank, Joshua Tree National Park

23. See Kit & Suszan at Arch Rock

24. Rock Silhouette at White Tank Campsite - Joshua Tree National Park

25. Suszan Standing Next to the Cholla Cactus

A cholla cactus stuck to my elbow while I was taking pictures. Removing it from my skin was a painful process because each thorn consists of microscopic, jagged edges that tore my flesh.

26. Cholla Cactus in the Evening - Joshua Tree National Park

27. View from Keys View - Joshua Tree National Park

Keys View, at an elevation of 5,185 feet, is a scenic point that overlooks an expanse of valley, mountain, and desert.

28. Our Rental PT Cruiser and Tent, Black Rock Canyon Campsite

29. Tam, Suszan and See Kit - Black Rock Canyon Campsite

We spent a rather cold night among Joshua Trees at Black Rock Canyon campsite.

30. Leaves and Moon - Black Rock Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park

31. Tree at Cottonwood Spring - Joshua Tree National Park

Cottonwood Spring, located at the Southern part of Joshua Tree National Park, is a palm oasis with lots of birdlife.

32. Palm Trees at Cottonwood Spring

33. Plants and Trees at Cottonwood Spring

34. Tree and Hill at Cottonwood Spring

35. Plants at Oasis of Mara - Joshua Tree National Park

Inhabited first by American Indians and later by prospectors, the Oasis of Mara now provides a home for park headquarters and Oasis Visitor Center.

Foto Horizon Home Joshua Tree National Park Dec 28-31, 2007

(a) Joshua Tree | (b) Salton Sea | (c) Slab City

(b) Salton Sea

The Salton Sea is an inland saline lake, occupying the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink and part of the larger Colorado Desert in Southern California. The lake which covers a surface area of approximately 376 square miles is the largest in California. The current surface of the Sea is at 220 ft (65m) below sea level.

36. Salton Sea

37. Salton Sea

The Salton Sea that exists today results from a man-made environmental disaster that occurred between 1905 and 1907, when improper management of irrigation routes from the Colorado River caused the river to flow unchecked into the Salton Sink for some two years.

38. Suszan and See Kit - Salton Sea

39. Dead Fish - Salton Sea

The lack of an outflow means that the Salton Sea is a system of accelerated change. Variations in agricultural runoff cause fluctuations in water level and the relatively high salinity of the inflow feeding the Sea has resulted in ever increasing salinity. By the 1960s it was apparent that the salinity of the Salton Sea was rising, jeopardizing some of the species in it. The Salton Sea is currently saltier than seawater and many species of fish are no longer able to survive in it.

Foto Horizon Home Joshua Tree National Park Dec 28-31, 2007

(a) Joshua Tree | (b) Salton Sea | (c) Slab City

(c) Slab City

Slab City is a camp in the Colorado Desert in southeastern California, used by recreational vehicle owners and squatters from across North America. Several thousand campers, many of them retired, use the site during the winter months. These 'snowbirds' stay only for the winter, before migrating north in the spring to cooler climes. The temperatures during the summer are forbidding; nonetheless, there is a group of around 150 permanent residents, who live in the Slab City all year round. Most of these 'Slabbers' subsist on government checks (SSI and Social Security) and have been driven to the Slabs through poverty but also through a strong desire of freedom from the American government.

40. Church in Slab City

41. Sign at Salvation Mountain, Slab City

Salvation Mountain is the most famous attraction in Slab City. Its creator, Leonard Knight came to Slab City around 1985. With him, Leonard brought a huge balloon, a tribute to Jesus with large letters announcing his love of God. However, when Leonard tried to inflate his balloon, he found it had many leaks. Undaunted, Leonard began to build Salvation Mountain. Everyday, hundreds of people come to see Leonard's tribute to Jesus.