Joshua tree?

[Seanz0rz]

so im planning some outings out in joshua tree for this year. one will be a family outing, the other may involve some of you guys and gals.

so im searching and am obviously not looking in the right places. im working on a general plan right now, and ill post that up as soon as i get it sketched out to an acceptable level. any suggestions for those of you that have been out there, or suggested readings. any threads out there on the interwebs? also any spectacular books i just must have? i found a couple the other day and bought one, going tonight to buy the other.

thanks guys! maybe this will end up in the wiki as a trail and what to do some day!

[4x4mike]

I'll have to look at where went. I'll post once I dig up some stuff.

[paddlenbike]

I revisited Joshua Tree this year with Ultimateyota, hadn't been there since I was a little kid. Definately a cool place. To say it's busy around spring break would be putting it lightly. Before I go on, how long were you planning to visit?

[Scuba]

Dude Id be down.
Dont know where to go though...
I love it out there, lived in 29 for about 4 years when i was younger...
Ill stay on the lookout

:bling:

[Seanz0rz]

planning to spend about 2 days total there, this run (in a month or so) will be kind of a prerun for a longer visit later in the spring.

[4x4mike]

2 days is not a lot of time. For starters I'd try to get a campsite reserved at Jumbo Rocks. For the most part all the places to go are near the campsite areas and you don't have to drive a ton. We went during the last weekend of spring break and barely got a spot at Jumbo Rocks. We had some wind (paddlenbike seemed to have the most) but we were told other campgrounds have a lot of wind. JR has water, other campgrunds don't.

I'll have to go through and post some of my picutres. I noticed my Joshua Tree album has 350 picutres in it. I liked Big Horn Dam, we also did a nice offroad loop that wasn't bad. The most fun was the trail that took us to 29 palms. I know some of the others know the name, I couldn't find it on the map.

[corax]

you can get in for free from Dillon Rd in Desert Hot Springs (if you just want to run around for the day), but you have to leave the same way or you'll have to pay the fee anyway at the ranger station . . . or use this as a way out to the I-10 near Indio

Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=san+bernardino+ca&daddr=33.801688,-116.18351&hl=en&geocode=&mra=me&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=13&sll=33.805967,-116.200676&sspn=0.066469,0.109863&ie=UTF8&ll=33.817378,-116.173725&spn=0.06646,0.109863&z=13)

from here it might be about one hour to the more traveled roads, there's one slightly tight spot, but nothing I that caused me to cringe when I only had 31's and open/open

Here's the map I used when I went -> http://www.joshua.tree.national-park.com/map.htm <- and another link with a whole bunch of printable .pdf's all within Joshua Tree -> http://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/maps.htm <- I never did get to play around Pinto Basin, but heard that there where some good mines still stnading in that area (and just outside the park itself)

[4x4mike]

Pictures: Like I said, around spring break os the Joshua Trees were blooming and it wasn't very hot.

Blooming JT.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/1.jpg

Spikey thing on our first hike.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0056.jpg

Skull Rock. Good short hike from Jumbo Rocks.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0080.jpg

I think this was also the Skull ROck trail.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0090.jpg

Joshua Tree
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0112.jpg

Trail sign and route
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0133.jpg

[4x4mike]

Road out to a nice road/trail that took most of the day. I don't remember the name though.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0142.jpg

The group
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0144.jpg

Most of them out of the vehicles
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0163.jpg

Us.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0171.jpg

Them.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0182.jpg

Scotiac in the distance
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0188.jpg

[4x4mike]

Cool little structure with a mine near by. We couldn't see the bottom but we were dropping rocks in there. There were mine holes all over the place, in the middle of nowhere. If you ever wanted to get of a body...nevermind.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0194.jpg

Nice fun trail.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0225.jpg

All of us at the trailhead for Barker Dam/Big Horn Lake. 4runner, 4runner, 4runner, Land Cruiser and a uh Accord (belong to Lance no less. At least he had an excuse).
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0236.jpg

Hiking trail shot to the lake.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0241.jpg

The lake.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0245.jpg

[4x4mike]

Hiking back to the parking lot.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0316.jpg

At another trail I don't know the name of. The sign in the background says 4 wheel drive recommened.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0332.jpg

This is the trail in the background. Out there is where I found out my IAC valve was gummed up.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0336.jpg

Stop along the trail
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC_0348.jpg

[Scuba]

Very nice pics...I wanna get out there some time

:bling:

[4x4mike]

From a map it looks like the fun long trail was Old Dale Road to Gold Crown Road. The actual trail might give it a totally different name because those don't really ring a bell. I think for the most part the road we were on showed up on iGuidance. Maybe it did show up as Old Dale.

A dirt road trail that was kind of fun was the Geology Tour Road although I don't think we did the whole thing. I think we went to Squaw Tank which was an overlook to some old mines. I think you could hike down to the bottom as well.

I think it was Keys View where you can see the Salton Sea and Mexico on a clear day. When we were there it was extremely windy and cold. I couldn't see Mexico either.

The other nice place was Barker Dam. Nice scenic little hike/walk.

Here;s a good park map from the Forest Service
http://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/upload/jotrmap.pdf

[paddlenbike]

You beat me to it--Old Dale Rd to Gold Crown is the one we really enjoyed. I agree with Mike's post, those are the more interesting features to see.

LOL @ Lance's (Yoko's, actually) Accord in the photo. Definately not a "High Clearance 4WD." :lol:

[Scuba]

Old Dale Rd

Good memories, I used to live right off old dale...
Werid...

:bling:

[Good Times]

dude my accord rocks! it's got leather seats, sunroof and power everything :) can't say that I've got the same on that green monster I drive on these exploration events ;)

didn't you guys get a pic of ken in the eye socket or something like that?

[paddlenbike]

didn't you guys get a pic of ken in the eye socket or something like that?


Somebody photographed my eye socket without me knowing? :confused:

[Good Times]

Ken was it you that crawled into the skull's eye socket or was it Scott? I know it was someone :confused:

[paddlenbike]

Oh man, I'm sitting here cracking up...I had no idea that's what you were getting at. Here's the pic:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/ST4IZutKQxI/AAAAAAAADk8/paADGH9KLJc/s400/IMG_0271.JPG

[Good Times]

and for a sec there I thought I was going crazy! hahahahaha

wow that really shows the size of that skull! I totally forgot it was that big :)

[paddlenbike]

I don't remember the skull being that big either.

I liked our campground.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/STzACouOtvI/AAAAAAAAC20/wdguYodjGfY/s400/IMG_0228.JPG

I thought we were comfortable until our neighbor rolled up in this:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Hp8E9rdd9MU/STzDVjISbXI/AAAAAAAADCE/4mpTIPYqVsc/s400/IMG_0403.JPG

Just one of his three slide-outs had more room than my entire tent...

[tacoclimber]

There's good climbing in J-Tree...

Hmmm...(rubbing my chin thoughtfully)

[Seanz0rz]

im looking at doing more of an expedition type run. drive/hike all day, set up quick camp, sleep in the truck, move on the next morning, going east to west.

the more i look at this and my budget for the next 6 months, my planned January trip just isnt going to happen :(

look for a run maybe late march/early april.

[slowheelin]

Funny I found this thread, my brother and I were just talking about going to J-Tree to do some climbing. What are the 4WD roads on the map like? Rough dirt roads or technical rock crawling stuff? When we set a date for the trip I'll post it up to see if anyone else wants to join in the fun.

[Seanz0rz]

looks to be mostly rough dirt roads. no hardcore stuff (define hardcore for me, hammers?) basically i think anything with a lift and low range should be able to make it. as always, a locker would probably be nice, but not necessary.

this trip is on indefinite hold for me. decided to do death valley with everyone this year. might decide to do this in the fall though, or next year. summer, its just too hot!

[4x4mike]

I don't think there is a hardcore legal trail. The hardest we did wasn't all that bad. I forget the name, it might be mentioned in this thread though. Ken did it in his e-locked 4runner holding 4 people. I did it in my stock '99 4runner. I didn't even have my sliders on as they came the day we left. There was a little pin striping due to the desert flora but nothing bad. We also had with us another e-locked 4runner slightly lifted and a newer land cruiser. No one got stuck or had to turn around at anything. There are a lot of open desert roads that you can get some speed on, they're pretty dusty too. Depending on what time of year you go I'd suggest a reservation as the place fills up. There looked to be good climbing even in the campgrounds. We stayed at Jumbo Rocks. Bring water and water containers as well. A lot of the sites are dry and if they are full you'll be camping back country and will need water.

[paddlenbike]

I would love to be there right now, this is a great time of year to visit.

[slowheelin]

Rough dirt roads would be perfect since I'm still kinda noobish with the 4WD thing.

Something like this would be awesome!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_RocepSsmo
Now I'm really stoked to get out there.

I'm mostly stock right now but I'll be doing a little lift and some armor in the near future.

[4x4mike]

Yep that looks like the one we did. Maybe someone will chime in with a name.

[slowheelin]

Cool I could do miles of stuff like that! Looks like a blast.

[4x4mike]

It was a very long trail. Here are some highlights.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mezamichael/JoshuaTree2008#5186744172214580002

http://picasaweb.google.com/mezamichael/JoshuaTree2008#5186745306085946594

http://picasaweb.google.com/mezamichael/JoshuaTree2008#5186745211596666050

http://picasaweb.google.com/mezamichael/JoshuaTree2008#5186744880884184130

http://picasaweb.google.com/mezamichael/JoshuaTree2008#5186743923106476738