Nightglow Window

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Joshua Tree, Day Two

The joke was that we were excellent "approachers" but lousy climbers. It was funny because it was mostly true. Over the last ten years, Brian and I looked at dozens of climbs that didn't appeal to us -- ones that were too big, too remote, too hard, or simply too scary looking for us to attempt. We would pull up to the base, quietly set down our packs, stare up at our intended route and then back down at our feet, hoping the other would find the enthusiasm to say, "Whoa! This looks fun, can I lead it?"

And the farther the route was from the car and the more arduous the approach, the harder it was to slink away in fear and defeat for the comfort of a cold beer and a game of desert bocce ball.

There was one route in particular that looked good in the guidebook, but was so far away that I never made the stomp out to look at in person. As The Crag Turns is a two-star 5.7 that climbs a beautiful flake. The formation, however, is a solid two-hour hike from the parking lot and involves a bit of route-finding through the Wonderland backcountry and some scrambling where it's easier to use hands and feet to crab your way over the steep parts. In other words, it was a climb I could never convince anyone to go look at with me.

That's not a problem today, but after I bridge down a drop off and into a tight squeeze under a huge boulder, I'm wondering how smart this whole episode is for a solo hiker.

"Solo Day Hiker To Cornerstone. Left Saturday 10:00 a.m. Brown Shirt, Nike Shoes." This was the note I left on the dash of my car, face out. As I climb down another dropoff and step through another zone that seems perfect for angry rattlesnakes, the thought of that note is a tiny comfort.

So was it worth it? Um, well, sure.

The climb looks fun, but it's located above a maze-like boulder field that will take some serious scrambling to get through. Then there's the whole concept of the descent, which the guidebook is suspiciously vague about. It would be a longish day to climb this route. Don't know, really, if I ever will. It was a great day hike, however, to one of the most distant areas of the park.

I'm back at the car five hours after I left it, footsore and scrapped and sunburned and sweaty. I head back to the campground for a beer and a doze in the beach chair in the shade, then I light out again for another hike -- a short and easy one this time -- through the Real Hidden Valley.

After sunset the wind picks up, slowly building until it's a constant wail, buffeting the van where I'm sleeping. It's the first of the anticipated Santa Ana's, and it might spell the end of the good weather.

Pre-dawn fill flash from the picnic table in my campsite, Jumbo Rocks.
6:36 a.m.

The view from my campsite. 6:38 a.m.

As the Crag Turns (5.7 **) on the very remote Cornerstone formation, eastern Wonderland Of Rocks.

Considering the Juniper in my campsite, post-hike beer break. 3:19 p.m.

The incredible Sail Away (5.8- ****). An absolute classic and one of my favorites. Real Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree.

The view toward Sheep Pass from Houser Buttress. 4:41 p.m.

Two climbers enjoying the late-afternoon light on Headstone Rock after climbing Southwest Corner (5.6 ****), the most exciting "easy" climb in Joshua Tree.