Pudgy Buffalo

From 150 Things to See, Do & Love: Joshua Tree National Park…

THE LOST SCOUT

Legend has it that in the late eighties a scout from Yucca Valley came to Joshua Tree for a day hike with his troop. This scout had a habit of daydreaming, getting distracted by the shapes of the clouds or interesting-looking cacti. This hike was no different, and soon the scout saw something that captured his attention—a lone coyote in the distance. The scout, paying no attention as usual, ventured off the trail to follow the coyote. In no time, the scout was hopelessly lost. Spinning around, he could see nothing but Joshua trees and cacti for miles. He found a spot under a Joshua tree, sat down, uncorked his canteen, and finished the last of his water.

Afternoon turned to evening, and the sun began to set. The scout would have to spend the night alone in the desert. Meanwhile, the troop leaders contacted park rangers and a search-and-rescue operation began. But the darkness revealed nothing. The temperature began to drop, as it does in the desert. The scout began shivering. A coyote yowled in the dark night. The scout closed his eyes.

The next morning, a park ranger found a small Joshua tree in an isolated part of the park. Beneath the tree was the scout’s canteen, and near the canteen was a sole coyote print. The scout was never found. To this day, nobody knows if the boy perished from the cold, from a lack of water, or if the coyote had something to do with it. But some say the scout still roams the desert, for solo hikers in this region sometimes report feeling a strange burst of cold air followed by the sound of a distant yodel of a coyote and the rattling of a canteen…

Discover more ghost stories in 150 Things to See, Do & Love: Joshua Tree National Park, on Amazon.