West Side Loop, Wed, 2/25/26

 

Black Rock Canyon Campground is in the northwest corner of vast Joshua Tree NP.  This part of the park appears different than the main entrance inasmuch as there are no giant mountains of jumbled rock.  But we've discovered this area still offers plenty to see and do.  West of the campground are several trails, including the West Side Loop trail, a rocky five-mile-long path that weaves through ridges and washes and Joshua Trees.  We decided to give it a whirl today, a repeat from two years ago.

The wind was blowing like stink again in the valley, but up here at 4,000+ ft, the day was really fine, not too hot nor too cool and just a breeze to keep us comfy.  Otherwise, the start wasn't auspicious because a couple of horses had preceded us and tore up the sandy trail.

I guess the park service leaves this sign up permanently, and perhaps the tire holds the sign in place! (We saw it two years ago) The ruts left from rains make it harder to climb the hilly sections, but we dodged 'em and kept climbing. 

I see a monkey!

What do you see?

The Joshua Tree blossoms are big and they're beautiful, and many of the trees are beginning to flower.  This one has a bee crawling on top.

This trail is rated moderate, and you have to work to get to the top of this hill (or mountain).  Next to the red x, you can barely make out two people we passed on our way up as they were descending.  Yup, that's our trail, all right.

Still slogging away, heading up.

I was feeling the 800' elevation gain.

Sometimes you just have to stop and breathe!

We're still not at the crest.

The same sign is up here that we saw down below ... with tricky sections to navigate in between.  The views of the mountains, layer upon layer, culminating in snow-coned Mt San Gorgonio were fabulous.

Beautiful.  Hi, Jimmy!

This we did not like.  Steep, sand-slick downhills followed by aggressive uphills followed by more of the same downhills and repeat.  We had to choose ways off trail to clamber down, often backwards and hanging onto whatever nearby shrub that didn't have spikes or spines.  We didn't remember having to do this from a couple of years ago.  Maybe on purpose?  Or the trail has gone to pot.  Anyhoot, it was scary.  No mas!

We did it, however, and nobody got hurt.  I do recall seeing this Joshua Tree lying down and becoming a a nurse tree with lots of offspring!  The only critters we came across today were lizards, lots of small lizards.

Even the Sotols are shooting up flowering stems.

Egad!  We were stopped in our tracks at the burn scar.  A "brush" fire on the West Side Loop trail broke out a few months ago -- October 2025, cause unknown -- and consumed approx 72 acres!  NPS and BLM worked on putting out the fire.  We knew it had to be recent as we could still see ash beneath the burned branches. 😢

When at last we saw our little Smartie, we were so tired, so ready to be done with the hike -- and sooo happy to see the li'l guy all by itself parked beside a Joshua Tree!  We drove home to Tergel and dove into the pool!  (not literally, no diving)

I talked about wind in the Coachella Valley in a previous post, and blowing sand. Yes?  Evidence, above and below.  As we came down into the valley from JTNP, we were appalled at the mess being created -- huge winds blowing sand and dust.  These pics were taken near the RV Park where we're staying, about six hundred feet above where the sands are being blown, so we're just seeing the tops of the sand being blasted skyward.  

Close the windows, Mabel!

And that's it for this year.  Our month at Catalina Spa and RV Resort is over Tuesday, 3/3/26, and we'll head out in the morning.  Hopefully the manic wind will cooperate and stand down!  We've enjoyed our time here, those terrific pools (I WILL miss my daily swim!), all the hikes we've managed to muster up the energy for.  We found new things to do this go-round, along with some familiars.  Of course there's the mundane, laundry, grocery shopping, and so on.  When we get home, we'll have our work cut out for us.  Till next year, adios Desert Hot Springs!