Joshua Tree National Park

We escaped to this bizarre yet beautiful park after several days in the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. It is a desert and normal but for the piles of rocks and twisted almost-broken arms of the Joshua Trees. We ventured in and around this park for hours, hopping from rock to rock (sometimes sliding down fatal edges), bouldering away from the crowds, and just relaxing. The trash we collected consisted of several broken bottles, most likely shattered glass from the shattered dreams arriving from only two hours away. Our first evening was spent over a good meal at the Crossroads restaurant and the next late into the night with an eclectic group of California transplants. With its central location to L.A. and other metropolitan regions and the availability of rocks for all levels of climbers, Joshua Tree National Park is a popular destination. To learn more about this rock world, visit: http://www.nps.gov/jotr/

Approximate trash/recyclables collected: 200 pieces

Description: plastic bottles, glass bottles, orange peels, broken glass, cool whip container, corners of plastic candy bar wrappers, and cigarette butts

Dates visited: March 6-8, 2009