Day 7: Pushawalla and Joshua Tree

Miles travelled: 4893 – 5048 (day total of 406 miles)

Weather: clear, sunny, and hot. At 5.50 am it was 77; top temperature 104 at noon in Palm Springs

Highlight of the day: Scott’s was the Hidden Valley; Disa’s were all the bush walks.

We woke before dawn and were on the road by 5.50 am. First we visited Coachella Valley and parked near the Pushawalla track. We had a quick breakfast of bagels with cream cheese and red capsicum tapandade, then loaded up the backpacks with many bottles of water and were on the trail by 6.20. After a few minutes Scott asked Disa if she’d brought spare batteries, and he waited while she trouped back to the cacheMobile for them (they weren’t needed, however they would have been if we didn’t have them I’m sure!).

First we headed up the ridge track as was recommended to us, and our first geocache was logged at 6.48 am. It was amazing doing the track so early in the morning. It was only a little after sunrise when we started, and the countryside seemed to change every few minutes as the light changed and showed us different aspects of the hills. The track took us along a ridge, through a valley with the Pushawalla oasis, then back to the car park via a wash that runs parallel to the ridge we had walked upon earlier. We were back at the van by 10:45 having done 29 geocaches and having 3 DNFs. When we checked the temperature when we got the van (and air conditioner) going at 10:55 am it was 101; we drank 2 litres each of water while on the track!

We drove around Thousand Palms and Palm Springs looking for internet access but never did come across any, so we headed for the south entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. We made some sandwiches at the Cottonwood Visitor Centre, then headed to the other end of the park slowly (speed is limited in the park). We were so exhausted by lack of sleep and the heat that we took an hour or so nap at the Barker Dam car park and were much refreshed for having done so! We did the Barker Dam walk, one of the two Maria had recommended, very slowly as we were taking many photos and reading all the information available. It was truly stunning to see so much WATER at the dam in the middle of the desert!!

Next we headed for the other walk Maria had recommended, Hidden Valley. This walk turned Scott into a photographer; he really loved the intimacy of this small valley, with an amazing variety of plants. Our walks through the desert today gave him an excellent up-close introduction to deserts. And Disa’s parents’ van hit 5000 in the middle of Joshua Tree National Park.

We made our way slowly back to the Cottonwood Camp Ground; it’s at the southern and opposite end of the park, however it has running water and is closer to where we want to exit tomorrow. We were worried it might be full – and at 8.20 pm we arrived after dark – but all was well and we camped in site 4B. Disa cooked couscous and chilli for dinner, washed down with some Samuel Smith beer (a Pale Ale and a Oatmeal Stout), then Disa washed her hair and had a sink ‘bath’ in the facilities – no showers, but aaahhh! Running water!

Since we were in an official campground, and as it was so hot, we slept with the back doors of the van open. It actually got cool enough in the middle of the night to get under a blanket – beautiful. Scott had his best night’s sleep of the trip so far, but sleep eluded Disa.