Desert Pinnacle Impression (2010)
Joshua Tree National Park, CA

One of the interesting features of Joshua Tree National Park is all the granite outcroppings that appear to just boil up out of the ground.  Most of them are gigantic blobs of course granite and are home for camping grounds and picnic areas.  Kids love to climb to the top and call down to their moms and dads.

But away from the campgrounds, miles from even the nearest dirt road, soars a pinnacle that towers higher than all the rest.  In the setting sun it takes on the aura of a splendid golden castle reaching for the sky, with a solitary Joshua Tree standing guard at its base.