... 'Joe May Canyon' - composite topo and satellite mapping ('Hillmap' image)...
... the canyon is accessed by vehicle via unimproved (dirt, sand and rocks) 'Joe May Road', traveling over the low desert flats and ascending bajada landform until reaching the mouth of 'Joe May Canyon' (around El 5000ft), at which point the road ends and further access is by foot...
... the 'Sheep Range' and 'Joe May Canyon' viewed from lower 'Joe May Road' to the west...
... viewing west across the desert flats and the distant 'Spring Mountains' skyline - the landmark 'Mummy Mountain' and 'Mt. Charleston' - both holding some winter snowpack... was around 98ºF this day at our position in the high desert as we recall...
... some low desert vegetation - cactus and wildflowers in bloom...
... viewing north across the low desert...
... higher ground and a relic livestock corral...
... pretty typical road conditions - easy travel, but definitely needed twin-axle traction in one short, steep spot with loose gravel and recommend something with a bit of ground clearance throughout - we had a rental 'Nissan Rogue' - AWD and was plenty adequate**...
... 'Joe May Canyon' and a vast 'Mojave Desert Scrub' landscape...
... lots of 'Joshua Tree', 'Mojave Yucca' and assorted cacti vegetation...
... 'Barrel Cactus'...
... hiked a distance up into adjacent 'Black Gate Canyon'...
... the trailhead of which begins at the end of the road and forks with 'Joe May Canyon' (see topo map)...
... lots of wildflowers...
... not sure what this shrub is...
... a bit closer up...
... was full of honeybees...
... some type of small beetle we guess...
... more wildflowers and honeybees...
... and shrubs...
... didn't follow 'Black Gate Canyon' out (and back) it's length, though - the trail ascends a good distance and maybe another rugged 2,000ft into the high country - the objective today was to view and photograph a few 'Desert Bighorn Sheep'*... stumbled across many tracks and trails (above)...
... hiked back down into 'Joe May Canyon'... think that they refer to that distant long black limestone rock band as the "black gate", with the gate being a gap in the rock band providing access (3rd class scrambling) up into the high peaks... may be wrong...
... finally viewed a few 'Desert Bighorns' way off in the distance and along this ridge line viewing through 10x binoculars - too far off for any good photos... note the large, ancient agave roasting pit photo center...
... hiked over to check it out - passed this small cave...
... and small arched limestone rock formation along the way...
... the roasting pit close up - Native Americans constructed and used these things for cooking agave plants they'd harvest and gather...
... it was a pretty windy day - before heading out we spent some time viewing a continual series of large 'Dust Devils' swirling for miles across the low desert flats (photo center)... they were best viewed through binoculars... the Native American 'Navajo's' refer to them as 'Chindi' and believe they are ghosts left behind after a person dies, and is everything that was bad about the person - "the residue that man has been unable to bring into universal harmony"... not surprised that we saw so many of 'em with "sin city" being directly upwind...
* ... or desert 'Raptors' - didn't expect to have much luck in the afternoon time period for encountering either, but on the way in, mid-morning and in the low desert, we did spot a very huge 'Golden Eagle' which was very near and flying close to ground level - apparently on the hunt - failed on the few photo attempts, however...
**... definitely need 'Sirius XM Radio' amongst the survival gear - never book a rental car without it... the brilliant 'Greg Allman' of the 'Allman Brothers Band' had (unfortunately) passed away that weekend and 'Deep Tracks' was playin' a lot of all their stuff - southwest desert cruisin' tunes don't get any better than that...
(YouTube video)
... rest-in-peace brother...
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