Mojave Meet-Up

It’s no secret that the trifecta of monochromatic monotony; first Quartzsite, then Yuma, then Anza Borrego all did a number on my mood this winter.   I just couldn’t seem to overcome the austere bleakness of my surroundings on the heels of what was a difficult holiday season.  So the prospect of heading back into a place called the “Mojave Desert” seemed a bit daunting.  But Jim and Gayle were headed there to wait out the spring break and Easter holiday crowds, which seemed like a good idea after yielding to a human train of hikers coming down Ryan Mountain in Joshua Tree.IMG_9256

The highway out of Joshua Tree North toward Kelso is a page out of Death Valley Days without the majestic vistas.  It’s a long stretch of two-lane through abandoned homes, salt flats, and chloride factories.    A landscape so void of vegetation, or even definition for that matter, that I feel like the Winnie could be swallowed up into the vast expanse of nothingness in front of me.

"Welcome Cocktail," Hanger 24's Barrel Roll Pugachev's Cobra, hands down best bottled beer I ever tasted!

“Welcome Cocktail,” Hanger 24’s Barrel Roll Pugachev’s Cobra, hands down best bottled beer I ever tasted!

Sunset from campground

Sunset from campground

Goldenbush lines trail

Goldenbush lines trail

A bit apprehensive while rolling through these austere surroundings once again, I make my best attempt at giving myself a pep talk:  ”It will be fun because Jim and Gayle will be there.  You’ll be fine.  You’ve had 17 days of scenic stimulation in Mexico, a few days of beige are not going to derail you unless you allow it.  It will be a good exercise, you know…’Finding beauty in any surrounding?’ You’ve done it before.  You can do it again!”

I believe these are yuccas, though the blooms are red and elongated, unlike other yuccas.

I believe these are yuccas, though the blooms are red and elongated, unlike other yuccas.

Volcanic tufa

Volcanic tufa

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I arrive at Hole in the Wall Campground expecting to find a dry barren desert dust bowl.  Instead, I am pleasantly surprised by the lush vegetation on the hillsides.  The sites are well spaced apart, offering a phenomenal view of Barber Peak.  The full moon sets right over the mountain out my bedroom window.   The yuccas are all in bloom.  Yellow Brittlebrush lines the pathways, as well as prolific Mojave Indigo Bush.  Rounding out the primary color palette are tufts of crimson Indian Paintbrush.

I love this tree because it is light at the base and dark at the top, to match the "Opalite Cliffs" in the background.

I love this tree because it’s light at the base and dark at the top, to match the “Opalite Cliffs” in the background.

IMG_9288 IMG_9293The morning after a stunning sunset and “welcome cocktail,” we waste no time in heading off to hike the Barber Peak Loop trail, leaving right from the Hole in the Wall campground.   This 6.5 mile loop has plenty of variety to keep the hike interesting.  There is volcanic tufa, a cactus-filled wash, Juniper trees, Pinyon Pines, Opalite Cliffs crusted in black lava, and a saddle with a view worthy of a longer than usual lunch stop.

Don't come between Jim and his peanut butter.

Don’t come between Jim and his peanut butter.

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Entering Banshee Canyon

Entering Banshee Canyon

We have agreed we will stick to the Barber Peak loop trail and save the “Rings” trail for the next day.  However, once we get to the back side of Barber Peak, it opens up into Banshee Canyon, towering sandstone walls that make me feel like Minnie Mouse scurrying through a cleft in a giant wheel of Swiss cheese.   Banshee Canyon is named for the “screaming banshee,” the sound that the wind makes when whistling through the holes created by gas and ash of an ancient volcanic eruption.  The little canyon is stunning, and there is no way we can save it for another day!

Looking for faces in the rocks.

Looking for faces in the rocks.

Hole in the Wall straight ahead. Above on the top right are a pair of bunnies, just in time for Easter. ;-)

Hole in the Wall straight ahead. Above on the top right are a pair of bunnies, just in time for Easter. 😉

Can you see the giant "Conehead?" He looks like he is about to eat Jim.

Can you see the giant “Conehead?” He looks like he is about to eat Jim.

Gayle and I are busy identifying shapes in the rocks when we hear Jim around the corner, up through the crevice, clanging up the ring-bolts, so we hurry along behind him.IMG_9335 IMG_9321

That last step is a killer!

That last step is a killer!

These two sets of ring-bolts are not as easy as they look!   The chutes are narrow, making it difficult to raise one foot over the other.  There is a bit of a concave to the rock, making it tough to see beneath you.  And the final step is a killer, as you run out of “ring” before you reach level ground.   Still, it was so much fun climbing on this “jungle gym” that Gayle and I would go back four times just to climb the rings, challenging Jim’s “Lord of the Rings” title!

Looking down, you get some idea of the adrenalin factor.

Looking down, you get some idea of the adrenalin factor.

Easier going up than down!

Easier going up than down!

Oh, it’s good to be back on the “playground” once again!

Photo courtesy of Life's Little Adventurers

Photo courtesy of Life’s Little Adventurers

11 thoughts on “Mojave Meet-Up

  1. Big oaf “Cinder-fella” found his foot too big for those ring “slippers,” so he had to work his way up by standing on the anchor bolts. Bobbie and I found that the way they are positioned, one needs U-Joint knees to manage them.
    Box Canyon

    • Hey Mark, actually I don’t think any of us put our feet IN the rings but stood on top of the bolts, also. The movement of my foot in the ring was a little too nerve-racking for me!

  2. I’m guessing that the chute with rings was about 12 feet long, and without the rings very difficult to climb with no footholds. Its interesting to see a gate and fencing in the picture, one hell of a long fence I bet. What jumped into my mind was the old cowboys films about ranch wars due to fencing in land. I bet that beer was fizzy and strong with a cork like that, lots of secondary fermentation after bottling.

    • Hi Dave — due to the inverted slope of the chute, it would have been impossible to climb without the rings unless one had climbing gear. It was not that long, just a very awkward angle. And I think the gate was more to keep cattle from crossing the “saddle” in between the two big mountains rather than joining a fence. There was more cow poop in front of that gate than the rest of the area combined! And yes about the beer! 13.5 % alcohol! 😉

  3. Mojave is such a delightfully quiet place. Glad you went. I really liked all the rock people in Banshee Canyon. Maybe if we had stayed longer I’d have tried the rings. You are brave women.

  4. Looks a little scary to me, don’t really understand how one gets down. Maybe facing the rock as you do going up? Gorgeous photos though. Thanks for sharing.

  5. Still haven’t been to Mojave!! It’s killing me! I’m impressed at how lush and varied the environment is, and also the beer. That bottle has me salivating.

    Nina

  6. I wanna play too!!! Everyone time I see one of your photos or hear about the rings, I am ready to get in the car and head out. Sounds like so much fun!

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