Hello postdocs,
Are you all excited for the trip to Joshua Tree National Park on April 16? We are and so wanted to share the day’s plan with you. If you are interested please include your name in the Google document here and indicate whether you are driving or not. We will have sightseeing, hiking, climbing/bouldering/relaxing everything in this trip. Please note that the park has no cellular network.
If you are joining us at UCI:
We plan to leave UCI by 7:30 a.m. so you probably would like to get here by 7:15 a.m. Whether you are driving or not, please wait at the parking lot near the Starbucks at 5141 California Ave. If you are running late, please give us a call.
If you are joining us at Joshua:
We plan to reach the North entrance visitor center at 10:00 -10:15 a.m. Please meet us there if you want to join us at the park.
What to bring:
Your lunch, plenty of water, hat, hiking shoes, sunscreen. Also bring some cash if you are sharing park fees, gas etc.
Park fees:
The normal park fee of $15 is reportedly waived due to the National park Week (April 16-20). So entry is FREE.
First stops: Cholla cactus garden and Skull rock
From the visitor center, we will drive to Cholla cactus garden. From there we will go to the Skull rock. We do not plan to hike in any of these areas. Please feel free to stop at more locations on your way from Cholla to Skull rock.
The hike:
At 12:00 p.m., we will meet at the trail head for Lost horse trail loop. We will eat lunch 40 minutes or an hour into the hike. The hike is NOT difficult and will take approximately 3 hours (6.2 miles). You will get to inspect a gold mine on this hike.
Hemingway buttress/free time:
After the hike, we will be heading to the Hemingway Buttress. If you enjoy climbing or bouldering, this is the place for you. You can also just relax.
Final stop: sunset at Keys view point:
At 6:15 p.m., we will gather at the Keys view point to watch the sunset. We will leave the park at 7: 30 p.m.
Dinner at Sam’s pizza:
We will eat dinner at a local restaurant called Sam’s pizza. After dinner, we will come back to Irvine.
Contact: Mahul (mahulchak[at]gmail.com)