GETAWAY SERIES // Hiking Through Joshua Tree

Finally! Back to camping!

Andrew and I have not been camping in over a year, and I know we both were ready to get back out and put our gear to good use. So when friends asked us if we wanted to tag along on a weekend to Joshua Tree, we said yes!

After work on Friday, Andrew and I packed up the car, picked up our friend Shannon, and headed north. By the time we got to Black Rock Campground and our site, it was dark and chilly. We quickly set up our tent and Shannon cooked up some dumplings and bell peppers for us. Shannon’s sister, Holly, and her friend, Joel showed up a little after us to round out our camping squad.

I will say, I knew that Joshua Tree in January would be cold, but my body wasn’t ready for how windy and cold it actually was. What we didn’t realize when we showed up was that there was a wind advisory in place, and boy was it windy. By the time I got into my sleeping bag, I was bundled up and still shivering. 

Throughout the night, the wind whipped our tent around and not going to lie, we all had a rough time sleeping. That combined with the cold, and we all struggled. But that’s the name of the game sometimes when it comes to camping.

In the morning, we headed out for a day of exploring Joshua Tree National Park, with two of Shannon’s friends joining us. Holly had spent time at Joshua Tree before and led the pack, pulling off at multiple trailheads and off-shoots. 

The views around us were absolutely stunning. The rocks, Joshua trees, blue skies, you name it. My favorite part was swinging by Skull Rock, one of the park’s iconic landmarks, that I remember visiting when I was a kid.

As much as we had hoped to camp all weekend, Andrew and I agreed that if the wind was as bad as the night before, that we didn’t think we could make it through another night in our tent. So instead, we opted to head home a day early, ready to sleep in our own bed. 

Overall, it was great to ease back into camping and it got me excited for more adventures this year!