Palm Springs, Part 3; Joshua Tree (Cottonwood)

We're in Joshua Tree's Cottonwood area, near the park's southern entrance off Highway 10. In this part of California this time of year one reasonably expects to have temperatures in the 70s or 80s. But it was the 90s for us and we were not provisioned for that kind of heat at all. I don't mess with the desert when I'm not provisioned for it. As a result, we did the tiniest bit of the walk from "You Are Here" to "Mastadon Mine". I'm not sure that I even saw Mastadon Mine, or at least I didn't see anything that reminded me of a mine.



I did see the cottonwoods tho'.





The cottonwoods grew near the springs, while the rest of the landscape was more like this.







Recent rains prompted the ocotillos to leaf out.



I'd never seen them so green.



Alas, no flowers.



I saw remnants of other flowers.









And premonitions of future flowers.



But rocks are the main thing.



Interesting rocks.





Rocks and sky.