Mojave National Preserve
December 30, 2006:
Still on vacation, Alison and I borrowed my dads truck, loaded our gear and Kala, and set out for a day of exploring the western half of the Mojave National Preserve. We were too late to watch the sunrise on the Granite Mountains, but were still able to enjoy some early morning light at our first stop. Crossing Granite Pass, the massive expanse of Cima Dome came into view across the valley. The dome is a swell of granite that rises 1500 feet above the surrounding terrain and is home to one of the worlds densest Joshua Tree forests. We stopped briefly at Kelso but were too early to see the visitor center, so we pressed on to cross through Macedonia Canyon to Mid Hills to see for ourselves the devastation caused by the Hackberry Complex of fires in 2005. The campground definitely doesnt look like it did from my days in Boy Scouts.
Next up we visited the Morning Star and Kuwanee mines, neither of which was worth the trip. Teutonia Peak was our next destination, reached via a 4 mile round-trip hike. The trail through the joshua tree forest offered some great views and interesting close ups of the trees. Following our hike, we at a quick lunch and followed Aiken Mine Road across the north side of Cima Dome to the Cinder Cone Lava Beds area. Since most of the cinder cones were quite far from the road, we had to settle for admiring them from a distance. Returning to the now open Kelso Depot, we explored the interior before setting out to our final destination, the Kelso Dunes. Arriving at the dunes later than Id hoped, we werent able to make the top, but were able to enjoy an amazing sunset over the desert before returning to Needles for dinner.
Read MoreStill on vacation, Alison and I borrowed my dads truck, loaded our gear and Kala, and set out for a day of exploring the western half of the Mojave National Preserve. We were too late to watch the sunrise on the Granite Mountains, but were still able to enjoy some early morning light at our first stop. Crossing Granite Pass, the massive expanse of Cima Dome came into view across the valley. The dome is a swell of granite that rises 1500 feet above the surrounding terrain and is home to one of the worlds densest Joshua Tree forests. We stopped briefly at Kelso but were too early to see the visitor center, so we pressed on to cross through Macedonia Canyon to Mid Hills to see for ourselves the devastation caused by the Hackberry Complex of fires in 2005. The campground definitely doesnt look like it did from my days in Boy Scouts.
Next up we visited the Morning Star and Kuwanee mines, neither of which was worth the trip. Teutonia Peak was our next destination, reached via a 4 mile round-trip hike. The trail through the joshua tree forest offered some great views and interesting close ups of the trees. Following our hike, we at a quick lunch and followed Aiken Mine Road across the north side of Cima Dome to the Cinder Cone Lava Beds area. Since most of the cinder cones were quite far from the road, we had to settle for admiring them from a distance. Returning to the now open Kelso Depot, we explored the interior before setting out to our final destination, the Kelso Dunes. Arriving at the dunes later than Id hoped, we werent able to make the top, but were able to enjoy an amazing sunset over the desert before returning to Needles for dinner.
