All that aside, I'm excited about going out to the desert again this weekend. The weekend before last I took a class in 'Rocks and Minerals of Joshua Tree National Park.' Here's how it goes- Atoms/elements make up molecules, molecules make up minerals, minerals make up rocks and rocks make up,.. zzZZZzzZZzzz, snore, snuck, gurgle.. drool...
But I woke up long enough to hear something about the location of a seldom photographed formation of hexagonal columns. Apparently these columns are formed as part of what is known as a 'stock', a body of magma that never reached the surface to become lava. The magma cooled slowly under the ground giving it time to form these huge six-sided crystals. The stock may have been exposed by millions of years of erosion of the earth above it, forming a large, steep hill.
From the shots I've seen in other locations in reasonable proximity to these, they look like the columnar formations found at the Devil's Postpile (National Park?) in the Sierra Nevada in California. These are probably 100-150 miles closer to me though and nowhere near as photographed.
There are two sets on this exposed stock as described by the geologist. The first set is somewhat easily accessed by about a mile and a half hike. The second set is up the hill and behind it from the first. The first set is facing east and may make a good sunrise shot. The rock is dark gray to black and hopefully there will be some wildflowers to accent the edges of the shot. Likewise for the second set, which faces the west- Maybe best at sunset. The unique features of the west formation are described as the colmuns rise from the ground and jut up into the air like a New Mexican starburst. I can only imagine what that means.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday I'll be attending class for wildflower identification. The class will be given by the JTNP resident botanist, who has been with the NPS in Joshua Tree for 20 years. Also co-intructed by, from what I understand, is a representitive from Jepsen, a noted reference/official in the field of botany. This is a unique event as usually the class is given by masters of the field, this year's instructors are -the- class act.
Itinerary:
Friday night- Arrive early, drink, chase loose women, dance and party without brains until 5am (actually become familiar with refence materials, clean lenses and get a good night's rest).
Saturday, 5am. 49 Palms Oasis or Indian Cove for sunrise photos. 8am, class starts- ID and shoot flowers all day. 4:30pm, sunset shots in JTNP- maybe White tank or Belle campground area).
Sunday, Oasis of Mara (Oom series) sunrise photos at 6-7am. Class 8am-2/4 pm ID and shoot flowers all day. 4:30-sunset hike to formation location #1 and up hill to location #2 and shoot until dark. Go back to room and sleep with face in pillow until 4am. Wake up, check out and go back and do hike to location #1 and shoot east facing formation at sunrise.
If I did get it right the night before, sleep on face until check out time and go look for rare crucifiction cactus in Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness.
Sorry to ramble. At least I have a rough plan typed out now
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