Dispatch #47 - Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument

At the edge of desert season. Plus my first peninsular bighorn sheep sighting.

Good morning from Los Angeles, where the jacarandas lining Avenue 53 are painting the streets in purple. Their trumpet-shaped blooms have arrived nearly a month early this year.

They fall at the slightest breeze. I tilt my tongue toward them as they drop, the way I once did snowflakes growing up in Michigan — cold water then, something faintly sweet now.

Eastern Sierra Trip!

Want to explore some of my favorite BLM landscapes in the Eastern Sierra with me and the Conservation Lands Foundation?

Seriously — it’s going to be awesome.

14,000’ mountains. Fall colors. Creeks. Lakes. Petroglyphs. Wild horses. Ghost towns. What more could you ask for?

Over five days, we’ll explore many of the places I’ve previously written about here, including the Bodie Hills, Granite Mountain Wilderness, Alabama Hills, Conglomerate Mesa, Volcanic Tablelands, and Conway Summit (some photos below).

Along the way, I’ll also be leading two golden-hour photography workshops (no experience necessary). But honestly, it’ll also just be a good excuse to spend time together — talking public lands, books, writing, conservation, and whatever else piques your interest. :)

Dates: October 7-11

Includes: 4 nights lodging, meals and beverages.

Cost: $1500

If you’re interested in signing up or want to learn more, please go here for all the details.

Granite Mountain Wilderness

Bodie Hills

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Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument:

Sunset in the Santa Rosa Mountains

Well, we’re at the edge of desert season now. The mesquites are pushing out their feather-like leaves, rattlesnakes are emerging from dens, and daytime temperatures are climbing well past what feels reasonable.

This week’s dispatch takes us to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, where public lands rise abruptly from the Coachella Valley floor to elevations nearing 11,000 feet — protecting an astonishing transition from creosote flats and palm oases to alpine forests and snow-covered peaks.

Jointly managed by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service, the monument contains a vast network of campgrounds, canyons, trails, and wilderness areas. Near the desert floor sits a surprisingly excellent visitor center — the kind more commonly associated with national parks than BLM land — complete with interpretive exhibits, maps, helpful staff, and a much appreciated blast of air conditioning before heading back into the heat.

From there, much of the monument can be explored via the 62-mile Pines to Palms Scenic Byway along California State Route 74, which climbs dramatically from the desert floor into the mountains above.

These mountains are home to several Indigenous communities whose relationship with the land continues into the present day. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is a co-manager of the monument, helping steward it as a living landscape.

It was here, in the rugged foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains, that I finally crossed a big game species off my bucket list: the peninsular bighorn sheep — a creature that had eluded me for years, despite countless trips into its rugged habitat.

I had followed a narrow canyon upward for half a mile, boulder-hopping up dry waterfalls and scrambling along narrow ledges, until the steepness finally said enough. I turned and descended the way I came until — just as the canyon opened into a meadow of creosote — I saw him, standing calm and resolute, blocking my exit as if there were no question about who belonged here.

With nowhere to go, I settled onto a rock, set down my pack, and had some lunch. He followed suit, chewing ricegrass and nibbling bitterbrush, as if in quiet solidarity.

Thirty minutes later, he wandered off around a bend and out of sight. I took my cue, shouldered my pack, and departed.

I’ve got one final desert-focused dispatch planned before summer fully settles in — a sprawling guide to my favorite campgrounds across the desert. After that, we’ll begin following cooler temperatures and higher elevations elsewhere across the West.

Until next week,

Josh

PS: Thanks to everyone who read my feature story on nomads living on public lands over at The Guardian. My editor told me the story clocked 165,000 reads its first day and that it was trending as the site’s top U.S. story and number 3 worldwide. Truly grateful for all the support this past week. 🙏