Joshua Tree

I went out to Joshua Tree National Park! One of my frisbee friends down here took me out and we spent two nights out in the park under a full moon sky, and one day under the sweltering heat of an angry sun. Man it gets hot out there. And that isn't even that harsh of hotness. I think it got near 100, but not humid at all. I can't imagine what the boiling jungles will do to me in Costa Rica...
I've long felt that although my place is in the water, or on it, I need the desert occasionally to purify myself a bit. It feels so good to get out there and get blasted by such dry air that you forget what water tastes like. Then the green parts of the world speak out wonderfully when you return to them.
There are also some shots from the beach near San Pedro in this group.
As we were coming back to LA, we drove out to near Victorville, where the Mojave river runs into the desert, and found Deep Creek, where we walked along the Pacific Crest trail for a little bit looking for some hot springs. We didn't find them, so instead just swam in the river. A long time ago (Fellow Lloydlings you may recall) I went out this same trail and searched for the same hot springs, but also to no avail. Apparently they are about 7 miles out the trail, and there is an easier way that involves paying for parking on someone's land and hiking two miles. It is a very pretty area, so it was nice to hike around despite the heat. And a good slope for rolling rocks down the hill.