I went camping in the Joshua Tree National Park from Dec 31st 2015 to Jan 3rd 2016. Because I love the outdoors, I thought that it would be nice to spend the last day of the year and the first day of the year in the wilderness with campfires.
I love campfires.
First of all, campfire is very warm on a cold night. It gives us heat.
Heat is nice not only for warmth, but also for cooking food. BBQ or s'mores at a campfire are so tasty.
Heat is also useful to dry shoes or clothes. Sometimes shoes get completely wet through hiking in the daytime, but it is possible to dry them by campfire at night.
In addition to heat as a practical use, campfires help people connected.
Social time is wonderful by a campfire. Meaningless chat is priceless.
Personally I really like to look at the fire. The flickering is very attractive and makes me feel comfortable. The shape is never the same, changing all the time. Sometimes wood burns fast, sometimes slow. While it burns, orange ash is formed. The color at night is very beautiful. I love the sounds the campfire creates.
Fire has always been essential since the dawn of humanity. In other words, fire distinguishes humans from other animals.
Campfires have these characteristics. A fire in the wilderness keeps us safe and connects people with food.
I love campfires.
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| Lost Palms Oasis |
Our first hike in the Joshua Tree National Park was from Cottonwood to Lost Palms Oasis.
The area is in the Joshua Tree National Park, however, there are no joshua trees. The eastern half of the park is the Mojave desert and the western half is the Colorado desert. The habitat of the Joshua trees is only in the Mojave desert. Since the Lost Palms area is in the Colorado desert, we didn't see a single joshua tree. We saved up seeing joshua trees for the next day.
Hiking in the desert was fun. I enjoyed seeing many interesting rocks and some abandoned mines. Because it was desert, there was not a drop of water. The scenery was all dry. However, all of a sudden, I found puddles in the Los Palms Oasis area. In the area, there were many palm trees. Also there were a lot of green lush plants. It was a completely different area. I felt like I was on a tropical island.
There is water there because it is atop a crack in the Earth's crust.
When I reached the oases after hiking in the desert I was so happy. I was surprised when I realized how much I love water
Oases in Joshua Tree National park had been used by native Americans for centuries. Around water there are a lot of plants. Animals habitats are around the source of water.
There is no question that all living things need water. However, it isn't the only reason I often hike near lakes, falls or the ocean. I just love the view of water. Water makes spectacular scenery. Being from the island, I love water a lot.
Maybe human beings are designed to think that scenery with water is pretty, because water is essential for us.
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| Quail Mountain Summit |
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On Day3, we hiked up to the Quail Mountain. Although it is only 5,814 feet high, it is the highest point in the Joshua Tree National Park.
The way to the summit was incredible. There were countless joshua trees on the way. Their shapes are really interesting. It is unique and unexpected. I admit the shape of their stems and branches are weird, but somehow the entire pictures looked very alive, active, and energetic.
Many people in Japan think that California has beaches only and everyone is surfing everyday. I am still asked about my surfing skills. I have never done it.
California has many faces. CA has not only beaches, but also mountains and even deserts.
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