A Respite in the Desert

Every cowboy needs a few moments to collect his thoughts. So, this one went out deeper into the desert. A few miles into the wilderness area inside of Joshua Tree National Park, under a full moon. The wind whipped, cactus pricked and luckily the snake did not bit.

The first camp was set up on a high ridge, miles from any trail and without the slightest hint of humanity in sight.

If you need a break from life, a chance to let all of your thoughts settle, consider planning a 3 day getaway to the desert, mountains, or plains. Get away from your daily habits and stressors. Even just 2 days out and you might even see a big change, go with it. The best way I have found to really get away and get some good solid nights of solitude is to hike out into a designated wilderness area. Get yourself few miles in and you may be the only person willing to make that extra effort and thus get the entire place to yourself. Make sure to bring the appropriate equipment for wherever you end up…but don’t take too much – it’ll just slow you down. Out here in the desert all I really needed (but did bring more) was a sleeping pad and bag, some grub, and about a gallon of water per day out. That’s as minimal as you can get and it would allow me to hike even deeper into the desert.