Joshua Tree Campout

This was one of the hottest camping trips I've been on. Temperatures soared into triple digits, but the rock formations were natures playground, if you were willing to share with the creatures of nature.


The sunset was beautiful and added to the feeling of the close of the day.


No campout is complete without cobbler. This is the biggest dutch oven I've ever seen and we were making four more! Fresh blackberry cobbler rocks! Thanks Chuck for the amazing treat!


BBQ Chicken galore!


Even better, Tri-Tip galore!


On a whim, as I was bored doing my dance committee duties for my singles ward, a friend invited me on a camping trip. Cost 25 dollars, memories priceless. I handed her over 25 and the in May we headed out of town in Big Blue, her trusty Jeep Wrangler. I'd never been to Joshua Tree National Park, but now that I've been there, I'm thinking it's not a place I will go back to simply because of the heat factor! We set up our camp around 2PM and it was way too hot for comfort! I was wondering what in the world I was doing there! I might have been thinking thoughts that I cannot repeat here in this family safe blog! As the evening set in and we settled into the shade and the food was spread, life was beautiful. A full menu of Tri-Tip beef, BBQ Chicken, Cheesy Potatoes, Salad, Blackberry Cobbler with Ice Cream (how the heck did they keep the ice cream from melting in that corner of Hell, I'm not sure). With tummies full and the sun gone, we were able to just enjoy each others company. We got in trouble with the park ranger for having more than six people in a campsite even though we were not all sleeping in that site, we still got in trouble for a "large" gathering. The ranger said it's a noise control issue. We were rebels and just were quiet in our visiting and remained gathered until late before we all wondered off to our separate camp sites to settle in for a night's sleep. I would have to say this is the first camping trip in which I didn't freeze my keester off. I was actually warm to comfortable. This comfort dissolved by 9AM when the temperatures were reaching 90 degrees. The morning and afternoon was spent rappelling.


Pre-Rapell prep work. These guys have been at this for quite some time. The fellow on the left I heard, was in search and rescue for years, so safety was first in this venture.


This young fellow was the most experienced of the young people rappelling. He went "Aussie Style" which is face first. Stare death in the face! It was fun to watch. I never went down due to a combination of fear and misery from the blasted heat.

Leslie and I bid farewell to our new friends around 1PM and headed back home. We stopped off at the nearest fast food joint and hit the bathroom using their running water to sponge bath the filth and some of the stench from our bodies. We are such city slickers. I don't mind camping, but when I'm sweating the whole time and I can't stand my own stink after one night, I'm not having so much fun. All in all it was fun to meet new people, spend some time in the outdoors and get out of the daily routine of life. I guess next time I need to try camping on a beach where I can dip in the ocean in the morning. Anyone wanna join me?