In all the time we’ve lived in Southern California, this was our first time backpacking Joshua Tree. Firstly, what a beautiful place. Yes, it’s a desert, but it’s so beautiful… trees, boulders, wildflowers, blue skies… I was surprised by how beautiful the scenery was.

Some of the more beautiful areas were the valleys covered in Joshua Trees surrounded by boulders

Frequently we’d see rockclimbers clinging to the boulders. Outdoor bouldering is definitely something we’re interested in doing in Joshua Tree.

On this trip we planned to camp overnight. These were the three things we were looking for in a hiking spot: secluded, boulders, and dog permitted.

Once we decided on a place to hike, we parked our cars, geared up for an overnight hike, then hiked about 2 miles in until we found a place that looked like a nice spot to camp. The place we found was pretty cool. There were hardly any people to be seen; it felt like we were the only ones out in Joshua Tree. So nice.

And our little Moby did so good! We weren’t sure how well he would do with all of the boulders or off leash, but we were super impressed by him. He made every jump, climbed every boulder, and stayed with us the whole time; he proved to be a great backpacking dog! Good job Moby!

The sunsets are amazing! I remember gawking at the sunset from our campsite. It was a pretty blend of pastel pinks, purples, and blues. The scene was even better once we finally got a fire started (that was all David actually). Imagine listening to a slow crackle of fire wood, feeling the cool air kiss your cheeks, while watching the pretty colors fade to night. I loved it!

When night fall came, it got pretty cold

Next time I’m going to pack warmer clothes and bring a little jacket for Moby– poor little guy was shivering so we wrapped him in the heavy Mexican blanket we brought.

We loved our overnight in Joshua Tree. The scenery was beautiful, we loved the privacy of our campsite, and we’re so happy with how well Moby did for his first hike! We definitely plan to be back to Joshua Tree when the weather cools down again. Next time hopefully we’ll capture some starry overnight shots and maybe try a little bouldering. ♦

Tip: Bring plenty of water. We had enough for the day, dinner, evening tea, breakfast morning tea, and Mr. Moby.

 

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