Don’t let the appearance of soft beige whiskers of the Teddy Bear Cholla fool you. These bristles are hardened spines, each tipped with a microscopic barb that can detach and imbed an intruder with the slightest touch. A deep appreciation of the value of wilderness character against a rare backdrop of dark skies is found on a gentle northwestern bajada of Joshua Tree National Park's Pinto Basin.
The Milky Way shines brightly after the first snowfall at Sparks Lake in the Cascade Range.
