"If the desert is holy, it is because it is a forgotten place that allows us to remember the sacred. Perhaps that is why every pilgrimage to the desert is a pilgrimage to the self. There is no place to hide and so we are found."
- Terry Tempest Williams
Joshua Tree National Park sneaks up on me. After all, what's to see? At least compared to where we've been. And yet, I find myself moved beyond reason. Ecstacy bubbles in my gut, rises to my heart, my lungs are filled with the airiest joy, and reverential tears spill out of my eyes. With the softness of each stride, I dissolve into the landscape.
Ironic, isn't it that this was not a planned stop?
We were slated to leave Red Rock Canyon after a final morning hike, curve around to the western Sierras, and spend eight nights in Mariposa. But this is the winter of Nature flying her freak flag. Yosemite National Park closed on March 1 due to deep snow and the soonest it may open is March 17. The trail conditions in Mariposa…
Watch with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Tom Ryan, Author to watch this video and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
