2015-03-30 - JTNP Park HQ and Home Through Town with Daniel

Bike:Nashbar Carbon 105
Miles: 9.8
Start Time 5:00
Moving Time: 1:00:09
Elevation: 265
Avg Spd: 9.8
Max Spd: 27.7

Avg HR:
Max HR:
Temp Out: 73
Temp In: 78

Evening ride to park HQ and home through town with Dan. I seem to have lost the photos I took.

2015-03-27 - Hike From Palm Springs Tram to San Jacinto Peak and Return

Bike:Walk
Miles: 11.6
Start Time 10:30
Moving Time: 6:00:00
Elevation: 2500
Avg Spd: 9.2
Max Spd: 21.3

Avg HR:
Max HR:
Temp Out:
Temp In:

Daniel and I left home at about 8:15 and arrived at the tram station a little before 10:00. We missed the first car at 10:00 but got on the 10:10. The crowds were light and we had a pleasant ride to the top (some photos are tno sharp due to a slow phone camera and the tram cars rotation and swinging:

After I found the Pepsi machine and got my morning soda fix we started walking at about 10:30 and after a brief stop at the ranger station to fill out a permit form entered the wilderness. The 4 hour walk to the summit was fairly rigorous foo my old carcass because of the persistent climb and long sections of slippery snow and ice:

After a short interlude on the summit we started down. I was concerned about traversing the snow sections before they turned to solid ice for the night:

We left the summit at about 3:15. The summit is a steep pile of large granite blocks with snow on and around them and I had to be careful coming down the first 50-100 feet. Once we got back to the trail the going was not bad and the snow sections were softer than they were in the morning. I did slip and fall down a couple of times but had soft landing in both cases. Shawn, a guy Dan had struck up a conversation with at the bottom of the tram was on the summit with his girlfriend and he walked down ahead of me. We had a nice conversation. It was good to have him in front as he gave me clues as to the snow conditions. We arrived at the tram station at 5:40 and walked right into a waiting car and were down and in our car headed home by 6:00.

Shawn and his girlfriend on the way down:

The upper parking lot: /p>

We stopped in Yucca Valley for hamburgers, came home and made a trip to the hot tub and pool and retired for the night by 9:00. A successful day and hike.

2015-03-25 - To JTNP HQ with Fonda

Bike:Diamondback Dumpster Bike
Miles: 8.7
Start Time 2:04
Moving Time: 0:57:12
Elevation: 240
Avg Spd: 9.2
Max Spd: 21.3

Avg HR:
Max HR:
Temp Out: 73
Temp In: 78

Quick ride to JTNP HQ and home through town. Brisk NW wind, 5-10 MPH.

New silicone phone mount and USB headlight. Easy to remove and bring into the house after rides:

2015-03-23 - Boullion Mt. Loop with Fonda

Bike:Diamondback Dumpster Bike
Miles: 11.0
Start Time 2:04
Moving Time: 1:05:42
Elevation: 94
Avg Spd: 10.1
Max Spd: 21.9

Avg HR:
Max HR:
Temp Out: 80
Temp In: 80

A nice warm ride with Fonda with a brownie treat after.

I juiced up the dumpster bike a bit, added an old rack, a taillight from my junk box, a plastic bottle cage,origin unknown, and a phone mount bracket:

2015-03-21 - A Day Out With Fonda and Ed

Fonda invited me to go with her and Ed to the farmer's market in Joshua Tree and up into the National Park for a picnic and a visit to the Cholla Garden. We spent a couple of hours at the market and looking in the stores on the main drag. I have lived here 11 years and have never explored Joshua Tree. It was interesting to see what the shops there offer. Fonda bought some cheddar cheese at the farmer's market and found a nice $2 sweater and some candy bars at a thrift store. She and Ed got coffee at a cafe next to the NP Visitor's Center (I had brought a small container from home):

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We drove up into the park via the "West" entrance and made our way to Quail Springs which is about 6 miles east of the entrance station. The picnic tables were all in use. Fonda walked over to ask a couple if they would share and it turned out they were leaving so we took over. We had very tasty chicken sandwiches, mango fruit juice and some Triscuit and the cheddar cheese from the farmer's market which was delicious. We finished by sharing 2 of the large candy bars Fonda had found at the thrift shop and some Hershey's dark chocolate she had brought. Very good!

We left for the Cholla Garden but decided to detour up to Desert View which is the high point on the roads in the park and offers views of Mounts San Jacinto and Gorgornio (tallest peak in SoCal), the Coachella Valley, the Salton Sea and south into Mexico (on a clear day which this was not):

After admiring the view and the wind we drove on to the Cholla Garden which is on Cottonwood/Pinto Basin Road about 15 miles from the "North" entrance station, the 29 Palms entrance/exit. The cholla plants were all budded out but we only found one open flower. Fonda went off the trail and got a batch of needles in her shoe and at anothr point her hat blew off and landed on a fallen segment of plant which gave her an second needle removal project:

Not Cholla but beautiful none the less:

After our interlude at the garden wen drove back into 29 Palms. I had mentioned the Roughly Inn B&B to Fonda previously and since we were passing near it I suggested we stop in which we did. We drove through the parking area and around some of the bungalows then parked in front of the main building and walked into the yard to have a look. Ed went inside the main building and I followed. The staff was preparing diner for a group that was spending the weekend. I inquired about buying a gift certificate for friends who live in Apple Valley and need a stress free weekend. The proprietors were not on the premises and the temporary caretakers did not know where the certificates were kept so I offered to return another day. We went outside and were sitting on a bench beneath a beautiful tree when one of the ladies brought us a glass of ice water, a very nice gesture. After enjoying the environment and checking out the main house garden/yard we departed and came back to the RV park where Fonda prepared us a great dinner of salad, pasta with chicken and fresh baked brownies. A great end to a very fine day: