Winter in the Mojave Desert
The sun sets early in the winter. On this particular December day, the sun would dip below the horizon at 4:44pm, so naturally I didn’t have the idea to take a sunset drive until about 3:30. After showering in record time, throwing a granola bar, a water bottle, and my camera into my bag, I set off for the quick 30 minute drive into Joshua Tree National Park.
I entered the park through the south Cottonwood entrance, and would need to drive another 40 mi before reaching my destination, White Tank. I arrived to amazing light that highlighted the brilliant orange the Joshua Tree landscape is known for. I knew this sunset would be one to remember, as most in the desert are, but I had no idea what was coming next.
Long shadows began to creep up the roads and grass slowly, and the further I drove into the park the more I began to notice something I would have never imagined seeing: snow. When one pictures a desert, the last thing that comes to mind is the powder white blanket that covers only the colder landscapes; even in the winter, snow was not a possibility in my mind.
Driving on, the beautiful pink skies of a classic desert sunset appeared above snowcapped hills, creating a beautiful color palette that I managed to catch from my car. I was approaching White Tank, and the snow that was once only visible in the distance was now clinging to the roads.
Arriving in White Tank, the snow had completely covered anything that the snowplows hadn’t reached (the roads). I stepped out in a light hoodie, hiking pants, and old Vans. My lack proper dress and a temperature in the 20s wasn’t on my mind. What stood in front of me took all of my attention away, as well as my breath.
After exploring for no more than 15 minutes, my hands and toes were numb and my face was beginning to feel the effects. None of this mattered, I love moments when the intensity of the landscape makes your body forget all else.
My trusty shoes, making their way through the deep snow.
Man-made path to the bathroom
Plant life surviving the winter
This was one of the most surprising sunsets of my life. It was only an hour before that I was conflicted of whether it was worth it as a solo trip. If you have an opportunity to do something or go somewhere, take it, you never know what you could be in for.