Welcome to high season
Spring has arrived in the high desert, Joshua Tree National Park braces for a record-breaking high season, and San Bernadino County eyes the Red Tier.
Hello from California’s high desert. Today is a blustery 45 degrees, but it actually feels like 38. We might get snow tonight and it already hailed this morning, but I’ll take it since it is likely the last bit of precipitation we’ll get for a while.
The snakes started emerging a few weeks ago and the songbirds are out in force. The sun is warm, but the mountain air is still blowing in. Only a few more weeks until the Joshua Trees start fruiting and my yard is overrun with rodents. After Daylight Savings this weekend, we will have full light until 7 p.m. My body won’t know what to do with more than a crumb of serotonin, but I’m excited to find out.
Even an eventful winter wasn’t enough to keep seasonal depression at bay this year. I’m not exactly immune to the winter blues — growing up in Chicago meant we didn’t see the sun for the entirety of February — but this year was particularly rough. For the first time in ages, I’m looking forward to losing an hour of sleep.
Daylight Savings is also the most glorious time of year to have a dog, or in my case, dogs. They don’t abide by human concepts like time, so they wake whenever they feel like it. During the winter months, this is some ungodly hour before the sun is up and the heat goes on in the house. It’s cold and miserable, but Oliver is ready for breakfast so we are awake. Alice is still getting the hang of crate training, so our morning ritual is compounded by her resistance to incarceration.
After this week though, our wake-up time could be almost 7 a.m.! Can you imagine?! I would gladly testify before Congress stating this as the sole reason for making DST permanent. Put me in, coach!
Going forward, I’d love to know what you want to read here. For this initial post, I’ve rounded up some updates from the National Park Service, San Bernadino County, and of course, the dogs.
Hope you have a great weekend, and go outside!
Like many other national parks, Joshua Tree saw record visitation in 2020 as many Americans traveled domestically amid the coronavirus pandemic. Even with a months-long closure last spring, the park hit a record 2.4 million visitors last year.
Park officials expect the coming weeks to be some of the busiest the park has ever seen. March and April are considered “high season” for the desert park which coincides with California’s superbloom season.
If you are planning to visit the park any time soon, consider buying a pass online to ease congestion at the park’s popular West Entrance. I sat in this line last weekend and can confirm it’s a real downer.
Plan to get into the park early if you want a parking spot. By 10 a.m., most parking lots at popular trailheads are completely full. Never park on the side of the road in the park, as this can damage the fragile desert ecosystem.
Wear your mask! Joshua Tree isn’t known for its backcountry trails, even though those are pretty spectacular, so the more common hikes are incredibly crowded. Mask up to protect yourself and your fellow park-goers.
County officials announced that San Bernandino County could move to the less-restrictive Red Tier as soon as next week. The county needs to maintain its current rate of infection, which is below the state’s threshold of seven cases per 100,000 residents, for a week before it can move forward with reopening.
In the Red Tier, retail stores could allow for half capacity instead of 25%, and museums, zoos, and aquariums could reopen for indoor activities at 25% capacity, as could movie theaters, gyms, and restaurants.
There is one mass vaccination site in the Morongo Basin at Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree. A friend of mine was vaccinated there yesterday, and said the process was incredibly smooth! Sign up here to see if you are eligible, and book an appointment.
Dr. Biden arrived on base via Osprey helicopter on Wednesday. I’m willing to bet it was a turbulent ride courtesy of the Basin’s gusty winds all morning. She landed in Palm Springs Tuesday evening from Washington state, where she toured other bases as part of her trip.
Her trip is part of the “Joining Forces” initiative, according to a report in the Desert Sun. The initiative was started by former First Lady Michelle Obama as a way to help better support military families, veterans, and caregivers. Dr. Biden has committed to relaunching the program, which took a back seat during the Trump Administration.
Pupdate of the week: Alice is teething, and Oliver is learning to share. No one has slept in weeks and we’re all slowly losing our minds.
Trail of the week: Check out the Panorama Loop out of Black Rock Campground if you’re eager to avoid the crowds and get a decent workout in. I did this a few weeks back on a gloomy day and didn’t see another soul the whole 6.5 miles.
Book of the week: American Baby by Gabrielle Glaser is an incredibly well-reported look at the history of adoption in America.
Show of the week: I’m binging Schitt’s Creek again because it is the epitome of “comfort food” TV and that is all my brain can process at the moment
Fun thing of the week: Last weekend, my husband and I went to the Celluloid Stardust Theater in Joshua Tree for a screening of Raising Arizona. If you are in town any time soon, I highly recommend getting tickets to any of their upcoming screenings. The drive-in theater was the brainchild of Joshua Tree Music Festival organizers and Cliffhanger Guides, and I can guarantee you’ve never done anything like it. Schedule and tickets are here!
I am so sorry @Ro hope all is well soon
Love the personal musings. Love your style.