Pinto Mountain Hike - Joshua Tree Wilderness

Our annual California desert peak hike with our friend Scott - this year to isolated and rugged Pinto Mountain in Joshua Tree Wilderness.

Related: 
Lost Horse Mountain, Points 5196, 4957 via Lost Horse Trail, Joshua Tree NP
Mt. Minerva Hoyt, Joshua Tree Wilderness
Monument Mountain, Joshua Tree NP
Haystack Mountain, Palm Desert, CA
Desert Plants Photos

Pinto Mountain - eastern Joshua Tree National Park in the Pinto Mountain Range

Trip Stats
Overview:  The reward for the long walk across Pinto Basin followed by the rocky climb is the outstanding 360° views of the Mojave desert mountain ranges and the bright red barrel cacti that stand out in contrast.  And, there's a sculpture on the summit!
Distance:  4.8 miles to summit; round-trip 9.6 miles (out and back).
Elevation Gain:  Turkey Flats parking at 1,785 feet; Pinto Mountain at 3,983 feet = ~ 2,200 foot gain + regaining lost elevation = ~ 2,600 feet total.
Maps:  Trails Illustrated Joshua Tree National Park #226,   USGS 7.5 min Quad Pinto Mountain.
Entrance Fee Joshua Tree NP.  Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section map of GPS tracks.
Coordinates:  Pinto Mountain summit:  33°57'12.23"N  115°48'10"W.  Trailhead at Turkey Flats Backcountry Board:  N33 54.109   W115 50.098.
Difficulty:  Easy across Pinto Basin; moderate to strenuous ridge climb - Class 1-2.
CAUTION:  Be prepared with GPS track and a good topo map - there is a lightly used trail on ridge but it's essential to have route-finding skills.  Very hot/no shade mid-May through September.
​Date Hiked:  12/23/2018

Driving Directions
From California I-10 East out of Indio, take Exit 168 into South Entrance of Joshua Tree National Park.  Drive north 20 miles on Cottonwood Springs Road/Pinto Basin Road (past Joshua Tree Visitor Center) to Turkey Flats parking area and sign board on right side of road.

Hike Directions

• At the beginning of hike, locate ridge that leads to summit.  From the parking lot, the cone-shaped summit of Pinto can be seen at a bearing of 32°.  Locate the ridge to climb at a bearing of 36°, lying between two major washes.  A deep canyon lies just below and to the right of Pinto summit.  To the left of that canyon is a broad ridge and to the right is a smaller, steeper ridge.  The smaller ridge is the route.  The summit of Pinto Mountain is flanked by the distinctly light-colored rock on its southwest slope.  Walk across basin 2.5 miles to toe of ridge, which is to the right of Pinto summit, crossing sand dunes and Pinto Wash before ascending rocks and sand of the alluvial fan at base of ridge.  After descending from the sand dunes ~ 1/2 way to the beginning of ridge, stay to the left of a long low hill cut by a wash.
• Just off to the left side of the ridge as it starts to ascend, there is a cairn and faint trail, although you can just start climbing the ridge if you don't see the cairn;  you will find a distinct trail. 
• Stay on top of the ridge for 2.3 miles to the top; trail bypasses some of the high points on the ridge.
• Before leaving the parking area, take note of where it is in relation to geographical features on the other side of the highway in order to find way back, or enter coordinates for trailhead (above).

For the geocurious
This hike treks through an array of different types of rock units ranging from Holocene cover (10,000 years ago to now) to
Proterozoic Era (up to 2.5 billion years ago).  A geologist's dream.  It passes through some of California's oldest rocks;  these rocks also top Monument Mountain, across Pinto Basin to the southwest.

• The  white rock seen on the east flank of Pinto Mountain is white to light gray quartzite, 98-99% quartz from Middle or Early Proterozoic Era (2.5 - 1.0 billion years ago).
• The hike goes through a unit of dark metamorphosed rock ~ 1,000 feet from summit that is made of mudstone as well as dark-colored quartzite.  These rocks have a patina of desert varnish.
• At the start of the ridge, the hike treks through Granite of Pinto Wash (Late or Middle Jurassic), then through mafic intrusive rocks (higher content of magnesium and iron), and then through some of the oldest rocks in California - Granite Gneiss of Joshua Tree (augen gneiss).  Augen are spindle-shaped crystals of plagioclase, alkali feldspar and granite (augen is German for "eye").
• The upper deposits of the alluvial fan at the base of the ridge are very coarse and are Holocene age.
• Reference:  Geologic map and digital database of the Pinto Mountain 7.5 minute quadrangle, Riverside County, California.  USGS Open-file report prepared by Robert E. Powell.  https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr02491

Trailhead and parking at Turkey Flats, 20 miles from Interstate 10 in Joshua Tree
​Pinto Mountain on horizon

Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section map of GPS tracks.
​Topo map and elevation profile of hike to summit of Pinto Mountain, Joshua Tree NP.
​The hike begins at Turkey Flats trailhead on Cottonwood Springs Road/Pinto Basin Road.  The last half of this hike climbs 2,200 feet in 2.3 miles to summit elevation of 3,983 feet.

Our route across the alluvial fan at base of ridge; the trail travels on spine of ridge all the way to summit of Pinto Mountain in a north/northeast direction (looking at southwest-facing slopes)
​Pinto Wash at base of fan

Elevation profile for ascent.

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.  

Desert Sand Verbena
Abronia villosa

Scott (left) and Fred heading out in morning to Pinto Mountain summit
The ridge to ascend is just to the left of Fred with the shadows to its left side

Sand dunes ~ halfway between Turkey Flats trailhead to base of Pinto Mountain 

Shortly after crossing Pinto Wash, the hike ascends an ever-increasing amount of coarse gravel and boulders, the characteristic feature of alluvial fans where heavier rocks drop out early in its deposition and smaller rocks are deposited at the toe of the fan.  We maneuver down through stream cuts and around rocks on the upper alluvial fan as we finally reach the bottom of our ridge.  We missed the cairn indicating the start of the ridge trail on our way up and started the climb on the ridge spine, which was alright because we soon ran into the light-to-moderately tracked trail on the ridge.  Don't be tempted to descend down the canyon on either side of the ridge - when in doubt, stay on top of the ridge.  There are a few places along the 2.3-mile ridge hike where the trail bypasses a high point, however.

Pinto Wash just before base of alluvial fan
Clayey soil that has been recently saturated with water and then has dried and formed fractures into polygonal sections as well as "mud peels" caused by a fracture of clay parallel to its surface.

Approaching alluvial fan deposited from canyon on the left
Hike up ridge to the right of this canyon, and just to the right of Pinto, with vertical rocks and shadows to Pinto Mountain with its white quartzite slopes.  ​Pinto Wash in foreground.

Beginning of ridge trail
Small cairn on the large rock on the right, faint trail in middle of photo heads to ridge

We started here at toe of ridge 

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.

No other place I'd rather be at that moment!
Rock with flat surface provides a "chair" to sit and rest
Pinto Mountain left (highest) summit

Alternating light and dark rocks correspond with varied rock units (see Geology, above)

Red barrel cactus
Ferocactus cylindraceus

White-lined sphinx caterpillar
Hyles lineata

Common Fishhook cactus in quartzite
Mammillaria tetrancistra

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".   

Summit of Pinto Mountain, 3,983 feet looking northwest
Saguaro cactus sculpture from old wire present on top of the mountain

Scott, Sue and Fred on Pinto Mountain summit
Scott is holding a rock found on the summit with a painted cat from Jamestown Kind Rocks Project, whose goal is to "promote random acts of kindness to unsuspecting people by painting and dropping inspirational rocks or some other cool way to bring kindness."  Scott brought the rock on our hike to Thimble Peak in Tucson and we left it near the summit.

Our summit register entry for 12-26-18
The entry above ours:  "Christmas Eve/Dec/2018 - Happy Holidays everybody!  We made it to the top".  - Ecuador, USA, Argentina

Summit looking north

Together, another summit and memorable day in the beautiful American West!

U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey marker on Pinto used for triangulation station (main station) for land survey

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. 

"It is enough to know why I came here:  to breathe in the solitude and the silence."
         -  Ann Zwinger, Wind in the Rock: The Canyonlands of Southeastern Utah

On the way down - Scott and Fred - descend ridge to the left with saddles in between high points

Late afternoon sun and deep red hues of barrel cactus

Not officially dunes, but an accumulation of blowing sand adjacent to mountain range

Pinto Mountain in late afternoon - "dunes" in foreground

References

• Geologic map and digital database of the Pinto Mountain 7.5 minute quadrangle, Riverside County, California.  USGS Open-file report.  Robert E. Powell. 2002.  Retrieved from the internet.
• Mud Peeling and horizontal crack formation in drying clays.  JGR Earth Surface.  Advancing Earth and Space Science - March, 2011.  Retrieved from the internet.