desert – Page 22 – besthike.com

May 4, 2010April 26, 2010

Hole-in-the-Wall Loop, Mojave

Bird and Hike has a succinct webpage:

This easy, 1.5-mile loop trail starts at the Visitor Center, wanders east and south down a sandy wash, heads west around the south side of the Hole-in-the-Wall hills, climbs up through the Hole-in-the-Wall cleft on the Rings Trail, and then follows the road for 0.2 miles back …

Hole-in-the-Wall Loop Trail (4,252 ft)

Almost every tourists stops at Hole-in-the-Wall. But not all are willing to try the assisted scramble.

I’d call it a perfect little day hike for a confident walker. The scenery is desert classic.

Add on the “Nature Trail” to the campground. Desert vegetation is signed, … all the bushes looking somewhat similar. With unlikely names like: Paper Bag Bush, Hedgehog Cactus, Horsebrush, etc.

Tent caterpillars were everywhere when I was there.

… Mojave National Preserve, at 1.6 million acres, is the third largest National Park Service managed area in the Lower 48; only Death Valley and Yellowstone are larger. …

It’s so close to Vegas, I’m surprised more tourists don’t visit. There’s no Park entrance fee. And “wild camping” is allowed almost everywhere.

May 3, 2010April 26, 2010

Teutonia Peak, Mojave

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Only 2 hikes in Mojave National Preserve are recommended by Moon Hiking California:

• Kelso Dunes
• Teutonia Peak

In the morning I did the Dunes. Then drove on to do a climb. A great hiking day in the desert.

The highlight for me were the Joshua Trees, but a different species than those in Joshua Tree National Park.

At 5,755 feet, Teutonia Peak offers great views of Cima and the surroundings. This four mile round-trip trail heads south from Cima Road and crosses the desert through part of the world’s largest Joshua tree forest. A half mile from the summit the ascent becomes more earnest as the maintained single track now tackles the bulk of the 700 feet in elevation between the trailhead and the peak.

Despite the minimal effort, the views from the top are splendid. …

read more – Hike Speak

Actually, to “summit” Teutonia is a class 3 scramble. Most people don’t do it.

No fees. No hassles. You can tent free nearly anywhere. Mojave National Preserve is a great destination for hikers.

see all my photos from this short day hike

May 2, 2010April 29, 2010

sliding down Kelso Dunes, Mojave

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Only 2 hikes in Mojave National Preserve are recommended by Moon Hiking California:

• Kelso Dunes
• Teutonia Peak

As also recommended, I arrived at Kelso Dunes at dawn. (Sunset is very popular, too.)

It was overcast, rain threatening.

Not nearly as impressive as Eureka Valley Sand Dunes, I still enjoyed this short hike.

Basically you climb up the spine of the highest dune, 650ft (200m) …

Plant a Summit Stone, painted by DSD … (The next hiker to the top would collect it. Or, … perhaps it will be covered by sand for ages.)

… and slide / run down as fast as possible.

No fees. No hassles. Mojave National Preserve is a great destination for hikers.

see the rest of my photos from this short day hike

April 18, 2010

new attraction at Red Rock, Vegas

The must go hiking destination only a few miles from the strip in Las Vegas is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

An attractive outdoor exhibition area just opened:

One of the walks leads to an observation deck where visitors can study a giant map of the parks trails etched into the floor with photo panels on a railing of what they’ll see on the trails and beyond the panoramic view.

… outdoor exhibits that bring sturdy replicas of some of the park’s most fragile features to the foreground: things such as American Indian rock art panels, desert tortoises in their natural habitat, and a life-size cougar that lurks atop one of the shade walls.

It’s all designed so people can touch, feel, see and understand the national conservation area from the perspective of earth, water, fire and air. …

Grand opening at Red Rock visitors center …

One exhibit has a desert tortoise. Visitors are taught what to do when this happens …

I carefully, slowly lifted the tortoise far off the highway in the direction I thought he was trying to go. … Unfortunately he seemed to be walking the yellow line when I found him.

March 31, 2010March 31, 2010

hiking out of Needles, California

trip report by site editor, Rick McCharles

I awoke early and drove out of town about 10min towards Lake Haversu City.

This geology looked, from the highway, very interesting.

It’s easy to hike anywhere you wish here. Simply follow the jeep tracks and dry arroyos.

This was not an official hiking trail, but made for a very pleasant morning, none the less.

Here’s the view looking back towards Needles.

March 31, 2010March 28, 2010

best books on California desert hiking and climbing

I checked into the Needles California office of the Bureau of Land Management. They gave me some excellent advice on “best hikes” in the region.

Two books are recommended and sold there:

Hiking California’s Desert Parks, 2nd edition: A Guide to the Greatest Hiking Adventures in Anza-Borrego, Joshua Tree, Mojave, and Death Valley by Bill and Polly Cunningham

I’ll be using this one over the next couple of months.

Deserts Summits: A Climbing & Hiking Guide to California & Southern Nevada by Andy Zdon

Both are recommended.

Click on either book cover for more information and links to other available books on Amazon

March 30, 2010March 25, 2010

weird, wild Saguaro cactus

I feel lucky to have just finished a driving tour of the exact range of the crazy beautiful Saguaro cactus, definitely one of my favourite flora.

… a large, tree-sized cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in the U.S. state of Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, a small part of Baja California in the San Felipe Desert and an extremely small area of California …

Harming a saguaro in any manner, including cactus plugging, is illegal by state law in Arizona, and when houses or highways are built, special permits must be obtained to move or destroy any saguaro affected. …

Wikipedia

more interesting photos tagged Saguaro

March 26, 2010March 25, 2010

best hikes in Arizona

lucrativetravels.com posted a surprisingly good list:

Wet Beaver Loop
Picacho Peek
Kendrick Mountain
Paria Canyon

We name Paria Canyon the best hike in the entire S.W. USA.

The other three I’m currently researching. … Especially since I’ve just arrived in Arizona. We drove between Tuscon and Phoenix yesterday past impressive Picacho Peak.

Wet Beaver Loop

The Wet Beaver Loop is not a trail that should be hiked by a novice. The trail is a twenty-two mile loop so you should plan on taking a couple of days to complete it. …

Picacho Peak

The Picacho Peak is a hike that that will provide you with the opportunity to admire the Sonora desert. Although the trail is only a seven mile round trip, you need to be aware that much of it is extremely steep and that there are many switchbacks. …

Kendrick Mountain

If Picacho Peak is more than you feel comfortable handling, you might want to consider the Kendrick Mountain hike. This particular hike is 9.2 miles round trip. When you reach the summit you will find a cabin and have an amazing view of Mount Humphreys, Red Mountain, and Sycamore Canyon. On a clear day you will even be able to see the Grand Canyon’s north Rim. …

read more – lucrativetravels.com

March 20, 2010March 20, 2010

hiking Steinbeck Canyon, Baja

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Steinbeck Canyon is the name locals in Loreto use for the most popular hike in the area.

I started at the Puerto Escondido marina. With a bike.

You ride (or walk) from the marina out to main highway #1. There’s the arroyo (watercourse) in the distance just right of the exit road.

The turnoff to the trailhead is unmarked but easy to find. Simply cross directly over Highway #1 and follow the dirt road on the other side.

It’s impressive right from the get go.

It’s actually more of a bouldering scramble than a hike. You’ll be using your hands clambering up, over and under smooth river rocks.

What people like most is the explosion of insect, bird and plant life.

Some of the pools were so clean, when I was there, that I was tempted to swim.

Steinbeck Canyon is one of the best hikes in the Baja. Highly recommended.

See all my photos from a March 2010 scramble.

March 10, 2010March 8, 2010

Baja Adventure

by site editor Rick McCharles

Have you seen the Baja Adventure Book?

The classic has not been updated since 1998, but it was a great inspiration for me. I recall reading it in a library many, many years ago.

I write from Loreto, Baja. Just arrived after a road trip of 3450km (2143mi) over 5 days. I’m here on holiday with my parents, but plan to get out for some serious hiking, biking and kayaking.

If you’ve got advice for me on the best Baja Adventures, please leave a comment.