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Lost Horse Mountain, Points 5,196' and 4,957' via Lost Horse Trail, Joshua Tree NP

5/30/2022

4 Comments

 
Hike three high points and view the historic Lost Horse Mine along this western Joshua Tree NP trail.
Related posts:
​Hike Mt. Minerva Hoyt, Joshua Tree Wilderness
​Monument Mountain, Joshua Tree NP
​Pinto Mountain, Joshua Tree Wilderness
Desert Plants photos
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Starting in Quail Wash.
Trip Stats
Overview:  
Make the Lost Horse Loop hike even more interesting by bagging a few peaks along its route to get a feeling of the vastness of Joshua Tree NP and wilderness, with views of San Jacinto Peak in Palm Springs.  Check out the plaque that commemorates Lost Horse Mine stamp mill, one of the best-preserved of its kind in our national park system.
Coordinates:   Lost Horse Mountain = 33°.56'13.74" N  116°.08'10.01" W.     
Distance/Elevation gain:  8 - mile loop, net 1,600' gain.  Highest point is Lost Horse Mountain at 5,305', lowest is trailhead at 4,572'.
Difficulty:  Moderate Class 1 on loop trail; moderate Class 2 scrambling to three high points.
​
Permit/Fee:  $30 for entrance fee for Joshua Tree NP, good for 7 days.
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Trailhead QR code
Navigational aids:  Trails Illustrated Joshua Tree National Park #226 map.
Date Hiked:  4/10/22

Geology:  The Lost Horse Loop trail and mine is located in granitic quartz biotite gneiss (metamorphic) related to Pinto gneiss age 1.7 billion years ago - some of the oldest rocks in California.  Biotite is dark mica mineral.  The Lost Horse Mountains are one of only three occurrences of basalt in Joshua Tree NP.
Cattle rustlers and Gold Mining in Lost Horse Valley
If you were a cattle rustler in the 1870's southwest, you would look for a remote and hidden area with enough water and good stands of trees and plenty of native grasses and other vegetation to feed your "stock".  A place where the nearest law enforcement officials were at least 50 miles away.  For the McHaney brothers, this place turned out to be the higher, western side of what is now Joshua Tree National Park, in Lost Horse Valley and Hidden Valley.  Bill McHaney's gang took cattle from Mexico and Arizona to hide them in other Joshua Tree valleys as well, then returned stolen horses.  

Johnny Lang also drove cattle into Lost Horse Valley after his brother was gunned down in New Mexico.  He woke up one morning to find his horse gone.  He tracked it to the McHaney's place but was told to leave the area.  Luckily, Lang met "Dutch" Frank who had discovered a mining claim, but was afraid to set up mining operations because he was also being hassled by the McHaney gang.  Lang bought the rights to the mine and called it "Lost Horse", after enlisting three partners to protect the claim against claim jumpers in 1893.  The Lost Horse Mine ultimately produced 10,500 ounces of gold and 16,000 ounces of silver.  Today, the Lost Horse Mine stamp mill is considered one of the best preserved in a National Park service unit.

We hiked three high points along this loop.  The most interesting summit was Peak 5196 because of the columnar basalt at the top.  In a land dominated by granite, this is one of only three occurrences of basalt.  From its summit, just northeast of the trailhead, are extensive views of Queen Valley to the east and Lost Horse Valley to the west.  A few days before, we had hiked Mt. Minerva Hoyt, named after the woman instrumental in President Franklin Roosevelt's proclamation to designate Joshua Tree National Monument.  
Joshua Tree National Park:
​A History of Preserving the Desert
Sign at trailhead.  We hiked the trail counter-clockwise.
Our Hike in the Mojave
As the road to Lost Horse Trail climbs to around 4,000 feet elevation in the western, Mojave desert section of Joshua Tree NP, the amount of Joshua trees, junipers and yuccas is more prevalent compared to lower, dryer Sonoran desert Pinto Basin to the east at 1,700 feet.  Although it's a moderately-used trail, you get the feeling of remoteness surrounded by mountain ranges. The trail circles Lost Horse Mountain, trekking through Quail Wash and over juniper and shrub-covered hills darkly punctuated by scattered gneiss boulders.  
Point 4959
We made a short climb to our first and easiest summit, Point 4959, at 3.9 miles into our counterclockwise loop hike on Lost Horse Trail loop (right).  It was our first good view of Malapai Hill, a black mound surrounded by the flat yellow sand of Queen Valley (see photo below).   Was this 15-million year old cone of basalt a volcano or not?  It could have erupted at the surface, or it might have intruded and solidified underground and the biotite granite rocks into which it intruded may have eroded to expose it.
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Lost Horse Mountain
Lost Horse Mountain, our next summit, was easily hiked up its northeast ridge from the saddle on Lost Horse Trail where it begins to descend to the remains of historic Lost Horse Mine.  From its summit, we could see a hazy view of snowy Mt. San Jacinto looming over Palm Springs, where Ray Wilson and I created the Cactus to Clouds Challenge hike in 1993, an epic adventure that gains over 10,000 feet in one day.  We met a hiker at Lost Horse summit who recommended Point 5196 near the trailhead.  Back on the trail, we checked out the Lost Horse Mine and its well-preserved stamp mill.  A rusted pipe extends toward Lost Horse Spring 3 miles away.  
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Point 5196
Point 5196, 7.1 miles into on our loop, is the most interesting because of the tilted and shattered columnar basalt on the top.  This volcanic dome is one of the three occurrences of basalt in Joshua Tree, the others being Malapai Hill and near Pinto Basin to the east.  What's unique about these basalt columns is their thin white coating of calcium carbonate formed by the evaporation of water from the joints between columns.  Some of the basalt in the Lost Horse Mountains is derived from  the Earth's mantle, 30-50 miles below the surface.
A few names and messages are scratched into the summit's basalt boulders.
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​By the time we got back to the trailhead parking lot, it was full.  Another fun day in Joshua Tree's Mojave desert.  The three extra summits were the "icing on the cake" -  worth the effort.​
 Time and Space in the Desert
Joshua Tree is an awe-inspiring land shaped by Earth's events spanning the Proterozoic alteration of pre-existing rocks into gneiss, to the five Proterozoic through Cretaceous intrusions of plutons that produced gold and silver and its famous sculpted rocks, to the relatively recent faulting that uplifted mountains and blocked canyons.  A landscape that has a tumultuous origin, but a relaxing presence.  Dark and rubbly mountains spring out of flat, buff - colored valleys.  A slight haze of dust still hangs in the air after last night's wind storm.  I stand looking over it all - breathing space.  Back straightens, chest raises, diaphragm brings in creosote and sand-scented air.  To some, this expanse and space feels intimidating; to me it feels comfortable.  To some it looks formidable with its hot, dry stillness and sharp- spined cacti; but I admire their motivation to survive under the hot, penetrating sun.  To walk in browns and buffs for awhile and then suddenly come upon magenta and bright yellow cactus blooms is cause for celebration.  I remember liking these ragged and gangly Joshua trees and contrasting smooth, rounded boulders the first time I saw them 38 years ago.  I revel in the sublime space and quiet that calms my mind.  Grateful for the feeling of being connected to this land.
"Time and space. In the desert there is space. Space is the twin sister of time. If we have open space then we have open time to breathe, to dream, to dare, to play, to pray to move freely, so freely, in a world our minds have forgotten but our bodies remember.  We remember why we love the desert; it is our tactile response to light, to silence, and to stillness."
        -  Terry Tempest Williams

Never Stop Exploring!
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From summit of Point 4959, looking at Malapai Hill.
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Beautiful 1.7 billion-year old gneiss - and hedgehog (?) cactus.
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Circling around Lost Horse Mountain (on far horizon) to hike up its northeast ridge.
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Remains of a very sturdy fire place and bed frame.
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Our first summit - Point 4959.
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​Three types of rock:  great example of gneissic banding - a textural lineation of minerals in metamorphic rock created by pressure and intense heat (foreground).  Malapai Hill in middle of valley created by magma.  Valley rock is monzogranite.
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Looking at Lost Horse Mountain from the slopes of Point 4959.  You can see Lost Horse Trail as it climbs to the saddle on its northeast ridge.  Hike that ridge to the summit.
Lost Horse Mine stamp mill
Columnar basalt
5/28/84 "Hi There James"
Some cool stuff on the trail.
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Summit of Lost Horse Mountain
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From Lost Horse Mountain's ridge:  a view of Lost Horse Mine.
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Lost Horse Mine stamp mill through chain-link fence.
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Walking up to Point 5196.
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Beavertail cactus just before the blooms.
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Columnar basalt on Point 5196.
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References
California Geology. 1998.  Department of Conservation, Division of Mines and Geology.
Dilsaver, L.M.  2015.  Joshua Tree National Park:  A History of Preserving the Desert.  Prepared for National Park Service, Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms.
Joshua Tree Geology Tour Road.
​
Joshua Tree National Park Geology - Rock Types.  Digital-Desert:  Mojave Desert.
​Trent, D.D.  Geology and History of MInes, Joshua Tree National Park.
4 Comments

Hike to Mt. Minerva Hoyt, Joshua Tree Wilderness

5/10/2022

4 Comments

 
Named after the woman who lead conservation efforts for what is now Joshua Tree National Park, Mount Minerva Hoyt looks over wide, sandy valleys of Joshua trees and piles of weathered granite boulders, famous for their climbing routes.
Related posts:
Pinto Mountain Hike - Joshua Tree Wilderness
Monument Mountain Hike - Joshua Tree NP
​In Memory of Roger Keezer
California Desert Hiking - see sidebar
​Desert Plants Photos
Trip Stats
Overview:   To honor the woman behind Joshua Tree NP's conservation campaign, hike to her namesake summit.  Bag nearby Quail Mountain, Joshua Tree's highest summit, for a tour of two peaks and great views on top of Joshua Tree.  Experience all of the famed attributes:  Joshua tree groves, rock climbers scaling eroded granite, a glimpse of the private historic Randolph Ranch, a beautiful wildflower-filled canyon and an enjoyable ridge walk.
Location:  Joshua Tree National Park/Wilderness - North Entrance Station out of Joshua Tree, Southern California.
Distance/Elevation gain:  12 miles out and back.  Trailhead = 4,061',  Summit = 5,405'.   Net gain = 1,700'.
Coordinates:  Parking = 34.02926 N   -116.17905 W.    Summit = 34.01347 N  -116.22694 W.
Difficulty:  Moderate Class 1-2
Fees/Permit:  $30 entrance fee, good for 7 days.  
Navigational aids:  AllTrails map, Trails Illustrated Joshua Tree National Park #226.
Date Hiked:  4/9/2022.
​Geology:  Begin in the eroded boulder piles of monzogranite, a deep intrusive igneous rock uplifted and eroded to create  large depths of coarse rock-fill in the valleys.   Monzogranites are a biotite (mica) granite that are the final crystallized product of magma, after other minerals have solidified (like olivine).  Mount Minerva Hoyt summit is made of orthogneiss, a metamorphic igneous rock.  Interesting to note that the summit of nearby Quail Mountain is not made of this gneiss, but instead made up of monzogranite.  ​Good explanation of magma crystallization.
Hike Directions for Mt. Minerva Hoyt
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Minerva Hamilton Hoyt,
​Conservationist for Desert Lands
from nps.gov/jotr
If it wasn't for the efforts of a southern belle from Mississippi who attended finishing school and music conservatories, we might not have had early conservation and protection for what is now known as Joshua Tree National Park.   In 1936, Minerva Hamilton Hoyt's passion for California's vast desert lands and her campaign for their protection influenced President Franklin Roosevelt's proclamation that created the Joshua Tree National Monument, with its famous rock-climbing routes and statuesque Joshua trees groves.

Hoyt married, moved to California and became passionate about the desert landscape, and admired how plants and animals adapted to the harsh desert climate.  She hired ecologists and biologists to prepare reports to make her case for conservation.  She even made photo albums, taping prints together to make panoramas reflective of the vastness of this desert, and had them hand-delivered to President Roosevelt.  The Joshua Tree National Park Association bestows a yearly Minerva Hoyt California Desert Conservation Award to recipients who go above and beyond to educate others and work to become stewards of this magnificent land.  To read a great and comprehensive report on many aspects of the history of Joshua Tree, click button below:
"This desert with its elusive beauty. . .  possessed me and I constantly wished I might find some way to preserve its natural beauty."
-  Minerva Hamilton Hoyt
Joshua Tree National Park:
A history of Preserving the desert
Hike Summary
There's a few ways to hike to Mount Minerva Hoyt and nearby Quail Mountain, Joshua Tree NP's highest.  Both are listed on Sierra Club's Hundred Peaks Section.  Years ago, Roger and Maria Keezer led us up Quail Mountain from the west.  This time Fred, Scott and I approached from the east, parking at a lot on Park Drive, ~ one mile south of the Boy Scout Trailhead reached from Joshua Tree's west entrance.  You could also begin the hike from the Hidden Valley Nature Trail parking.  The weather was perfect - sunny and warm.  Scott met us for the hike, as he has for many over the years.  We have recently hiked Monument Mountain and Pinto Mountain in Joshua Tree together, and Pahrump Point near Death Valley.

Hiking Directions
Joshua Tree NP's area is 795,000 acres, slightly bigger than the state of Rhode Island.  Thankfully, almost 430,000 acres of it is wilderness, so there is a lot of space to roam and discover.  If you want solitude, you can quickly get away from popular spots.  If you want to climb to get a view, there are six mountain ranges.  Pay attention to maps and apps, because you can easily get disoriented in this huge desert.  By getting out there, smelling, touching, and seeing the life of the Mojave, you will gain a sense of wonder and admiration for the species that survive there.

The land in Joshua Tree has had a varied and interesting history, from the Pinto Culture, its initial transitory hunter-gatherer inhabitants to the miners and ranchers that arrived in the 1800's, to people seeking wellness from tuberculosis, and today's  recreational visitors.  The year 2021 saw the first time that park visitors totaled more than three million.

Minerva Hoyt created a desert conservation exhibit for the Garden Club of America show in New York in 1928 that also appeared in London, England.  Her magnificent exhibits not only stressed the beauty of these American deserts, but also the fragility and potential dangers.  The widespread attention her exhibits brought influenced many southern California residents to decorate their own gardens with transplanted cacti.   Vegetation was taken from the natural desert gardens in the pass entering Palm Springs, California, easily accessible to those traveling on the major highway between that city and Los Angeles.  Commercial florists added to this theft.  The same occurred in the Mojave desert, where small Joshua trees were uprooted and planted in yards, and larger Joshua trees were harvested for their wood.  Joshua trees were set ablaze so that people could signal to each other.  

Today, it's hard to believe this destruction actually occurred, because we have learned to respect these beautiful deserts -  appreciation has grown significantly.  It took this destruction to motivate Minerva Hoyt into action to preserve this awesome park. 

When I lived and worked in the Palm Springs area in the 1990's, I was fortunate to be a volunteer to survey desert tortoises along with my hiking friends.  We worked with the Joshua Tree National Monument's biologist, walking through the Pinto Basin, a vast sublime open desert.  Upon coming across a tortoise, we weighed it, counted its scutes, measured it and glued an identification tag onto its shell, so it could be tracked.  This was the beginning of my fascination for desert ecology, and of great memories that we friends still recall today.
Keep Exploring our Deserts!
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Starting off on road that leaves from parking area off Park Boulevard near Hidden Valley.  This road leads to an intersection with a trail that leads 0.5 miles to the Hidden Valley picnic area, another place to start this hike.
Our GPS tracks leading from Park Boulevard to a loop ascending Mount Minerva Hoyt.
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Continuing west along Old Lost Horse Trail 
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Old Randolph Ranch - go around fenced property.  I could not find much on the history of this ranch.  It appears the owner  had a sense of humor (see photo below).
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Randolph Ranch - "May it Never Crumble".
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Randolph Ranch,  a private inholding in Joshua Tree NP.
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Hiking west up Lost Horse Valley past Randolph Ranch.  Mount Minerva Hoyt is dark-covered peak on the right.
Joshua Tree bloom
Joshua tree - Yucca brevifolia
Prickly pear
Claret Cup Hedgehog
Some cool stuff on the trail.
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Long-nosed leopard lizard
Gambelia wislizenii

The end of Lost Horse Valley funnels you into a small canyon or draw with visible path leading to saddle where you then descend into wash at base of Mt. Minerva Hoyt and Quail Mountain.  
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Arriving at the saddle before the drop into the wash at base of mountains.  We climbed this ridge westward toward Quail Mountain and then headed northeast on the cross country trail between Quail and Minerva Hoyt to hike Mt. Minerva's southwest ridge to the summit (point on horizon to the right).  
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Dropping 200' down into wash after saddle.  Mount MInerva Hoyt on the right horizon.  On the way up, we ascended the ridge in front of us in this photo;  we descended Minerva Hoyt's east ridge seen on horizon to end up in this wash.
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View of Mt. San Jacinto (overlooking Palm Springs), still covered with a lot of snow.
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Walking up ridge toward Quail Mountain after getting out of wash.
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Looks like a trail marker on the ridge up.  Looking back at the saddle we crossed over to get into wash below.
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Scott on ridge trail.
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Hiking on cross-country trail that connects Quail Mountain to Mt. Minerva Hoyt.  Summit on the left - there is a guy standing up there!
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The last 200' climb to the summit is easy,  punctuated with beautiful metamorphic boulders and cactus gardens, plus a spectacular view of the desert that Minerva Hoyt fought so hard to protect.
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Fred and Scott signing summit register.
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One of the beautiful "cactus gardens" on the summit.
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One of the biggest prickly pears (may be a dollarjoint prickly pear) I have seen!  The saddle that we ascended is just above Scott's head and slightly to the right under the two rock summits - aiming for that landmark on our way back!
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Claret cup hedgehog
Echinocereus triglochidiatus
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Minerva Hoyt's east ridge path - headed toward wash below.
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Getting near wash and saddle, our entry point into Lost Horse Valley.
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On the way back.
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Our GPS tracks
Click for larger map
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Elevation profile
References
Earle, S.  Crystallization of Magma from Physical Geology.  BC Campus.
Minerva Hoyt.  National Park Service.  2015.
Dilsaver, L.M.  2015.  Joshua Tree National Park:  A History of Preserving the Desert.  Prepared for National Park Service, Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms.
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    About this blog

    Exploration documentaries          –  "explorumentaries"  list trip stats and highlights of each hike or bike ride, often with some interesting history or geology.  Years ago, I wrote these for friends and family to let them know what my husband, Fred and I were up to on weekends, and also to showcase the incredible land of the west.  

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    About the Author
    Sue Birnbaum

    A  trip to Jumbo Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree National Monument 38 years ago sparked my passion for hiking, exploring, and learning about desert ecosystems.  For the past 25 years, my husband Fred and I have explored the American West together; we love this land and I hope to inspire you to get out and explore through my photographs and trip descriptions.
    In 1992, Ray Wilson and I conceived the first Cactus to Clouds hike which climbs over 10,000 feet in one day to the summit of Mt. San Jacinto near Palm Springs, California.
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© 2017 - 2023 by Sue Birnbaum.  Photos on this website are the sole property of Sue Birnbaum unless otherwise indicated.  Please receive permission before publishing my trip reports and photos.
I try my best to be accurate with my hike descriptions; please research your adventures, always bring a map and compass and know how to read them, be prepared!  All of these hikes can be dangerous; hike at your own risk.  ALWAYS carry the Ten Essentials with you on hikes. 
​Please feel free to contact me with comments or questions, or if you see any errors that need attention.
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