THE LEGEND OF OLD JOSHUA
It has always been known that Joshua trees live in the desert, and it has long been legend that at night, they walk the desert in search of ... well... geocaches...! But they must not get caught moving about in the daylight or else they will lose their desert legs!
It has only recently been discovered that there is a particular Joshua Tree known as “Old Joshua” who, besides looking for geocaches at night, also becomes quite fierce towards geocachers if he encounters any on the trail as he is geocaching in the dark, or worse, by the light of the Full Moon…! You see, it’s the light that bothers him – at night, the human geocache hunter uses a torch (that’s the Queen’s English for “flashlight”), and Old Joshua gets enough LIGHT during the daylight hours, especially in the Desert. He prefers the cool of the darkness and more light just makes him cranky. If he catches you on the trail at night, he is likely to poke you or wrap you up in his long and spikey arms, and that will be the end of your adventure…!
THE HUNT
There is a good size ammo can at the halfway point of your journey, but it is NOT at the posted coordinates. The Posted Coordinates are a good place to start and there is plenty of parking nearby. To find this cache, you will need to wait until dark, BRING A STRONG FLASHLIGHT, and follow the path of Fire Tacks into a desert location about a half mile each way, give or take. Walk carefully; allow the darkness to heighten your awareness and let your other senses (smell, touch, hearing) compensate for your diminished sight. Use your torch sparingly (there are Watchers EVERYWHERE!!) and BE AWARE of your surroundings. The ground is uneven, and there are small ravines and short, sandy, eroded drop-offs to avoid and negotiate. Wear shoes, or better yet – BOOTS – with good ankle support. Wear long pants, too. There are scratchy bushes that will grab you – night friends of Old Joshua – and there could be creeping things with fangs. Walk like a coyote, be stealthy, be Desert Smart. Don’t let Old Joshua catch you in his patch of desert. Along the way, you will pass Ravens’ Roost and at this place you must be CAWtious: if Mr. & Mrs. Raven are nearby, they will alert Old Joshua to your presence with “just CAWS”. If that happens, press on with more CAWtion than before and watch out for Old Joshua!
THE START
As you negotiate the trail, hold your torch at eye level and scan about you… Is that a Fire Tack reflection? Or is it the eyes of a Desert Denizen? If you determine it’s a tack, then perhaps you have found the trail! There are TWO tacks spaced slightly apart at the START of the trail, then SINGLE tacks further along marking the route of relatively safe passage. Continue on the obvious trail, but occasionally scan ahead with your light at eye level (Fire Tacks reflect back to the source of light, so torch-at-eye-level gives you the best chance to see them) to make sure you are going the right way. Scan HIGH and LOW and all around as tacks may be anywhere. If you reach a fork in the trail, STOP and scan around you for clues about which fork to take. If you go one way and do not spot another tack within a few feet, you have taken the wrong fork! Go back and try again.
As you reach the object of your search, you will see THREE tacks lined up to indicate Ground Zero. Your Goal is within reach.
THE RETURN
On your return to safety, it is generally best to go back the way you came, but there may also be shortcuts. To guide you, the trail of Fire Tacks changes a little. Look now for TWO tacks spaced apart to aid your return path. Be even more aware of your surroundings as you return to the safety of the START, because now Old Joshua and his allies know you are here…and they might be waiting for you!
BE SAFE. The darkness can play tricks on you (something Old Joshua uses to his advantage!), so if you have temporarily lost your bearings, just stop, take a deep breath, and calmly look around, scanning with your torch. Come back to a familiar location, moving a little at a time, and continue to look for the Fire Tack Trail. Once you find it, go to that place and continue scanning. You will soon discover your way to safety.
ABOVE ALL, enjoy your adventure and the wonder of the desert at night. It is truly a special place.