John Morrow
Member
- Joined
- May 22, 2015
- Messages
- 1,090
n Nov 26th I headed for Mid Hills Campground. After setting up I did the short hike to Eagle Rocks. Near sunset I walked out to the unnamed mountains at the head of Black Canyon on the south side of the Mid Hills road. To summit Eagle Rocks requires climbing a pure granitic 40 foot steep face with a convenient vertical crack. Joshua Tree like.

Eagle Rocks by John Morrow, on Flickr

Mid Hills by John Morrow, on Flickr

Route by John Morrow, on Flickr
Kelso Valley by John Morrow, on Flickr

view, evening hike to hills at left under Table Mtn. by John Morrow, on Flickr
On Nov 27th I drove the longish slow drive from the campground to hackberry Spring Road but stopped at the corral. It was a good staging location for a long neat loop across the northern slopes of the Hackberry Mountains to Guitar Mountain. Then on to Hackberry Mountain, before returning running the ridge over Peak 4925 (1501T). I went over to the Eagle Mtns in the evening by Eagle Well.

Hackberry Mountains by John Morrow, on Flickr

Guitar Mountain east bowl by John Morrow, on Flickr

tuffs by John Morrow, on Flickr

Guitar shape by John Morrow, on Flickr

view west by John Morrow, on Flickr

Over to Hackberry Mountain by John Morrow, on Flickr

Providence Mountains by John Morrow, on Flickr

Hackberry Canyon by John Morrow, on Flickr

great ridge descent by John Morrow, on Flickr
Evening walk:

petroglyphs by John Morrow, on Flickr

Up to Butte by John Morrow, on Flickr
On Nov 28th I relocated to the newish Castle Mountains National Monument adjacent to the Preserve. My goal was a loop crosscountry and on old jeep trails that feel more like trails. I took the excellent Walking Box Ranch Road to a high clearance spur at 1400 Meters that is NW of Castle Mountain and Linder Peak. My goal was to explore the area for future loop hikes while summiting the peaks on a crest walk and then return on the old jeep routes west of the crest. It was a fine hike. The scrambling can be avoided and a nice loop hike can be done lower around the peaks on the east side. Some of these little used jeep routes could be returned to single track trails in my opinion. They were little used.

Castle Peaks by John Morrow, on Flickr

Hart Mountain by John Morrow, on Flickr

crest by John Morrow, on Flickr
A couple of arches were fun finds.

arch and Avi Kwa Ame by John Morrow, on Flickr

solid gully ahead by John Morrow, on Flickr

descent route by John Morrow, on Flickr

barrel by John Morrow, on Flickr

Linder north side by John Morrow, on Flickr

late light by John Morrow, on Flickr

Castle Peaks crest by John Morrow, on Flickr
Mojave NP and Castle Mtns NM really aren't jaw dropping scenery. But there is something about the Mojave that grabs me over and over.

Eagle Rocks by John Morrow, on Flickr

Mid Hills by John Morrow, on Flickr

Route by John Morrow, on Flickr


view, evening hike to hills at left under Table Mtn. by John Morrow, on Flickr
On Nov 27th I drove the longish slow drive from the campground to hackberry Spring Road but stopped at the corral. It was a good staging location for a long neat loop across the northern slopes of the Hackberry Mountains to Guitar Mountain. Then on to Hackberry Mountain, before returning running the ridge over Peak 4925 (1501T). I went over to the Eagle Mtns in the evening by Eagle Well.

Hackberry Mountains by John Morrow, on Flickr

Guitar Mountain east bowl by John Morrow, on Flickr

tuffs by John Morrow, on Flickr

Guitar shape by John Morrow, on Flickr

view west by John Morrow, on Flickr

Over to Hackberry Mountain by John Morrow, on Flickr

Providence Mountains by John Morrow, on Flickr

Hackberry Canyon by John Morrow, on Flickr

great ridge descent by John Morrow, on Flickr
Evening walk:

petroglyphs by John Morrow, on Flickr

Up to Butte by John Morrow, on Flickr
On Nov 28th I relocated to the newish Castle Mountains National Monument adjacent to the Preserve. My goal was a loop crosscountry and on old jeep trails that feel more like trails. I took the excellent Walking Box Ranch Road to a high clearance spur at 1400 Meters that is NW of Castle Mountain and Linder Peak. My goal was to explore the area for future loop hikes while summiting the peaks on a crest walk and then return on the old jeep routes west of the crest. It was a fine hike. The scrambling can be avoided and a nice loop hike can be done lower around the peaks on the east side. Some of these little used jeep routes could be returned to single track trails in my opinion. They were little used.

Castle Peaks by John Morrow, on Flickr

Hart Mountain by John Morrow, on Flickr

crest by John Morrow, on Flickr
A couple of arches were fun finds.

arch and Avi Kwa Ame by John Morrow, on Flickr

solid gully ahead by John Morrow, on Flickr

descent route by John Morrow, on Flickr

barrel by John Morrow, on Flickr

Linder north side by John Morrow, on Flickr

late light by John Morrow, on Flickr

Castle Peaks crest by John Morrow, on Flickr
Mojave NP and Castle Mtns NM really aren't jaw dropping scenery. But there is something about the Mojave that grabs me over and over.