Keys View and Barker Dam - JTNP

We traveled back into Joshua Tree National Park yesterday and first drove to the southern vista view called Keys View.  As we drove along the park road we noticed the Joshua Trees were much older (taller) than in the rest of the park.  And it seemed a whole lot more.  We have visited the park at the perfect time - the wildflowers were amazing!  Yellows, purples, white, some deep pink, lavender, even the Joshua Trees were blooming (the white flower at the tips of the trees).  Very pretty.

Older Joshua Trees on way to Keys View

So many pretty flowers!

This is called the paperbag bush - does look like small paper bags!!

Once we climbed up to Keys View and got out of the car to look - Wow.  Saw below us the San Andreas Fault, the San Jacinto Mountain, the San Gorgonia Mountain - both snow covered.  Below sat Palm Springs (over 100 golf courses below!), Coachella, Indio and the Salton Sea.  Our view was the best that could be - always is a haze from smog and of course the radiant heat coming off the floor below.  Breathtaking!

Lone Joshua Tree looking westward - snow on the mountains

Looking towards San Jacinta and San Gorgonia Mountains

Drove back and headed to Barker Dam to hike, found out this trail is the most popular trail of the park - woot, woot!  The Barker Dam area is where the Keys family (ranched in the park until 1969) built up a natural dam that enabled the family to raise cattle and also to provide water for every day use.  This dam is in the Hidden Valley area, relatively flat with huge boulder mountains surrounding the basin but at elevation of 4300 feet.  I saw pictures of what the area would look like with normal rainfall (in a 4 year severe drought right now) and if there was water in the reservoir, would be spectacular.  As it was, we could see where the water marks were and how the run off would feed watering troughs for the cattle.  Interpretive signs were along the trail and we did see many lizards along the way.  No snakes, see and hear birds flitting around, but no other wildlife.  Many people hiking, even saw a large group of children about 8 to 10 years old who were coming back from repelling on one of the mountains - they looked absolutely exhausted (I would be too!).  Neat to see.

Trail to Barker Dam

Rocks everywhere

Man made dam

Watering trough below dam

Water just about gone 

Just a tidge left here - can see water marks from better days

Here, lizard, lizard, lizard!

Glad we stopped in the area and saw the national park.  It covers a huge area, has 3 visitors centers, the main center in Twentynine Palms.  Lots of people hiking.  We hiked 3 miles Tuesday and did 2.2 mile hike yesterday and I know that my knee is not healed yet (was really swollen last night).  After all, its only been 5 weeks since surgery but every day it gets better.  The surgeon said 3 months, I guess I am pushing it but glad I am able to do what I have been able to do!

Guessed the ages of kids were 8??  Wow.

Maybe 20 kids repelling, we were impressed

We pack up tomorrow morning and head towards a town called Three Rivers near the entrance to Sequoia National Park/Kings Canyon National Park, east of Fresno, California.  They had snow yesterday so hopefully our weather while there won't be as cold.