How to turn a short hike in J Tree into a day-long event? Start out at the Barker Dam trailhead. Hike in the Spring when the wildflowers are blooming. You'll see a spot of color off in the distance and just have to check it out. Try to get a picture of every lizard you see, they are very fast. As are the rabbits. Name the rocks as you hike through the formations. Rest in the shade of a Pinyon pine while eating crackers. Be on the lookout for abandoned cars. Inspect that old pile of mine tailings. Scramble to the top of that rock pile. And that one over there. Try to spot a bighorn sheep. Keep an eye peeled for bedrock mortars. Look into every possible cave, under all those rocky overhangs where Indians may have camped, and most important, behind every boulder you pass for pictographs and petroglyphs. Before you know it, it's the golden hour. Where does the time go? I've heard the Wonderland of Rocks also referred to as the "Wanderland," and I can easily understand why.

My journey started at the Barker Dam trailhead. I was heading into the Wonderland, and luckily, I had the whole day ahead of me. I was looking for a unique Indian pictograph site referred to as either the "Red Hands" site, or the "Bloody Hands" site (I think I prefer the "Bloody Hands" moniker, which was given to the site by Death Valley Jim). There's not much information out there about this particular location, but the "Bloody Hands" boulder is a great example of why it's a good idea to look all around the boulders you pass while hiking through the Wonderland. And sometimes, it pays to look under ledges and overhangs :-)