Too tired to think much, so I'll finish this up later. Briefly though: this was an out and back along the main north-south route through the park, between White Rock and Cottonwood campgrounds (Cottonwood was also the endpoint of our ride from Mecca two days ago). Weather still quite cold but otherwise beautiful.
This is a lovely ride, and one we also took the first time we visited Joshua Tree. It's the best paved road in the park for cycling - wider and much quieter than Park Avenue or the spur to Keys View. I'd really like to do it again some year, in the spring when the desert is in bloom.
We got back to the car right as the sun dropped behind the mountains, and then drove two hours to Hemet, where we return our rental car in the morning. We arrived a bit before seven, and didn't get back to the room from dinner (a nice Italian place) until about nine.
We've been very happy with our decision to use a car for this stretch - it just wouldn't have worked well for us at this time of year to bike the whole distance. We are also very happy to be returning it though - were both pretty sick of stressful driving on busy highways in an unfamiliar vehicle. It will be great to be back to just us and the bikes again.
Beginning the chilly, eight mile descent to the floor of Pinto Basin
The cholla garden, Pinto Basin. We had a more successful visit than last time, when I got too close and was attacked by one and had a miserable time freeing myself.
A creosote bush. Creosote, the dominant vegetation in the Pinto Basin, is my plant for the day - I've never known what it was before, but now I see that it is ubiquitous here.
