Camping in the Mojave Desert, Nevada
“Damn, I could really go for a Wendy’s Frosty right about now.”
So there we were in the middle of the desert. We had made these plans way in advance but it hadn’t fully dawned on us that we were going to be there in the middle of the summer. It was July and the daily temperature was 105°. Pure dry spellbinding heat. On our way in we drove through a couple desert towns with buildings covered in psychedelic murals. Apparently there is something about this area that opens up the mind. I know this first hand as I reached my own epiphany here.
(No grocery stores or gas stations. Absolutely nothing for 100 miles. Good thing we brought a ton of food and water with us)
During our time in the Mojave I was hoping we’d see a rattlesnake or something dramatic like that. But in the days we were out there, we hardly saw a living thing. Nothing but wide open space, cacti, and a few lizards. I drove our little rental car five miles up a backcountry road to a secluded campsite among the cinder cones and lava beds. The road was called Aiken Mine Road and it was recommended only for vehicles with four wheel drive. The ranger tried to talk us out of the whole idea, but I had grand visions of camping under the stars in the middle of nowhere. So on we went.
We were thankful our car made it to the camp site. It definitely got a little sketchy along the way. Now there was not a soul in sight for miles. No food or water. Totally on our own. Honestly if we got a flat tire or something happened we would have been in trouble. And there is certainly no cell reception to call for help. I just tried to shut that out of my mind and thought instead about how we might be abducted by aliens or eaten by coyotes while we sleep. Later my sister helped me feel like my concerns about the aliens were valid. Glad we’re on the same page there Melissa.
(Aliens, coyotes, and car issues aside, I think we can agree this campsite was worth it)
(all the places shown above were right there at our campsite. Who knew the Mojave had giant cinder cones?!)
The area of the Mojave we drove to hosts the remains of volcanos long gone extinct. I hiked along a short path from our campsite into some lava tubes. The lava tubes were actually the whole reason we had chosen our campsite. There is a ladder installed so you can hike right down inside of them. We felt like we were walking into the middle of the earth.
After a couple hours we both realized there was absolutely nothing else to do. The sun was beating down above, so we sat in the shade of our car and used our tent’s rainfly as a sun shield. That was my idea and I am going to give myself a pat on the back for my resourcefulness.
(Check that out. I think I deserve a girl scout badge for desert survival ;) )
I tried to master the art of the self portrait. Then we just sat in the car in silence for a while. My mind wandered all over the place. I got restless. But after a while I remember turning to my friend and saying “You know what? I could do this forever.” And I meant it in a serious way. my friend said looked at me said “I could too.”
(With that moon, can you believe we didn’t hear a single coyote howl? Nothing out here but Joshua Trees and cacti)
The wheels started turning and we both started thinking up a fury of ways to just keep traveling. We had already been living out of a suitcase all summer. We’d been photographing all over the United States and it is something that we both really enjoy. It was becoming more inconvenient to return to our condo in Cary, North Carolina.
I had been living in the desert out of a sedan and a tent with only the two suitcases I could fit inside. It was incredibly simple. Neither of us missed all of the conveniences and material goods we left at home. The sun set, a full moon came out, and Josh built us a roaring fire. Thankfully we thought ahead to pack some wine. And we sat around watching the fire and scheming up our dreams.
This is part one of my desert road trip. Don’t worry- there will be plenty more pics and stories to come from Joshua Tree!
Shelley Hartman – Travel Blogger and Photographer