Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.
-Jack Kerouac, On the Road
After a whirlwind week in LA, I was itching to get out of the city, back on the road, hiking and sleeping in the open air. My days at Greenbuild had been inspiring, a confirmation that I was on the right track with my career, a reminder that working within this amazing community to design a sustainable future would be worth it, that our efforts would not be in vain, that we were not alone. Yet the open road was calling - my vision quest was far from over. LA traffic lived up to its reputation, extending beyond San Bernadino. I was exhausted, feeling the tickle in my throat of a cold that was brewing. Driving into the desert, towards Joshua Tree National Park, I felt my energy level dropping, and began to erase plans for hiking that evening.
I arrived at Black Rock Campground and set up my tent, texting Ben a picture to let him know I had arrived safely. I looked as tired as I felt. He pointed out that the top pole belonged over the crisscrossed poles, not under them, and I wondered if I had been doing it wrong the whole trip.
I went to bed early, and watched a young couple attempt to back a massive trailer into the campsite next to me. If camping were a spectrum, surely this was the farthest end - one step further and they would leave the camping section entirely and stumble onto the next spectrum of permanent living structures. I had decided against the rainfly that night, and watched the stars growing in number above me as the sky darkened, before drifting off to sleep.
The plan was to get up early the next morning so I could spend the day in Zion National Park after a short time exploring in Joshua Tree. But my body had other plans, and I slept well past sunrise. My drive through the park, toward the north entrance, contained moments of desert beauty, eerie and strange, plants that felt aggressive with spiky adornments, and fields of boulders, odd and out of place. I stopped frequently, staring at the landscape in silence, soaking in the sun, and hoping the warm, dry air would quickly heal the cold that had now fully developed.
This day eased me back into my journey - the natural world extending a hand and inviting me to follow, explore, and find my bliss.
I am SO SO glad you stopped here. It is one of my favorite places (it’s hard to choose though, from all california has to offer). I love sleeping with the rainfly off too 🙂
Beautiful photos. I’ve been enjoying your trip so much. I’m eager to read more. Thanks for sharing your insights.