Unnamed Peak

 My friend Mitch asked if I would be interested in hiking to a peak in Joshua Tree National Park. He also invited Mark (who I've hiked with before) and Elliot (who's been a virtual friend for a long time, but not hiked with). Heck yes, sign me up!

 

The peak isn't anything special. Not prominent or tall enough to have a name, but it does provide outstanding views, including the Wonderland of Rocks to the north. We were all hoping for some nice late afternoon golden light on the rocky surroundings, assuming we could find our way to the top of the peak. There is no trail to follow, so let's go see what we can find!

 

Beginning our ascent up unnamed peak. That's Elliot in the foreground, and Mark behind him, with Ryan Mountain in the background. No trail and very rocky, so we had to select our path carefully!

 

Further along, Ryan Mountain recedes in the distance.

 

Near the top of unnamed peak, the view west is excellent.

 

After finally reaching the summit, I take this photo of Elliot using the old boulder-as-tripod trick, which most photographers have used at one time or another!

 

Nice view of the Echo T parking area and beyond.

 

And looking north, that's the Barker Dam parking area and Wonderland of Rocks beyond.

 

Backlighting on a cholla

Elliot and Mark trying to capture that perfect photo!

Golden hour light on the Wonderland of Rocks. The area that looks like a desert village in the upper left? That's part of the Marine Base, and it's used for live combat training.

 

Mitch and the Wonderland beyond.

Get a group of photographers on a mountaintop with great light, and nobody wants to be the one to say "time to go!" But with the long shadows and setting sun, we might have stayed too long. We could be in for a challenging hike back down the steep, rocky mountainside in the dark.
 

Uh oh! A basic rule of hiking: NEVER hike steep, challenging areas in the dark. It's OK to finish a hike in the dark if you're prepared with headlamps, GPS, and the terrain isn't too challenging. We didn't plan on being near the top of unnamed peak in the dark, but here we were!

  

What's that old parental expression? Do as I say, not as I do!? We took it very slow and steady and made it down in one piece, but there were quite a few stumbles on the way down. It could have been worse. Lesson learned.
 

Thanks for joining me on this adventure.

Stay safe and stay healthy!

Linking with Skywatch Friday