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Tom's new property in Joshua Tree

The Rubicon has been crossed, and I have made an offer which has been accepted for a property in Joshua Tree. This property is 2.5 acres and is about 1/2 way between the center of JTree (the crossroads) and the west entrance to the park a few hundred meters east of Quail Springs road on Rincon. This page is to show some pictures of the property and anything else I can think of to try to explain this to people that aren't here to show it to.

The property is a square, 330 feet on a side, that is approximately the SW 1/6 of the region bounded by the roads visible in the aerial photos. It is south of the water tank and the house to the east, and contains all or almost all of the "smile" in the wash. The road to the south is mostly off the property, but the track to the west is on the property. (there are easements on the west and south sides of the property).

The area includes some rocks and boulders (maybe one boulderable) a few joshua trees, some creasote, and other scrubby brush, various cacti, and a few small willows on the west boundary (in the wash, and possibly where a water main leaks?) I saw a number of lizards there, and 2 coyotes loped across it while I was searching for boundary markers. There is a big wash to the west, and a smaller (up to 20 feet wide and 1.5 feet deep) wash looping through the property.

The plan is for me to finish buying this property and then to put in for a water and electric hookup and building permits. Then I plan to avoid the heat of the summer and return in the fall when things get bearable and start building using the superadobe method (more on that later). I hope to make a passive solar building with enough windows and thermal mass that I can keep it warm through the winter with solar heating and then use judicious nighttime ventilation to keep it cool through as much of the summer season as I am in residence. Since the area has such wide temperature swings I should be able to make use of that to keep a livable indoor climate all year (I hope).

Aerial photo (1994?)
aerial photo
Aerial photo showing approximate borders
aerial photo
big aerial photo of the area
Topo map of the area
mapquest map of the area (the righthand point of the star is the location)
from a bit NE of the NW border, the red spot on the left is by the NE corner, the spot on the right is above the SW corner.
 photo
from a bit west of the NE border, the red spot on the left is by the SE corner, the spot on the right is by the SW corner.
 photo
from a bit west of the NE border, a bit more complete
(move cursor over picture for approximate boundaries)

Joshua Tree Rattlesnake
(for entertainment purposes only)
rattler photo