Thursday included a couple of hikes on the northern part of the park.  We had traversed the dirt road across to the north earlier before the latest rain and noted the uniform brown color splattered on the official white pickup that came into camp via the dirt road.  So today we started our driving by going around via paved roads.  It adds about 50 miles and zero time.  The dirt roads are pretty rough courtesy of the flooding rains they had about 2 weeks ago.  We finished our hikes around 2 pm and feeling brave we headed toward home across the rough but passible dirt roads.  This route would have been really fun yesterday as I noticed tracks in the road indicating someone had been traveling with tire chains yesterday.  Fortunately, it had dried quite a bit since then and there was only one real muddy spot.  We noticed heavy equipment tracks as well.  That is good, maybe they have worked on the many places where sand was washed onto the road and portions where edges were washed out earlier. 

We were on the home stretch when we met a ranger about 2 miles from camp,  “We just pulled a car out of the sand ahead.  It is only soft for about 50 yards.  You’re going downhill so keep your momentum up and don’t spin the wheels and you should be fine.”  Well that adds a little stress to the trip.  Now, we can turn around and go back about 80 miles or we can take our chances in the sand pit. We have come this far, we may as well at least give it a look.  When we get to the area it appears when they worked on it today they must have removed too much roadbed and were left with only deep sand.  Opps!  Anyhow it seemed passable so we slogged through and found our way home.  It was a little challenging but we made it.  Probably will go around if we need to go this way again.  We had considered taking this route with the motorhome,  THAT would be a mistake now.

Update! While finishing breakfast we noted (4) rolloff dumpster delivery trucks with tagalong trailers hauling empty dumpsters past camp.  They had already passed the sand pit which was kind of a surprise.  In about 1 hour the empty trucks and trailers went past camp going toward the sand pit presumably headed back to Las Vegas.  It wasn’t long until we noticed a Preserve Backhoe scurrying up the road toward the sandpit.  Over the next couple of hours various combinations of the trucks went by in various directions until apparently the backhoe was successful in freeing the 1st truck and clearing a path so all the trucks could make it north.  Seems like it must have been a fun morning for all involved.  We enjoyed watching all the activity out the Motorhome window.

Not quite THE definition of middle of nowhere but pretty darn close!  We reach the top of a drive up a steep mountain ridge on Amboy Road and began the slow long descent into a huge valley.  The floor is stark creosote studded Mojave Desert with vast swatches of dry lakebed, barren salt flats.  Still some 15 miles out, we see the black, symmetric silhouette of the Amboy cinder cone rising up from the desert flats.  Closer, we begin to see the lava fields that stretch out from the cone.  A few wildflowers dot the desert areas but the cone and lava field look absolutely lifeless from here.  On our right we pass one of the dry lakebeds is actively being mined.  Equipment dots the horizon and soil is piled seemingly randomly for as far as one can see.  Between the piles are trenches or patches of parched bare dirt all cracked and curled up.  Signs claim the mine produces sodium chloride and calcium chloride… it is not a pretty sight.  It is a good thing someone thought to protect this cool cinder cone and crater from the advancing mine.  I doubt that progress would have halted itself. It is a little too hot, bright sun and 83, to head out right now but we plan to hike the cone and crater a bit later this afternoon

Yikes.  This is not the best weather for hiking the ridges on the north side of Joshua Tree at Black Rock but we head off that way hoping things will settle a little or will be protected somewhat over there.  No such luck!  By the time we get to Black Rock the wind is still howling, it is in the 50s, and it is spitting rain.  We wait a while at the trailhead hoping things will blow through but it just isn’t going to happen.  Neither of us is fond of being cold and damp so we scrap the idea of a hike and take one last scenic drive through the park.    

We stopped at the Joshua Tree (town) farmers market while we were on the north side.  The wind was nearly carrying the venders away but they had some great stuff.   We left with beautiful (and deliciously sweet) strawberries, field ripe oranges, locally roasted organic coffee beans, a loaf of rye/pumpernickel swirl bread and a couple yummy muffins.  That stop would have made the trip worthwhile all by itself.     

Joshua Tree campgrounds are full for the weekend so we are moving out to the BLM land just outside of the park on the south side.  There is some traffic noise as it is not far off I10 but it is tolerable, especially we have our windows closed for these cool nights.  It will give us one more day to explore.