Our trusty rental car. Though not exactly a high clearance vehicle, it served us well --- turns out it's not even to bad to sleep in. Note to car rental companies, though: it's probably not in anyone's best interest to rent brand new cars to road-tripping climbers.
Passing by the creek on the way to climb "Cat in the Hat" on Mescalito.
We didn't actually start climbing "Cat in the Hat" until about 2 pm. We moved reasonably quickly, but I got off route and had to down-climb half a pitch at one point, and so we didn't finish the final (6th) pitch until around 6:30pm. Turns out that's about when it gets real dark and windy real fast. So we rapped the route in the dark, and were quite happy when we reached the base. (Notice Amy was nice enough to loan me her hat while we were on the way down --- I was wearing shorts and didn't have a jacket on the climb).
Waking up Sunday morning.
Somewhere West of the CA/NV border off I-15. Google maps (online) knows about the fairly-newly-paved 3.5 hour route from Vegas to Joshua Tree that goes through the Mojave dessert. Unfortunately, the mobile version doesn’t, so when we looked it up Saturday night on my phone it was giving us the 4.5 hour route through Barstow. We were exhausted, so we decided to sleep here and sort it out in the morning.
In the morning, we stopped at the next exit, and asked about the route at a gas station (probably the only one in a 50 mile radius, actually). It turned out we could still cut through the Mojave on paved roads, going through the mostly-abandoned railroad town of Cima, and then on through Kelso, Amboy, and finally to 29 Palms outside of Joshua Tree national park. This abandoned house is just outside of Cima.
Calcium cholride crystals.
"Sign? What sign?"
Salt flats (part of a chloride production process?) outside of Amboy, CA.
Amy enjoys a wake-up drink (Sunday brunch at the 29 Palms Inn).
Stairway.
Campfire.
Looking down from the top of Pitch 2 on "The Swift" (5.7), Lost Horse Wall, Joshua Tree NP.
Barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus).
Amy and Brendan relaxing in Hidden Valley Campground.
Jumping cholla cactus (pronounced "choya").
More cholla.
The skeleton of a cholla.
Ocotillo.
Amy checks out Gargoyle (5.6), Stirrup Tank area. Taping up is recommended for this one. The downclimb on the back is a touch sketchy --- I lowered Amy off the front of the climb, and then had her belay me down the back, with the rope running in the crack. I untied once I'd down-climbed the difficult bit, and Amy pulled the rope through.
Brendan checking out the jams on Gargoyle.
Brendan at the base of "Where two deserts meet" (5.8), at the start of Stirrup Tank Road.
Brendan prepares to pull the awesome roof on the first pitch of "Fote Hog" (5.6), in Real Hidden Valley.
Racking up for "Mental Physics" (5.7+), Wonderland of Rocks.
Brendan starts out on "Mental Physics."
Brendan near the top of the beautiful crack --- this one was good enough that if there hadn't been another party waiting I would have rapped down and done it again immediately.
Amy rapping from "Mental Physics."
Climbers on "Mental Physics" on Lenticular Dome. To reach the climb, walk farther down the wash than you think, until you get a view like this, and then scramble back towards the climb up bouldery slopes and ledges.
Brendan and Amy on the summit of The Moonstone. We took the long way back from Lenticular Dome to get in a nice loop hike, and did a 4th class scramble up the back of Moonstone for fun.
Brendan checking out routes from the summit of The Moonstone.
Amy contemplates the descent.
Amy preparing to downclimb a low-angle fist crack.
Walking out towards Barker Dam.
Our campsite.
Playing connect-four in camp before heading out.
Amy checks the guidebook in the Jumbo Rocks area. We did a loop walk here and checked out "Gem" (5.8) and "Colorado Crack" (5.9) before starting the drive back to Las Vegas to meet Drew and Stewart.
Amy in the narrow canyon leading to the corridor face.
