13-14 October
Joshua Tree National Park included a lot of hiking and surrounded of the golden boulders and the mighty Joshua Trees which, I guess, have given the park its name, I couldn't get rid of the feeling of being such a small woman on earth. When the sun was setting and the boulders where even more golden we found a spot at the campground for one tent and one hammock in Hidden Valley. Hanging between two rocks, hearing the coyotes snooping around among the camper's tents and trying to warm myself up under my sleeping bag I could here a car door slamming. Our neighbour's hammock had fallen down and her decision to sleep in the car was probably keeping her more warm than me and Daniel outside. It was a freezing night.
The "car sleeping" neighbour introduced herself as Nikki, and while she took some mats out from the back of her car she asked me if I wanted to join her yoga practice. Said and done. Never tried it before and my stiff joints tried to do there best as Nikki instructed me to "reach for the sun" and do quite impossible exercises. My body would suffer from it a couple of days ahead but right then the yoga moment, the environment and the early morning sun made me fall in love with Hidden Valley in Joshua Tree National Park.
When the car started to go downhill I imagined myself skating down those steep hills that never ended. We drove and drove, I think hours passed and it was still descending, quite steep. I didn't find myself happy with the fact that I wasn't allowed into the park with my longboard a couple of days ago but I was seriously starting to doubt my own decisions regarding to skate there. I couldn't have done it within those days I calculated. My water woud have run out. I was happy for my friendship with Daniel and his decision to go back with his car to Joshua Tree. Finally we reached Mecca, the city where I was going back to my longboard again.
12-13 October
Leslie took a ride with me into the Joshua Tree Nationel Park as I wasn't allowed to skate there and after a really nice drive through the upper parts of the park she dropped me off with my baggage. A curious little chinese man observed me closely for about 30 minutes before he kindly tried to help me with my trailer setting. The ride was short, it ended up in a bar where I assumed they would have internet. Sunday afternoon in that little town, all drunken people trying to help me out. I realized that I needed more time and skills to go around that huge national park skating. It all ended up with me, planning to take one of the few morning buses back to Palm Springs, change bus and hop off just below the park. Found a cheap motel where I actually bargained for a while and the words "then I guess I have to go wild camping" gave me the even cheaper price.
Checking my e-mails gave me a chance to see that Daniel never went to Joshua Tree as he would and since he still was "off work" he told me he would love to go there. I had a good night sleep and started my skating early next day. The desert's uphills was killing my legs and the sun had started to heat up the unshaded roads even if the hour hadn't left "morning time" yet.
The first long uphill took me as long as half an hour to climb, I would probably be faster walking but the way I had my backpack fastened on my trailer made it impossible. Finally up there one of the longest downhills I have faced appeared to me. Scared me. I started slowly but was speeding up at once. Tried my soles to brake and almost did my first longboard crash. Traffic was heavy and a family with their house on the other side of the road was encouraging me to continue. Waving and calling upon me. All these sounds. I took a deep breath and challenged myself to go, to feel the speed and enjoy it. My board felt a little bit unstable for a while but once I let go of that feeling and saw that no crossing traffic could be in my way I felt free. Smiling.
Next uphill was as strenuous but still, I was on my way and very happy to be. Daniel where faster than me and before I reached Joshua Tree where we where supposed to meet he picked me up with his car. Had some cowboy breakfast like the day before at Crossroads Cafe and then entered the park.
10-12 Oct
Finding the music festival was harder than I thought. It might have been because of my strong conviction it was held inside the Joshua Tree National Park instead of several miles north of the city of Joshua Tree and Daniel, my friend and driver, stubbornly claimed that Sunrise Rd was the place to be. Both of us were wrong.
Well, when we finally found out where to go we stopped the car a few miles down the road, got my longboard and trailer ready for the start of my skating trip and off I went. It was fun and cars stopped to ask me where I was going and wished me good luck. All the same when I arrived, a lot of attention to me and my "thing". Not used to that but I learned that being a, not very young, woman with a strange looking longboard trailer as my company helps me to get new friends easily.
My lovely neighbours Donna and Tom with their huge tent setting accompanied with, always smiling, Leslie with less "American style" camping equipment made my weekend joyful and with better company than anyone can wish for.
Alternative music, a lot of "hippie moments" with loving and colorful scarfs and outfits, the smell of weed all over the place and a handful of band so good that all my soul danced of happiness. What more can a girl ask for!?
An early Sunday moorning, painful hips from the almost non exsisting sleeping pad and a ride into the center of Joshua Tree for some excellent breakfast at Crossroads Cafe. Then, Leslie gave me a ride to the entrence of the National Park where we all thought were the place where to start my lonboard trip for real. Ok, we were all wrong.
It all started with me wanting to learn something new. I bought a longboard and travelled parts of the world. My next project will be around the world on a bike, but still as Longboard Lady.