The dreaming tree at the National Park

Call us painfully predictable, but our music list for the drive through Joshua Tree National Park featured a certain album by the pop band U2. After getting a glimpse of the scenery, we realised a collection of 1960s psychedelic rock would have been a better choice. And this was before the park ranger told us to lick, yes lick, our forearms every now and then.

We were entering the protected home of what is probably, besides the baobab, the strangest-looking tree in the world. Joshua trees, a species of yucca, are found in the southwestern corner of North America — in California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada.

Prime viewing

The national park, which offers prime viewing opportunities, is just 225km east of Los Angeles, but the scenery may as well be from 225 light years away. Apart from the Joshuas, there are wild gardens of "teddy bear" cacti; manzanita bushes whose stems look like they have been made of copper; hills that resemble piles of house-sized potatoes; and plants that smell of cheese.

The park features two distinct desert ecosystems, each with its own "indicator species". Visitors first encounter the Mojave Desert, 3,000 feet above sea level and characterised by a crowd of Joshua trees that look eerily "person-like".

The biblical connection

The trees were named "Joshua" by Mormon inhabitants because of the supplicatory manner in which their branches reached for the sky, reminding them of the biblical character. Though the giant yuccas start to appear before the park actually begins, it is only in the Mojave that you see fields of these tortured, petrified giants — which are, believe it or not, members of the lily family. Joshuas are slow-growing: The tallest tree in the park is 300 years old, but only 40 feet high.

Further into the park is the Pinto Basin, which marks the start of the Colorado desert — the land of the "teddy bear" cholla or "jumping" cholla. Do not be fooled by the name of the cactus, because what looks like a warm, fuzzy covering is actually a dense armour of silvery spines.

Hostile terrain

Each spine tapers to a microscopic point, and if they get embedded in the skin, segments of the plant easily break off. This, unfortunately, has led some people to believe that the cactus "jumps".

Not far into the Pinto Basin is the Cholla Cactus Garden, a breathtaking expanse of thousands of these not-so-huggable teddy bears.

A path allows visitors to explore a small section of this hostile fairyland, but it is important to not let children run around. Removing cholla spines can be a long and painful process.

On the day of our visit, it was nearly 40°C with a humidity of 11 per cent. That is why we were told to lick our forearms; the combination of heat and dryness sucks the moisture out of the body at an alarming rate.

Tricks of survival

Visitors do not seem to sweat because the water evaporates instantly, leaving telltale salt deposits on the skin. Dehydration is a common problem, hence the ranger's warning — and repeated advice to drink water constantly.

Half an hour into our visit and we gingerly tried the trick. We found that though we were not sweating, our forearms tasted like they had been seasoned for grilling. We drank a lot of water after that.

While a day trip to the park is certainly interesting, rangers recommend you stay on and watch the night sky.

The park is a popular climbing and camping spot, and while many people come to see the eponymous tree, there is plenty of fauna as well.

The park is home to coyotes, bobcats, tortoises, kangaroo rats and even tarantulas. As in most deserts, the animals are at their most active after dusk.

A dose of action

Day trippers, however, need not feel they are missing out, because the best spots can be reached by car. Some are only a short walk from the parking areas — the 2km Barker Dam Loop is one of them. The dam, built at the turn of the 20th century, is a good place to spot wildlife.

The loop leads past some cave paintings, which have been retouched by a modern cave painter.

Additionally, there are several two- to four-hour hikes, but you can spill out of the car and explore the rock formations. From a distance, the rocks look soft and almost sandy. But up close, their surfaces are brutally rough.

Being prisoners of pop culture, we could not get U2 out of our heads. It was here, at the Joshua Tree National Park, that they shot the pictures for their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree.

The tree featured on the cover has died and fallen. This was reported by desert enthusiast Brad Biringer on his website Joshuatreenationalpark.net But even now, every time I see a Joshua tree standing twisted in the sand, the line, But I still haven't found what I'm looking for, comes to my mind. In the desert, it is easy to believe the trees are singing too.

3 things we bet you didn't know about Joshua Tree National Park:

• It preserves more than 800 species of desert plants, many with unique adaptations for surviving the harsh, arid conditions.
• It has been a popular destination for climbers since the 1950s and has approximately 6,000 named climbing routes for climbers of all abilities.
• Joshua trees rely on the female yucca moth for pollination; no other animal visiting the flowers transfers the pollen necessary for seed formation and incense.

— Gautam Raja is a US-based freelance writer

Go there...Joshua Tree National Park

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Information
When in California, hire a car. It's nearly impossible to get around otherwise. Joshua Tree National Park is 225km east of Los Angeles along the I-10 and CA-62 freeways. There are no petrol stations or stores inside the park, but you can stock up at the town of Twentynine Palms just outside. Remember to carry plenty of water, even if only driving. If hiking, one gallon (3.78l) of water per person per day is the recommended minimum.