There are hidden dangers in any park, and a desert park like Joshua Tree holds some unfamiliar ones. Big Wheel Tours set a meetup at a place near my house and told me they would send me an awesome guide. They did just that. Ron, who was a wonderful storyteller, was a geologist, historian, and naturalist combined. He talked all the way to the park (about one hour) explaining the terrain, history and dangers of the cholla cactus, which proved valuable later. We stopped a couple of times to walk and climb on the rocks and take pictures of the amazing views. He gave us a choice of ways to return, and we chose the southern and eastern end of the park which took us by a cholla "garden" - cholla in every direction. A tourist in a group without a guide, had an unfortunate encounter with a cactus. Ron grabbed his emergency kit, and spent 30 minutes to an hour patiently picking spines out of her hand. Ron had impressed upon us the dangers of this cactus, and we were witnesses to the importance of his warnings. No one in the group complained. It was an amazing day, and certainly memorable. With no harm to the group, thanks to our awesome guide, Ron.
Response from Host
Jun 2018
Ha! Not only is Ron a terrific guide, he is a great humanitarian! Thank you for the great review and we hope to see you again. And it is true, the Park can be remote, wild and dangerous.