Joshua Tree National Park Backpacking and Rock Climbing
Ashley and I just got back from 4 days in Joshua Tree National Park; one day climbing and three days of backpacking.
Climbing at Joshua Tree National Park: Being relatively new to climbing, we spent the first day just toproping with friends on some easier routes and did some scrambling on boulders later in the trip. Here are a few pictures of Ashley, Matt and Courtney from the PCT crew, Steve our guide friend and me:
Backpacking at Joshua Tree National Park: The second day, Matt, Ashley and I made our way to Queen Mountain from the Pine City Trailhead.
The first challenge we had was finding the Old Queen Valley Historic Road trail which was more of a straight line between plants that was visible in certain spots. It definately was NOT a trail. Eventually we got far enough west that we found a trail up a wash to Queen Mountain. The first part of this trail was easy, just walking in a wash, but the second part was a difficult scramble up with heavy packs. All three of us had 2+ gallons of water that adding 15-20lbs to our pack weight. It was well worth the climb since we saw a big horn sheep on the way up, atleast Ashley and I did; Matt was further up the trail and his view was blocked by a boulder.
That night we went to sleep at our usual 7 pm outdoor bedtime.
The next day we woke up to a one inch mixture of snow and hail with the entire mountain top enveloped in clouds. For some reason, the desert is absolutely beautiful when it is covered with snow.
We spent the entirety of that day scrambling on boulders looking for some crash pads that someone told us were stashed in a hidden cave. Unfortunately, we were looking for treasure without a treasure map, but we enjoyed our time and everyone survived. It was great weather for being active and jumping on and off of boulders all day, but a bit chilly when we sat around to enjoy the view.
The last morning we woke up to frozen water bottles and a beautiful and sunny day. We hadn't planned on staying long since Matt and the PCT crew were heading for the Cleveland National Forest that afternoon so we began our hike out to the car early on. The final day was great and was evidence of the temperature variation in the desert as I finished the morning hike in shorts and a tshirt.
Overall, Joshua Tree National Park is a fabulous place for backpacking and climbing. Ashley and I can't wait to load up on some climbing gear and find our way back to some great walls.
Climbing at Joshua Tree National Park: Being relatively new to climbing, we spent the first day just toproping with friends on some easier routes and did some scrambling on boulders later in the trip. Here are a few pictures of Ashley, Matt and Courtney from the PCT crew, Steve our guide friend and me:
Backpacking at Joshua Tree National Park: The second day, Matt, Ashley and I made our way to Queen Mountain from the Pine City Trailhead.
The first challenge we had was finding the Old Queen Valley Historic Road trail which was more of a straight line between plants that was visible in certain spots. It definately was NOT a trail. Eventually we got far enough west that we found a trail up a wash to Queen Mountain. The first part of this trail was easy, just walking in a wash, but the second part was a difficult scramble up with heavy packs. All three of us had 2+ gallons of water that adding 15-20lbs to our pack weight. It was well worth the climb since we saw a big horn sheep on the way up, atleast Ashley and I did; Matt was further up the trail and his view was blocked by a boulder.
That night we went to sleep at our usual 7 pm outdoor bedtime.
The next day we woke up to a one inch mixture of snow and hail with the entire mountain top enveloped in clouds. For some reason, the desert is absolutely beautiful when it is covered with snow.
We spent the entirety of that day scrambling on boulders looking for some crash pads that someone told us were stashed in a hidden cave. Unfortunately, we were looking for treasure without a treasure map, but we enjoyed our time and everyone survived. It was great weather for being active and jumping on and off of boulders all day, but a bit chilly when we sat around to enjoy the view.
The last morning we woke up to frozen water bottles and a beautiful and sunny day. We hadn't planned on staying long since Matt and the PCT crew were heading for the Cleveland National Forest that afternoon so we began our hike out to the car early on. The final day was great and was evidence of the temperature variation in the desert as I finished the morning hike in shorts and a tshirt.
Overall, Joshua Tree National Park is a fabulous place for backpacking and climbing. Ashley and I can't wait to load up on some climbing gear and find our way back to some great walls.