Friday, April 22, 2011

Joshua Tree

Friday night, end of a tiring week. Six hour flight to Phoenix. Then a four hour drive, barreling through the desert to midnight, towards a big moon on the horizon. All to wake up in the magic of Joshua Tree ...


There were two things about this weekend that were especially remarkable. The first was the mercurial weather. It was by turns blazing with sunshine, swept by wind, and even chilled by snow. Snow in Joshua Tree is a beautiful thing to behold.


The second mind-blowing thing was that an adaptive climbing clinic was going on literally right in the backyard of our campsite. We had so much fun hanging out with them, watching the climbing, and learning about this awesome community. We also spent a morning climbing with Jeff Erenstone, who runs an orthotics and prosthetics clinic in Lake Placid, and got to learn a little about the technology and rehab that goes into this. Way cool.


As for me, when my fingers weren't scraping against granite, they were working bamboo needles and alpaca yarn. I started a cardigan on the trip there ... I don't know how it'll turn out, but it's meant to be a seamless, rolled-edge, raglan cardigan. No pattern. Just futzing around. By the end of the weekend I was done with the yoke -- now it's downwards for the rest of the body and then I need to pick up the stitches for the sleeves.


Love this place. the intensity of the desert. the haunting Joshua Trees. the strangeness of the rock outcroppings. the beauty.

6 comments:

rockbridge said...

Hi H - we were in JTree too. Wasn't that snow amazing? At one point, it was sunny to my left, and snowing to my right. Anyway, I'm sorry our paths didn't cross out there! Hope all is well. Please send hellos to mtn man from me and D.

kathy b said...

Amazing images as always.........
Im asking fellow bloggers to dedicate their post or their entire blog on monday. Want to join me? Who would you dedicate your blog to?

Acorn to Oak said...

I love Joshua Tree. In fact, that's where my husband and I met...climbing! :-) The weather sure was beautiful in the desert on Friday. It was great to find some warmth! We were just south of where you were in Borrego. I'm planning to do a post about it soon. We were exploring caves! Fun! That must have been fun and amazing hanging with the adaptive climbers. I'm so impressed that you can knit a sweater without a pattern! Can't wait to see it finished. :-)

Turtle said...

lovely day!

kathy b said...

I just joined Knitting Paradise due to your button. I hope I like it. I figure if you endorse it, it will be great.

Rachel said...

I've only been to Joshua Tree once...I visited a friend in Seattle and we got a bur in the butt and just started to drive south. Joshua Tree made it on the list of places to visit...such a unique and beautiful place!