HEADER PHOTO DESCRIPTION:

HEADER PHOTO DESCRIPTION: Desert Storm
NOTE: Open post and then Single Click On first Post Photo to view an album in a more detailed, larger format...

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Lindsey


As with vices of alcohol and chocolate, it's good to put internet and blog compulsions aside once in a while to see if you've crossed over the blurry line to "addiction." Joshua Tree National Park is an outstanding place to detox—to go "cold turkey"—for it has zero "bars" of Verizon. Not even Kareem Abdul "Wilson," our mighty signal magnet, could muster a connection with the World Wide Web of Malaise. And phones? Nope, no 911 net to break one's "fall," should they fall in Joshua. And trust me, there are no shortages of places to do just that.

Sometimes for better, sometimes worse, the inter-net becomes a mental, if not emotional, safety net. Don't believe me? Try spending a week or even a day without its "needle"—and force yourself to spend time with the last person on earth you want to be alone with, the one person with whom you've grown most out of touch with since the advent of broadband distractions. Yourself.  If living without "Likes" and comments make you anxious, then perhaps you've crossed the line of addiction. Take a run on up to Joshua… see if you can stay a whole week.

Bobbie and I sure thawed out playing in and around the Colorado River Basin. Whew, the further south we traveled, the hotter it got… too hot, in fact. Temps climbed into the insufferable 80's, sometimes nudging 90, which tends to sap energy and limits our hiking/biking style. At nearly 5000 feet, Joshua's high temperatures rolled back to a comfortable 65 to 75 degrees. Perfect.  

Our backroad approach to Joshua wandered across a bleak sea of absolute nothingness. There were occasional crossroad hovels—sun-beaten trailers and RV relics, melting into a dour, sun-scorched wasteland. We passed hodgepodge storage-shed shacks, adorned TV antenna masts bent askew by time and prevailing winds. What a blowtorch this place must be come June, July, and August. It bewilders me how and why some people choose to live in such barrenness, heat, and wind. It's not meant for habitation. Why choose a place that makes an already hard life harder? But, as they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Who am I to define "beauty?" Places like this proves that beauty does indeed lie in the eyes of the beholder.   

Hostility and sterility eased as we approached 29 Palms, a desert burg that laps against a bouldered mountain upon which Joshua rests. At least it provides a modicum of visual relief. We gassed Goldie and treated ourselves to a cone at Foster's Freeze—a favorite ice-cream and burger joint, straight out of my Arizona based childhood.

Goldie grunted out the remaining thirty some uphill miles to Jumbo Rocks Campground. It was late afternoon by the time camp was set and we needed to stretch our legs before succumbing to Goldie's Lounge for the long dark night ahead. Bobbie and I chose to go separate ways, to explore and have some quality alone time. 

I did a mile on a nice wide trail then headed off cross-country. The wind had abated to a light breeze, and the setting sun washed my granite-bouldered surround in golden light and long shadows. A refreshing chill raised a few bumps on forearms—a nice change after weeks in the fiery cauldron of the Colorado River Corridor. Coolness always recharges my energy levels. I looked forward to spending entire days exploring and photographing this magical, surreal place.

I made a long sweep through the desert in fading light, taking in the golden glory of Joshua's boulders and funky android-like trees. I figured this was our fifth visit to Joshua so I knew what to expect, number one, that at some point we would get lost… again. I don't know why I keep putting off buying a GPS. But I do. To make this matter worse, I had just replaced my iPhone with a new one, thus the emergency GPS app was gone. Oh well, we'll just carry extra water and food in our packs. If push comes to shove, we have those  warm, snuggly space blankets to wrap up in at night. 

Off-trail, and seemingly alone, I stopped to take a leak on a struggling Joshua tree that looked like it could use some water. As I zipped up, a female voice called out, "Hey there. Hell-ohhhh." I spied a lone figure on top of a grand boulder across the wash and returned the wave. But she wasn't done. The figure asked if I could come give a hand… that she wanted, of all things, for me to shoot a video of her dancing. "Would you mind?" Well what am I going to say, "No, lady… you scare me?" Jesus, what now. 

On the way over I imagined all kinds of scenarios. What if it's some sort of lure, and like her boyfriend jumps out, hits me over the head and takes my wallet... leaving me for dead! There are a lot of desperate people in the deserts of California, only an hour from L A. One never knows. She was pulling up her pants when I climbed the last few steps up to her boulder. She went into detail, explained that she had sat on a yucca and it stabbed her butt... that a woman needed to watch where they peed around here. I smiled while looking for a machete wielding boyfriend. 

"Lindsey," she said. "Mark," I replied. She handed me her iPhone and explained that she wanted me to video her while she danced and did some Yoga movements, "So I can send it to my people."
Her "People?" It was getting weirder by the minute, but she seemed sincere and was easy on the eyes. 
This is how perfectly innocent men get into trouble. 



















13 comments:

  1. Love it, Mark! That trailer you photographed is parked in "our spot", and even though it has been awhile since we were there, the last scab just came off the savage sword needle scratch I got on my arm while hiking in that narrow slot up behind the site. And yes, we got lost too, only just for a bit. I hope you don't try to wear your ever present shorts in that scratchy country, although I would imagine that you do. One of my favorite fun places. Disneyland for adults. And crazy teenagers climbing boulders.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hope there will be a second half to this story...

    ReplyDelete
  3. You know I may know who that Yoga Dancer is, strangely enough. Very good points about addiction and detox...so true of everything including the internet.

    Nina

    ReplyDelete
  4. First a few accolades - what an over the top terrific camp site. AND these are absolutely fabulous pictures.. Sharp and clear and beautifully framed - as usual. Love the black and whites. I totally agree about the addiction. Seriously everyone I know is even more addicted than moi, of course. AND also as usual, great story telling...........BUT leaving us hanging with weirdo woman and the perfectly innocent man is a low blow. Does Bobbie come to the rescue?

    ReplyDelete
  5. What? Lindsey didn't share her video with you to post! Joshua Tree is such a beautiful place as captured by your photos.

    ReplyDelete
  6. My mouth is watering...Joshua Tree NP WAS on our spring trip, but the "Big C" Joe has dealt with has made us postpone...really looking forward to a good report and travels next year.

    Beautiful postcards Mark!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I agree with Lynda. Where's Lindsey? Awesome photos as usual.

    ReplyDelete
  8. So...what happened with Lindsey??? I hope you at least took a few of your own photos of her dancing. I'm assuming there wasn't any boyfriend in hiding waiting to attack since you were able to post:)

    It is great to be away from the internet. We had this opportunity while in Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I thank you for returning to writing. Everyone gushes about your photo which only encourages you to post more. I wish more people would tell you how well you write.

    "I did a mile on a nice wide trail then headed off cross-country. The wind had abated to a light breeze, and the setting sun washed my granite-bouldered surround in golden light and long shadows. A refreshing chill raised a few bumps on forearms—a nice change after weeks in the fiery cauldron of the Colorado River Corridor. Coolness always recharges my energy levels. I looked forward to spending entire days exploring and photographing this magical, surreal place."

    That paragraph showed me a picture that I truly enjoyed! Far more than the photos that you posted.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Had a good giggle reading about Lindsey. I'm assuming, also, there is more to the story.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey! An hours drive northwest on 247 would have brought you to Apple Valley...and us, along with nearly 500,000 other desert dwellers in the immediate vicinity. I figure if it was good enough for Roy and Dale, it was good enough for us. Just far enough from L.A. not to BE L.A. We would have put the shrimp, er scorpions, on the Bar B. :)

    ReplyDelete

If you like reading blog posts...from any blogger...consider leaving a "tip" in the form of a "comment" to the author, lest the blog might disappear from perceived lack of interest.