 Hike from cottonwood to lost palms oasis |
 West side (middle) of the Stubes Spring Loop |
 East side (beginning/end) of the Stubes Spring Loop -- plus Cap Rock |
 We began with a hike from Cottonwood Springs to the Lost Palm Oasis |
 Cottonwood has huge fan palms along with the cottonwood trees |
 It rained last week, so we see flowers in January |
 more flowers |
 Octotilla |
 and a rock garden |
 flowers |
 passing a mountain |
 reaching a small canyon and wash |
 which gives us some shade for lunch |
 old yucca blossom |
 fine Cholla cactus |
 colorful lichen |
 barrel cactus |
 Mojave aster |
 desert marigold |
 a lizard |
 short trek in a canyon |
 wide open |
 desert mallow |
 first glimpse of the oasis |
 a grand view above lost palms |
 but a reminder that life is tough |
 in the oasis: the narrow trees have had their dried leaves burned |
 beautiful fan palms |
 and a welcome rest |
 there really are some small pools of water |
 perhaps some Califonia Fusia |
 white buttons |
 and a last grand view |
 a purple flower |
 Cholla cactus |
 and more ocotillo |
 cresote |
 blossoms |
 the next morning we enjopy breakfast in Joshua tree |
 The trailhead for Stubes Spring Loop has sparse Joshua trees |
 but the land has mostly been burned |
 a dead Joshua tree |
 we follow lots of tracks all day |
 a gulley for a trail |
 we can see the car from 0.75 miles |
 the flowers in the Mojave are all dry |
 a lovely view |
 distant mountains |
 desert all around |
 we reach turn off for the loop |
 sad tree |
 happy tree |
 lovely gneiss |
 we cross a wash in a canyon that seems to be a good candidate for the spring |
 indeed, there is a trickle of water |
 a loose geologic survey marker |
 a fine lunch spot |
 the canyon has lovely gneiss |
 even some pools |
 back to the trail |
 a garden |
 fan canyon view |
 a bird |
 a Juniper bush |
 a antler |
 a grand tree |
 twisted and burned |
 one last ridge to climb |
 but we sneak through an S-shaped pass with little effort |
 we rest, finding hidden ferns |
 we pose |
 the trail follows the jeep trail again, with grand trees |
 and simple |
 and babies too |
 we end the hike, but stop at cap rock for a quick look |
 as the sun sets |
 the next morning we visit Barker Dam |
 an amazing sight in a desert |
 a lake, surrounded by rock mountains |
 |
 rock exfoliating |
 the dam |
 the watering trough |
 some petroglyphs |
 another bird |
 an oak (turbinella?) |
 on the way to the Wall street mill |
 an decaying car |
 a windmill |
 two hares racing away |
 poor Keys |
 the mill |
 a peek inside |
 single needle pinon pine(?) |