Chris’ cousin Cynthia turned 60 earlier this year, and we generously gifted her with 60 miles of hiking fun with Chris and Jane in 2017 (some gift, right?). At any rate, we had all wanted to get down to Joshua Tree for a few days and see the wildflowers, which we expected to be in full bloom by the first weekend in April. Of the many options available, we chose to start with a 3-mile round trip hike of Ryan Mountain, elev. 5,457′, located near the center of the park and offering 360-degree views of the area. We had intended to leave Wrightwood early Friday morning but, in typical fashion, didn’t get out the door until 10:30am, reaching Joshua Tree by early afternoon. Chris and Jane had been here for a few hours on a warm July day here three years ago but it was Cynthia’s first time, and we all marveled at how green the desert looked as we drove up into the park’s main central valley to the trailhead. There were many other cars in the lot and, as we got our gear together, we heard reports of high winds and very cool temperatures at the top from various returning parties. It was 53F when we left the Jeep with a moderate breeze, and we trooped up the trail – it’s steeper near the bottom, and we took frequent breaks as we climbed up the many stair-stepped sections through the first half mile. Rounding the western side of Ryan Mountain’s northern ridge, we ascended southward through a broad gully to a saddle, through which we passed to the east side of the mountain – the wind was less of an issue here, but it picked up again as we reached the mountain’s exposed northeast shoulder. What had been a moderate but constant trail gradient now eased considerably, and we passed southward along the ridgeline, Cynthia leading the final hundred yards to the summit area. The views were fantastic – some high clouds kept the summit shaded for the most part but added drama to an otherwise bright sky. The winds at the summit were quite cold, probably pushing the ambient temperature into the low 40s and clearly surprising many of the visitors who arrived at the top in shorts and t-shirts (one young couple with a baby declined Chris’ offer of a sweatshirt for the way down, although it was apparent they were all freezing – we trust they safely made it back). We found a nice spot on the lee side of the ridge for a late lunch before heading back down. This is a very popular hike and we saw plenty of others both coming and going, including a solo fire fighter carrying on his shoulder a heavy wood-and-steel contraption meant to simulate the weight and size of a chainsaw, but the views were well worth the absence of solitude. Cynthia completed her first 3 miles in the parking lot – only 57 more to go…