All the horses were spooked by my sun umbrella, and I had to put it down | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2492.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2496.jpg) | | | The Joshua Trees took on the most amazing shapes. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2498.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2500.jpg) | In a lot of places it was very sandy...tough walking! | | Our first lunch. For lunches, I had Ritz crackers, sausage sticks, peanut butter, and some prunes. Kelly had all kinds of homemade crackers and and home-dried fruit. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2503.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2504.jpg) | We got off track once on this part of the trail, and went about a mile out of our way. Luckily many places that could have been confusing had this kind of marker to make it easier. | | We saw these holes, all in a row, every often. Don't know what made them, though. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2505.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2507.jpg) | A dead Joshua Tree. It looks like solid wood, but is surprisingly spongy. | | What little shade their was, came from the Joshua trees. I'm wearing my diy craft foam visor sunhat in this picture. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2509.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2513.jpg) | Joshua tree blossums | | Lots of beautiful cactuses - I think this was the Mojave Mound cactus. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2515.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2516.jpg) | There were little black lizards scampering across the trail every few minutes, but we only saw this lizard a few times - the Southern Desert Horned Lizard | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2520.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2523.jpg) | Our first campsite. Kelly and I didn't bring our rain covers, since we'd be warm enough, and wanted to see the stars. | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2527.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2528.jpg) | Dinnertime | | Happy birthday Jean! |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2530.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2532.jpg) | A selfie in the tent | | The next morning, we went through the most scenic portion of the hike (which also involved a lot of straight sandy stretches) |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2537.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2541.jpg) | | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2546.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2547.jpg) | I think this was Lomatium Mohavense - Mojave Desert Parsley | | Kelly got a little worried she was getting too much sun! |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2548.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2549.jpg) | | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2551.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2552.jpg) | Some wildflowers from along the trail. | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2553.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2561.jpg) | | | Day 1 blisters - no surprise, they got worse! |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2565.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2568.jpg) | A baby king snake. When larger, they hunt rattlesnakes. | | Remnants of an old mine along the trail |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2576.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2577.jpg) | This rock looked a lot like a butt! | | And this one - an alien head |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2579.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2583.jpg) | Someone made the outline of of a lizard in a wash | | Day 2 campsite |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2585.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2587.jpg) | Kelly and Jean, making dinner | | Hat hair! |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2599.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2604.jpg) | Beautiful sunrise the next morning | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2606.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2608.jpg) | Desert Mallow | | A lot of areas looked very park-like |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2611.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2616.jpg) | | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2618.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_img_2624.jpg) | Hitching a ride back to the visitor center | | Boots that I've never gotten blisters from didn't do so well for me on this hike... |
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| ![](/Pictures/2016/03-18-2016-joshuatree/gallery_group.jpg) | | | | | | | | | | | | | |