Mojave Natl. Preserve: Midhills to Castle Mtns Nov 26-28, 2021

[John Morrow]

On 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.