Joshua Tree Super Moon New Year Melted Banana Surprise

We packed the teardrop trailer against an indescribable boulder in Joshua Tree National Park just shy of the end of an exhausting 2017, set up a few tents and headed for the ridiculously understated Split Rock Trail to see the profiles of George Washington and a massive gorilla carved by wind into sandstone and granite. It’s a race against the looming darkness, but even moreso against night in the desert where the temperature after twilight drops some 20-30 degrees from the daytime highs. We see critters and faces in all the rock piles. We are drunk on long shadows and warm afternoon light on the red rock.

Traveling with experienced campers, who bring luxuries like pop-up tents, games and camp chairs, takes all the kinks out of sleeping on the ground, no matter how slim your air mattress might be. All I know are the Big and Little Dipper, Orion’s belt and Pleiades. Enter Star Finder and Sky Map apps. We found Ursa Minor, the big bear, and Hydra, the sea serpent, before they disappeared under the horizon en route to Japan. But it’s a near-full Super Moon. So only the brightest were visible.

“If it looks like a tortilla it’s the moon,” said Kellen, prophetically, before crawling into his tent for the night.

Hiking to Lost Horse Mine, reading the stories of early homesteaders and claim holders, one can only imagine life on this desert in the 1800s, held back from excavating on your own property by a gang of bandits openly camped on your land. Where was the water? How did you feed horses in this wasteland of jumping chollas and Joshua trees? Where did you find wood to build houses? No wonder the horse got lost.

Two hundred years ago, searching for entertainment, they must have done exactly what we did that afternoon: head to the local thrift store to try on all the clothes that fit and smell the hand-made soaps.

Fashion was the theme for the afternoon. We dressed Kellen in different outfits and had him assume the appropriate GQ pose on the red rocks. After which I was summarily destroyed at nearly every game BJ and Mike pulled out of their trailer, none of which I’d ever heard of. But now I’m ready for ya…. lol. The huge owl on the rock overhead thought it was a hoot as well.  S/he was the size of a small refrigerator and let us know what s/he thought of my gaming skills.

Even Mandy was warm that night, what with the cloud cover, and her extra blankets. She greeted the sunrise with a cup of coffee in her penguin uni and candy cane socks. More fashion on the rocks.

Nothing like leftover cornbread from the Dutch oven for breakfast! Cooking with a Dutch oven is so amazing it makes you want to get more camping gear and take vacations just so you can cook with one. I’m even more convinced that this couple can do anything they set their mind to. I’m in good company. In fact, I couldn’t imagine a better way to start the new year. I’m lucky and I know it.

Resolutions? Maybe. I think I’ve broken some already though. The idea is to invite uplifting, healing, communal, environment-based and creative endeavors into my life. Make mistakes, laugh at myself, do ten more push-ups and one more mile on the water. Do what it takes to get something done; seek balance in life. Jettison toxic people and confront bullies. I think that’s good enough for now; a nice daily mantra.

At Barker Dam and Ryan Mountain: the popular trails; we meet people from Canada, the east coast, families from who-knows-where America. After dinner and another round of games I didn't know, it was a rough night for bananas on the hot coals. The secret recipe involves chocolate, caramel and nuts. I’ll be happy to make it for anyone that takes me hiking from now on. 

Mandy shuffled Jiffy Pops over the fire pit in each hand until they became aluminum turbans. She spent the rest of the night swatting away field mice that swooped in for errant kernels.

At midnight, the group campgrounds saluted the new year with karaoke and horns. I make a mental note of the places I want to come back and photograph again in Joshua Tree. Waking in the middle of the night to hoots from the owl chasing mice around the park, I got a face full of Super Tortilla moonlight. I’m sure the owl felt it too: the Super Moon, the New Year, the height of winter on the desert and a new dawn.