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Knock Knock. Who’s there? It’s spring babyyy and that means it’s time for the desert wildflowers to bloom!! Join us for this all-day adventure out to Joshua Tree to (hopefully) see some of these spectacular colors and experience a day of hiking and scrambling in the desert. Along for the ride is Susan Harris, executive director of the Joint Educational Project (JEP) here at USC. A desert-enthusiast herself, Susan is excited to explore J Tree with us from the morning till evening.
After meeting on campus bright and early at 7 am, we’ll make the drive out to J Tree where Susan will meet us at the Saturday farmer market. We’ll caravan into the park together and do the Ryan Mountain hike, a 3-mile out-and-back trail that will offer us some spectacular views of the desert and a chance to see some blooming flowers. After lunch back in the parking lot, we’ll drive to another site to scramble on some rocks and explore more of this beautiful park.
With J Tree thoroughly explored, we’ll leave the park and head to a free desert art show that Susan has been invited to. Consider this an added bonus since we made the trek all the way out to the Mojave. After taking in the art and contemplating what it all means, we’ll begin the drive back to campus. At the latest, expect an arrival back to UPC at 8 pm (it will probably be earlier).
PACKING LIST:
SUNSCREEN
SNACKS
H2O (LOTS)
WAIVERS
NATIONAL PARKS PASS (if you have one)
WE WILL PROVIDE:
LUNCH MATERIALS
SMALL SNACKS
JOKES AND SUCH
PROFESSOR: SUSAN HARRIS
DEPARTMENT: JEP
VIBES: EPIC
Susan began working for JEP in 1994 when she was a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology. At that time, Susan worked to craft reflective exercises and other assignments for sociology service-learning students. In 2001, she joined the full-time staff at JEP, working to develop curricula for service-learning students across the university and to establish new service-learning partnerships with non-profit organizations. In June 2018, she became the Executive Director of JEP. An avid hiker and lover of the desert, Susan is excited to venture out into J Tree for this epic day of hiking.
PEAK: JOSHUA TREE
DIFFICULTY: 4/5
SCENERY: We’ll be doing the Ryan Mountain hike for some views and scrambling on rocks in the park!
FUN FACT: Joshua Tree sits as the confluence of three different ecosystems - the Colorado Desert, the Mohave Desert, and the San Bernardino Mountains.
TRIP LEAD: MATT SLADE
Ask Matt about his newfound passion for volcanoes (if you dare)
Contact Matt: mslade@usc.edu
Read Matt’s bio here.