North Peak

Yesterday I set out to scout Rocky Gap Road to see how far I could drive it; it really helps in planning a longer hike like Bridge. I had never been this way, so I had no idea what I was in for. Everything was going along pretty good, and then the "road" starts to follow a wash. My truck is designed for off-road and has high clearance, but is only 2WD. About all I can do is lock the rear differential. I am not sure I would take ANY vehicle up to the summit. Yes, there were tire tracks, but these people either don't care about their cars or are crazy. I did get about as far as I expected, which makes the top of the escarpment hikes doable for me. The distance to North Peak was 4.6 miles RT. I am waiting for the rest of the snow and ice to melt before attempting Bridge. The views are awesome from up here.

Anniversary Narrows with Dixie Belle

We took Alyssa and Dixie Belle (the Papillion) to the narrows earlier this week. Although small, Dixie handled everything except on the polished stone where she couldn't get a grip. The narrows are just too cool to hike through. There were a surprising number people out that day.

Sandstone Quarry Peak - Aborted

Earlier this week, Richard and I set out to do a short scramble to Sandstone Quarry Peak. I readily admit this; I had to chicken out. I felt like I was going to fall when I lost both my hand grips at the same time. This spooked me, and I was too scared when we got to the next tough section. One slip meant a 20 foot drop. Richard proved it could be done by grabbing onto a tree and inching his way up. I was looking for another way, but the truth was that I was done for the day. I'm getting too old for this sh*t. I felt bad for him because he didn't get to finish the hike. I am learning something about myself: This is the second time I couldn't finish a scramble because I didn't trust my grip/footing, yet I have the right shoes. I just need to take more challenges and increase my comfort zone. Getting hurt is just not my thing, and when there is exposure I really struggle with the dangerous feeling it gives me. This is something I need to work on.

Calico Hills I Overlook with David

A return trip to Calico Hills due to time constraints. The views here are no compromise; this is a very fun little scramble.

Calico Hills I Overlook

Last Week Richard and I did an easy scramble up to the Calico Hills I Overlook. It was a pretty short hike, but the scenery is quite cool as on the end the rocks are pinkish instead of red or white like other spots. It is pretty flat at the top and you can walk along it for quite a ways, like walking out onto a jetty.

Turtlehead Jr with Figwee Owners

Jeff Gobel, Mike Schober and I set out to tackle Turtlehead Jr by way of the upper calico tanks route and then descending the normal route to form a loop. After having hiked Joshua Tree several times together while growing up, it is our belief that red rock has as much or maybe more to offer. At the time Joshua Tree was a National Monument; now it is a National Park. Does Red Rock have what it takes?

Calico Tank via fun Scramble

Yesterday we took Anthony and Alyssa on the more difficult but also more fun route to Calico Tank. The pace was glacial; it took us almost five hours to finish it. It was a good challenge for the kids, who are better natural scramblers, but also have to do a lot more work to cover the same ground.

Icebox Canyon Overlook - Aborted

I tried to do a hike to an overlook to the falls of Ice Box Canyon, but I could only get about a third of the way up the gully before it got too dangerous for me by myself. It was class III, but some pretty exposed stuff and one slip would be it. Since I wasn't sure I was going the right way, I cut it short.