Hike three high points and view the historic Lost Horse Mine along this western Joshua Tree NP trail.

Starting in Quail Wash.

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.  

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.  

​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!

From summit of Point 4959, looking at Malapai Hill.

Beautiful 1.7 billion-year old gneiss - and hedgehog (?) cactus.

Circling around Lost Horse Mountain (on far horizon) to hike up its northeast ridge.

Remains of a very sturdy fire place and bed frame.

Our first summit - Point 4959.

​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.

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.

Some cool stuff on the trail.

Summit of Lost Horse Mountain

From Lost Horse Mountain's ridge:  a view of Lost Horse Mine.

Lost Horse Mine stamp mill through chain-link fence.

Walking up to Point 5196.

Beavertail cactus just before the blooms.

Columnar basalt on Point 5196.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Continuing west along Old Lost Horse Trail 

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).

Randolph Ranch - "May it Never Crumble".

Randolph Ranch,  a private inholding in Joshua Tree NP.

Hiking west up Lost Horse Valley past Randolph Ranch.  Mount Minerva Hoyt is dark-covered peak on the right.

Some cool stuff on the trail.

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.  

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).  

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.

View of Mt. San Jacinto (overlooking Palm Springs), still covered with a lot of snow.

Walking up ridge toward Quail Mountain after getting out of wash.

Looks like a trail marker on the ridge up.  Looking back at the saddle we crossed over to get into wash below.

Scott on ridge trail.

Hiking on cross-country trail that connects Quail Mountain to Mt. Minerva Hoyt.  Summit on the left - there is a guy standing up there!

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.

Fred and Scott signing summit register.

One of the beautiful "cactus gardens" on the summit.

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!

Claret cup hedgehog
Echinocereus triglochidiatus

Minerva Hoyt's east ridge path - headed toward wash below.

Getting near wash and saddle, our entry point into Lost Horse Valley.

On the way back.

Our GPS tracks
Click for larger map

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.

Another rugged summit from the Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section's list completed!  On this narrow perch above desert valleys thousands of feet below, we saw spectacular views of Nevada and southeastern California and experienced "flow" - the secret to happiness.

Scott on Pahrump Point's southeast ridge just under the summit.

Pahrump Point trailhead location. 

Aprés Hike
​One of the best things about this hike is the delightful hot spring pool we soaked our weary bodies in afterwards at Tecopa Hot Springs Resort.  We met our friend Scott to camp there on a few unseasonably cold December days.  This resort,  just outside of Death Valley and near the Nevada/California border had been abandoned for 10 years before the current owner purchased it, and it still wears the characteristics of an old-time hot springs resort, with original buildings, nothing fancy here - very remote and bohemian, complete with a 40-foot labyrinth.  With no cell service or internet, it was heaven for three days.  One of its mission statements:

​"We see ourselves as stewards of sacred land and ambassadors of goodwill."

The Southern Paiute tribe discovered these hot springs hundreds of years ago.  One night, after a soak, we enjoyed live music on an outdoor stage, standing around a fire pit sending smoke up into a cold and starry desert sky.  The next morning we had excellent huevos rancheros in Tecopa Hot Springs Resort Bistro.

Bath house with 2 hot springs pools at Tecopa Hot Springs Resort, California.

Our Hike
In the classic Mojave desert fashion, this rocky peak rises abruptly from the desert floor with dramatic, unobstructed views from a small, almost precarious perch at the summit.  Pahrump Point looks difficult if not impossible from a distance, so it's fun to find the route through its steep cliff face.  I'm glad Scott brought along the hike description from Desert Peaks Section manual.  There are three crucial points along this route that you need to recognize in order to negotiate the rocky gullies, canyons  and ridges to find most efficient way to the summit.  The hike switches from Pahrump Point's southwest ridge to its southeast ridge where an easier route is present, just under the summit.

Trip reports describe starting this hike just off of CA Highway 178 and the road leading to the mouth of the canyon, the distance of 1.8 miles.  With our high-clearance truck, we drove just under one mile up this gravel road and parked to walk the rest of the way to its end at the mouth of the canyon framed on each side by alternating light-and dark colored Cambrian rock layers.  A few cairns identify the trail throughout the completely rocky canyon bottom.  A path initially goes along the toe of the left canyon wall, and then to the right, but most of the time is spent maneuvering through rocks and boulders in the canyon bottom.

Once topping off on the southwest ridge after climbing a talus slope out of the canyon, the peak's cliffs come clearly into view, as well as a long and deep canyon to the south.  To make the switch to the southeast ridge to summit, there are a few very important and prominent cairns for direction.  The last few hundred feet climb to the summit is fun - you go by a hole in the rock that looks down into another steep canyon, then up a steep, short gulley.  This empties you onto the final Class 2+ climb up Pahrump Point's manageable face, where you reach a fun and short summit ridge that is only slightly spooky.

The narrow summit elevates you thousands of feet over desert playas, with a clear view of snow-covered Telescope Peak - the highest in Death Valley.  The ridge to the next high point to the north seemed treacherous, so being content with our accomplishment, we basked in the nearly winter solstice sun.  

We occasionally cursed the loose rock on the return talus slope, after getting off the ridge.   I wondered if age has caused me to be slower on this terrain.  Picking our way through the boulders in the canyon, looking for cairns to give us a clue for a better route.  Exiting the canyon onto the immense Chicago Valley, we turned back to see the Nopah Mountain range a fiery yellow/orange of sunset.  Looking forward to dinner at the Crowbar Cafe and Saloon in Shoshone to celebrate another adventure - three friends who (still) like to hike together after all these years.  It was great to hike once again with Scott, who said at the summit, "This is good for my soul!"  

Hiking to these amazing places with your friends and overcoming physical and mental obstacles together is good for your soul and can help you experience "flow" - the secret to happiness and optimal experience.  The concept of "flow" is getting more attention lately and is the subject of my next post, as well as positive psychology, body movement science, enhancement of goal pursuit and well-being .

Initial approach through Chicago Valley up gravel road to mouth of canyon and then to Pahrump Point, just right of middle horizon.  Cold and windy December morning in the Mojave.

End of road, trail goes up wash.  Here, trail is seen on left side of canyon; it switches to the right side further up. 

Initial main canyon walk alternates between canyon floor and side trails.

Trail  seen on left side of canyon initially.

Coming down from a trail on the right side of the canyon, then up bottom of canyon to left and right fork; take right fork.

Tall cairn at 4,120' elevation that indicates to take the canyon to the right.

Trail then ascends up right side of canyon to 2 large cairns.  From here, trail traverses slope and then drops you to the base of talus slope and ridge saddle.

Heading up canyon to the right at intersection with main canyon. This right fork takes you up talus slope to saddle at ridgeline.

Getting closer to the ridge

A look back toward Telescope Peak in Death Valley to the northwest.

On a moderately loose talus slope, getting closer to notch on ridge; then peak clearly seen to the left.

Large cairn marking saddle on ridge at top of scree slope.  Peak is seen clearly at this point.

Once on ridge at 5,100 feet, see summit, and another 300-foot ascent to it; continue following ridge shortly to a ducked/cairned notch - head left through that notch to traverse to the left through another marked notch where there is a "window rock" on its left side.  The route avoids the steep cliff face under the summit.

Cairn on left marks the traverse to the notch with "window rock".

Gully just after "window rock" which is on the left side of trail.

Out of short gully and now fun Class 2+ on final ascent.

Looking down canyon toward Chicago Valley to the south.

Entry up face of summit block on the summit's right side.

Reaching the summit ridge.

Southeast ridge just under the summit.

At the summit; trail goes through the snow on left side of this ridge in photo.

Scott and Fred on the summit of Pahrump Point - 5,410 feet!

Looking southeast down the Nopah range.

Mt. Charleston, north of Las Vegas, in background.

On Pahrump Point's summit.

A very organized peak register.

Trail on ridge - working our way back down.

"Window rock" on left side of trail is a landmark to navigate trail.

Ivory-spined agave

Some cool stuff on the trail.
(clockwise from top left)   Hedgehog cactus, bryozoan fossil, ivory-spined agave, triangulation survey marker at Pahrump Point's summit.

Parting shot - sunset on Pahrump Point in the Nopah Range.

Celebratory dinner at the Crowbar Cafe and Saloon in Shoshone, a few miles from Tecopa Hot Springs, CA.

Sad to see these go - the limestone proved to be too rough for these worn KUHL pants.

Labyrinth at Tecopa Hot Springs Resort

Tecopa Hot Springs Resort

Tecopa Hot Springs Resort Bistro - the best huevos rancheros for breakfast!

Moonrise in Tecopa, California.

Seemoore's Ice Cream - "The World's Tallest Ice Cream Stand"
Pahrump, Nevada.

AllTrails GPS tracks from beginning of canyon (lower left) to Pahrump Point.

Route map from Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section
click for larger view

References
Wikipedia.  Pahrump, Nevada.
Jennings, C.W. 1958.  Geologic Map of California Death Valley sheet.
Why Does Experiencing 'Flow' Feel so Good?  A Communication Scientist Explains.  theconversation.com.
Flow Theory:  An Overview. sciencedirect.com.

Related:
First Cactus to Clouds Challenge - The Beginning of the Ultimate Desert Hike
​Pinto Mountain Hike - Joshua Tree Wilderness
​Desert Plants photos
​Monument Mountain Hike - Joshua Tree National Park
​In Memory of Roger Keezer

Our Hike
The past few times we have hiked the Art Smith Trail, we have seen Peninsular bighorn sheep in Dead Indian Canyon near the rust-colored metal sign that marks the Art Smith trailhead, not far from the parking lot.  They were listed as a federally endangered species in 1998.  This morning, the sun shone brightly on the deep-walled Dead Indian Canyon and a group of ewes with their lambs.  This trail, just west of Palm Desert, links to trails leading into the Indian Canyons in Palm Springs.

The Coachella Valley is a special place for me and I carry memories of hiking all of its trails with dear friends that I will always keep in touch with.  It's my "old stomping ground", or more aptly put, my old hiking ground.  Living there in the 1980's and 1990's, we climbed, traversed, slid, sweat, laughed, got stuck with cactus spines, boulder-hopped, and celebrated our hikes and friendships.  I am grateful I can still be able to hike these wonderful trails and when I do, all of the memories come back vividly.   I met Fred on Mt. San Jacinto, and he automatically became a part of our hiking clan.

Not many people venture off Art Smith to climb Haystack Mountain.  To our surprise, we found the same notepad in which we had made our 2011 entry in the summit register can!  I guess the dry climate and the sparse number of Haystack Mountain visitors helped preserve this small note pad.  It's a simple message:   "12/21/11  -  Fred, Sue and Scott - old friends who love to hike."  We missed Scott this year, but were looking forward to hiking with him to Pinto Mountain in the next few days.
​
Walking on Art Smith Trail is a treat in itself, a meandering path with weathering rock piles, beavertail cactus and brittlebush blooming in the spring, and that satisfying crunch of gravel with each step.  One can imagine Cahuilla Indians walking to water sources on the trail and equestrians from the Desert Riders on horseback winding through washes across the open desert.  But to pick your own route cross country, dodging cholla cactus, sharp-toothed agave leaves and cat claw acacia shrubs, climbing up and sliding down boulders and dry waterfalls is the greatest satisfaction.

Art Smith Trail was busy due to the Christmas holiday.   This trail treks through a possible plutonic synform (a downward-closing or concave fold of topography).  Shimmering green California fan palms pop up occasionally to the left of the trail, and the valley patchwork of forest green golf courses sprawl to your right.

We left Art Smith at 3.4 miles from the trailhead at a wide wash and headed west-southwest across relatively flat, open low desert.  From here, it was 1.3 miles to the summit.  We encountered no major rock barriers, only a few very small waterfalls and sandy benches covered with rounded boulders.  I was surprised to see a few small junipers; the land is generously dotted with hedgehog cacti with their inch-long needle-spines.

I recommend returning by the same route unless you are open for more adventure and willing to negotiate the steeper and rockier terrain to the southeast.  We did just that but also ended up in a thick and tangled palm oasis, the palm fronds  clashing in the breeze.  Briefly crossing the oasis, crunching through dead fronds, we found our way out by ascending a steep canyon wall.  Out into the open again, we saw not far from us two mountain bikers on the Art Smith Trail.  Back to civilization. 

As we hike back along this very familiar trail, I picture a scene from 25 years ago - a faint image of a group of friends, walking in rhythm, boots crunching, happy voices laughing and talking, celebrating friendship and this great land.

​I bet we find both of our summit register entries the next time we summit Haystack.

References:
Bighorn Institute.  2019.  Endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep. 
Retrieved from https://www.bighorninstitute.org/endangered-peninsular-bighorn

Dibblee, T.W., and Minch, J.A., 2008 Geologic map of the Palm Desert and Coachella 15-minute quadrangles, Riverside County, California.  Dibblee Geological Foundation.

Patten, Carolyn. "The Desert Riders."  Palm Springs Life, October 1, 2010.  Desert Publications, Inc.
Retrieved from https://www.palmspringslife.com/the-desert-riders/

Pearce, Al.  "Dunn's Road Could be One of the Most Beautiful in Desert."  Desert Sun, Volume 45, Number 214, 11 April 1972.  In website:  UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research.
Retrieved from https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=DS19720411.2.59&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1

Schumann, W.  1993.  Handbook of Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones.  Harper-Collins Publishers and Houghton Mifflin Company.

Taylor, Joan.  "The Dunn Road:  A Checkered Past."  Desert Report, 2007.  Sierra Club publication.

Winter, John D.  2010.  Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, 2nd Ed.  Pearson Education, Inc., New Jersey.

Our Hike
Some of our best and most memorable adventures have been on hikes to desert summits in Southern California with our friend Scott, a Desert Peaks Section hiking veteran.  Last year we hiked Monument Mountain in Joshua Tree National Park.  This year, drawn to Joshua Tree again, we stepped it up (literally) with a tougher hike to Pinto Mountain summit.

We parked at the Turkey Flats trailhead and signboard, a 20-mile drive into Joshua Tree National Park south entrance from California I-10.  Scott had good directions for locating the ridge we would ascend:  locate the summit at 32° then locate our ridge climb at 36°.   Pretty straightforward direction and approach.  We made a beeline toward the smaller ridge to the right of a large, shadowed canyon which is just to the right of Pinto Mountain summit (see directions, above).  The flat 2.5 mile distance to the toe of the ridge accentuates the immensity of this sublime desert.  A feeling of space and solitude.

To hike Pinto Mountain is to experience two distinctly different terrain types with very little transition in between:  flat, soft and casual to steep and rocky.  The last half climbs 2,000+ feet over rough and angular rocks and also requires route-finding, occasionally reaching for a handhold. The easy walk across Pinto Basin takes you through soft sand flats and beautifully rippled "dunes", through minor washes before crossing Pinto Wash.  We saw a desert tortoise burrow near the dunes.   I was surprised at the bright purple blooms of sand verbena vines draped across the sand dunes and an abundance of bright green vegetation in December.  The fractured and curled "clayey" soils in Pinto Wash also give a clue to recent saturating rains.   As you make the short descent off the dunes, stay just to the left (west) of a long low hill cut by a wash.  

The ridge walk was very windy, especially on the saddles.  We took a lunch break on the lee side of a bump on the ridge to avoid being battered by the wind.  From our spot we could see the alternating light and dark rock; although we couldn't see a trail, we could see our ridge to the top.

​Rocks and Joshua trees define Joshua Tree National Park, but if you look closely, you will find among them smaller creatures and plants brightly colored in contrast to the neutral tones.  Groups of red barrel cacti randomly dot the landscape, with mounds of curved red spines spectacularly lit by the sun.  Scott pointed out a tiny round cactus with a bright red fruit and sharp white spines, sheltered by a "shelf" of equally sharp quartzite - a common fishhook cactus.  There was a strange black caterpillar with bright yellow dots and stripes that went from crawling to a curled position as soon as I cast my shadow over it.  The best match I could find for this caterpillar is the white-lined sphinx moth, AKA hummingbird moth that has a long proboscis to reach deep for nectar in penstemons, among other flowers.

Nothing gets in the way of the expansive views of mountain ranges perched on the desert floor in every direction as you near the summit.  It doesn't take long before you feel like you are standing far above the immense basin.   Creosote bushes make tiny dots on the smooth floor below and washes braid toward the low point of Pinto Basin.   The hike goes through several rock units.

Sharp and angular quartzite crunches and clinks under boots and becomes loose and steep as you near the summit.  A few trails can be seen through the steep section where I had to hold onto fractured rocks; they all make their way up the ridge line.  I looked down the trail to see that Scott had temporarily disappeared under the crags I was on, so I waited until he climbed and appeared again.   Suddenly, the  flat crown of the summit appears as you emerge from the steep rocks and take a short walk to the summit cairn.  We took shelter from the persistent northwest wind at the lee side of the cairn, procured the metal box containing the summit register, and found a page to put our entry for 12/26/2018:  "PEACE - from Sue, Scott and Fred - 3 friends who like to hike together".   

The wind was cold and blowing steadily, so we stayed long enough to get our photos, revel in our accomplishment, and grab some food for the journey down.  The bumpy ridge extended from our feet to the basin.  The walk across the alluvial fan, then across Pinto Wash was a welcome change from the quad-burning descent down the last part of the ridge.  This time we followed the trail all the way down and found a cairn marking the entry to the ridge.

In the late afternoon, the wind finally stopped blowing; we took another rest, lounging on the rocks and basking in the sun before our flat and long walk across the sand.  Colors became more vibrant as we walked toward the sun lowering toward the hulk of mountains across the valley.  The light yellow sand we walked in the morning was now a deep golden hue, and the sky above Pinto Mountain now held wispy light gray clouds, tinged with purple.  I turned a few times to watch the light changes on Pinto; the white summit, where we had just been a few hours ago, was glowing.  The next time I turned around, it was blue-gray in the dusk shadow.  The temperature dropped as we walked across soft sand, avoiding burrows.  Getting back to the parking lot and throwing off boots, a few cars drove up and people got out to snap a quick photo of Pinto.  We got to be on top of that beautiful place today.  We were the lucky ones - three friends who like to hike together. 

The flatter valley wash soon turns into an alluvial fan with larger rocks and braided channels at the toe of the ridge.  As you look north, you see a rise and it is best to get to the top of it and onto the ridge as soon as possible; that will take you to the top of Monument Mountain.  Walking on the ridge is pleasant with less vegetation and rocks to navigate than walking on the slopes beneath the ridge.  The trail on top of the ridge is faint and marked at somewhat regular intervals with small cairns.  Once on the ridge, the route is a gentle rolling climb to the summit cone of rocks with washes on both sides.  Some dry washes have deep rock cuts at the top.

As seen from the Google Earth map above, we took a less efficient way up (pink line), side-hilling and navigating rocks.  Sometimes you don't figure out the "right" way up until you go down!  

About 2/3 of hike distance, (1.7 - 2.0 miles), Monument Mountain finally comes into view.  You can see faint trail leading up to the ridge after descending slightly down from the ridge into a broad sloping valley on your left and a saddle to your right.  The climb up the stable metamorphic rocks to the summit is relatively easy.  Nothing matches the feeling of so much desert around you, and unobstructed, airy 360-degree views.

The way down is straightforward - follow the ridge!  This is a good first-time cross country hike for the hiker that wants to get off a well-trodden path and do some fairly easy navigation with a good topo map.  There's a smaller ridge to the right (southwest) as you head down and we took it for a little while about 1/2 mile down, but then got back on the main ridge.  To avoid being pulled off the ridge and side-hilling over rock-cluttered and vegetation-thick (watch for the cactus spines!), sighting in the next cairn as one is passed is helpful.

As we got closer to the valley, we got sucked into a canyon - easy to do if you get off the ridge.  By this time, we could see a glint of sunlight off the truck that was far across the wash.  Further down we regained the ridge that at its end was a broad slope we descended easily to the alluvial fan and then finally to the wash.  The walk across the broad valley passes over many small channels, through cholla and yucca.

Once we finally found the truck on Pinkham Canyon Road, we savored the setting sun illuminating the cholla cactus making them glow among the yucca and creosote.