Thursday 28 February 2013

WE MADE TO JOSHUA TREE PARK (this time)



Today was great with the temperature reaching 25C.

Along the way we took a few pictures of the various farming we noticed yesterday.
Sod growing with date trees in background.

Notice ladders attached to tops.


This one had bags over the dates - for protection from birds?
Wind turbines in distance.

We changed our tactic by checking out the scenery and roads to the west of the park and then entering the park from the north after lunch. The plan worked well, when we reached the high lands (above 3,000 feet) the temperature was 14C so we were happy we brought the warmer gear for our comfort. The views were great and the Joshua trees are very plentiful in the northern half of the park and disappeared in the southern half. The Joshua tree is a species of yucca growing up to 40 feet tall at a rate of 1 inch per year.
Some of the first Joshua trees of many we saw.


This park protects 794,000acres where the Mojave and Colorado deserts converge and contains a section of the San Andreas Fault.     
The ridge in the middle is part of the San Andreas Fault.



Driving through the park and seeing these piles of various rock sizes and rock/sand mixes makes you think some huge giants have been using the area like a sand box and used huge dump trucks to dump the material about forming the piles.




   

 Another ride tomorrow - yea!!