I had a little work to do for the park this morning, then headed out for some hiking.  First was out to Lost Horse Mine, a very pleasant four mile route through the hills and mountains with some great views.  I hiked around all the trails up Lost Horse Mountain, spending a little time at the summit before heading back out.  Of all the hiking I've done in the past two weeks, this trail was by far the busiest.  Along my way out I ended up chatting with a man from Seattle who is visiting with his adult children.  Made me look forward to the possibility that my kids will want to go on adventures with me when they're grown.

Next I headed to Ryan campground to park my car and check out the ruins of Ryan Ranch, the family that owned of the Lost Horse Mine (at times there were other owners as well).  What a fantastic place to explore in the late afternoon.  There was pretty consistent cloud cover through the day, but in the evening we had a few brief breaks before the sun set, and this old adobe structure was a fantastic place to be for the golden hour.  I took an overwhelming number of photos, but did my best to weed them down to a decent representation of the area as well as some favorites.  There were many rabbits, both cottontail and jack, along the trail here, and I lucked out by spotting a jack rabbit before spooking him off, and was able to get some decent shots with my zoom lens.  Always important to avoid disturbing wildlife of all kinds, if they sense your presence and make movements as a result, you are too close.

Sunset was just stunning tonight, and I made a few stops on my drive home to try to capture the colors in the clouds.  For dinner I had a rare treat and went out.  This coming weekend is the park's Night Sky Festival, and a volunteer astronomer who I'd met before at another park is here to help and staying in the same housing area.  We decided to try out the popular Joshua Tree Saloon, and it did not disappoint.

Before we get to images, I want to take a minute to discuss historical and archaeological sites within national parks, and beyond.  Most people realize that it is not appropriate to do things such as carve one's name on the ruins of a building (though plenty do it anyway).  It's also not appropriate to move or take any items.  If we enjoy the experience of coming to a place like Ryan Ranch, and would like the chance to come again and see it the same way, the only chance of this happening is if every single visitor leaves what they find just as they found it.  Also if we hope to bring our friends, children, or grandchildren and show them the same thing we saw.  Joshua Tree National Park is expected to see nearly 3 million visitors this year.  Let's say that only 1/10th of them come to this popular site.  That's 300,000 people.  Each of us has the responsibility to avoid making changes to this place.  Besides just for personal enjoyment, there are federal laws that protect areas within the NPS, and it is actually illegal to disturb sites, even things that seem as trivial as a rusty tin can among a pile of cans.  If I'm remembering right, any item that is more than 50 years old is categorized as historical, and falls under legal protections (It might be 40 years).  That means anything from 1967 or earlier, so even a beer can with a pull tab may be protected.  Unfortunately, there are places within this park that have had to be closed off to the public due to inappropriate behavior by visitors, spoiling the chance for others to witness them.  Be cool, people, think of others, and don't break the law.

The start of the trail to Lost Horse Mine.

The trail follows the old road out to the mine that the Ryan brothers improved.

Looking back the way I came.

At the base of Lost Horse Mountain.

There's a nest in the middle of the Parry's Nolina on the right.

A view of the mine from below.

At the mine, you can see the trail in the distance.

Closeup of rocks at the summit of Lost Horse Mountain.

View from the summit., looking out across the park.

Looking off towards the Geology Tour Road, Malapai Hill visible as the dark basalt mound.

Looking west, mounts San Jacinto and San Gorgonio visible.

  

Another view of mounts San Jacinto and San Gorgonio.

The trail back down form the summit.

Looking back up at the mine.

Some old equipment at the base of the mountain.

The trail back.

This area had a fire back in 2009.

Following the old road.

Almost back to the parking area.

The trail in to Ryan Ranch.

Headstone Rock, a popular climbing route, with a climber on it (look close).

The old ranch house.

Following the trail past the ranch house are outbuildings and old equipment.

Continuing the trail out to the well, looking back on the ranch.

The well house, perhaps?

Headstone Rock and Ryan Ranch.

A second adobe structure, judging by the size it could have been a one room cabin.

I was excited to catch a long distance shot of this cottontail.

This is the jackrabbit I stood still and watched for a while.

Nibbling on a dry stalk.

And then the sun peeked out intermittently.

  


  

A moment of bright light before the sun slipped below the mountains.

Headstone Rock, but from this angle it looks a lot like a rabbit.