Katelyn Kommer

In early October, it started to snow in Salt Lake City. This entire month has been filled with backcountry skiers heading up to the resorts to tour before opening day, multiple feet of snow in the forecasts, and snow tire appointments. Fall in Utah was absolutely breathtaking and felt like it would last forever, but a snowstorm on October 13th immediately stripped all the trees of their vibrant leaves. While I love winter and cannot wait for long, dark movie nights and early morning powder chasing, it’s bittersweet to witness how fast the seasons come and go here. So, before tuning my skis and dusting off my snow jackets, I took one last trip to Southern California to soak in enough sunshine to last me the next six months.

Before moving to Utah last year, I had lived in San Diego for five years. I was more than ready to escape the eternal sunshine, traffic, and lack of access to remote outdoor spaces. However, traveling back to San Diego with a group of Utah friends shed some light on how special of a place it is. We rented an Airbnb right on mission beach, and spent our days playing frisbee, jogging along the boardwalk, body surfing, and walking to delicious food whenever we wanted. The time simply melted away, and any plans that I had for those few days were absorbed into simply enjoying the beach. My friends (who have grown up in various parts of the country) were all extremely enamored with the mission beach lifestyle, which was actually my previous home. Though I don’t speak about San Diego that often, my heart swelled with pride to watch my Utah friends fall in love with a piece of my previous life.

After three amazing days on the beach, a small group of us drove east to see Joshua Tree National Park. To me, this place is simply indescribable. The first time I went three years ago I formed an inseparable bond with who is now my best friend and roommate in Utah. I couldn’t wait to share this desert magic with three people who had never been to Joshua Tree before. I was with my boyfriend Nick, our mutual friend Chris, and my older sister Molly. Three people whom I have shared so many special moments with, and I knew would love this landscape the same way that I do.

On the first day, we spent a couple hours in the park hiking and scrambling around on rocks. We headed back outside the park before sunset to meet my sister and camp on BLM ground. Chris and Nick both really liked the park so far, but didn’t quite taste the magic yet. The second day, we hit the park in the morning and parked at the Intersection Rock parking lot. In this area, there’s a few different climbing crags, a campground, and so many different rock formations to scramble in any direction. We spent the entire day in this one spot, scrambling different places, tossing a frisbee, bouldering, and just enjoying each other’s company.

When the sun started to dip behind the Joshua trees, I remembered why this park is so special. As orange and pink replaced blue on one side of the horizon, on the other side the sky was a swirl of cotton-candy baby blue and pink. For a full hour after sunset, the afterglow continued to strengthen and the rock formations took on various colors as the sky glowed. Molly, Nick, and Chris all sat in awe as this happened. And, as anyone who has camped inside the park knows, when the sunset fades it only gets better and better. Within an hour the afterglow was replaced by a view of the Milky Way, and the four of us cowboy camped in the sand and counted shooting stars. All of us agreed that the magic of the park sets in when you spend a whole day there, preferably in one spot. Watching the landscape change from morning to night, and seeing climbers and families and lovers all shuffle in to enjoy this wacky place fills my heart with so much joy.

The next morning we had to wake up unfortunately early and drive back to Salt Lake City in one go. We listened to some of my favorite albums, and played 21 questions for hours on end to keep the driver’s attention on the 10 hour journey. Though a long drive is never a fun end to an unforgettable trip, with these people it was still lovely. I’m now writing this as I watch it rain out my kitchen window in Utah, fully ready to give up wearing shorts until April.