Lost Horse Mine Loop

At a Glance

Distance: 6.2 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy - Moderate

Elevation Change: 400 feet

Trail Condition: Very Good

Restrictions: National Park Entrance Fee

Trailhead Coordinates: 33.950685, -116.159805

This loop capped off a perfect car camping weekend in Joshua Tree. Heading south on Keys View road, make a left onto Lost Horse Mine road about 2.4 miles past the fork at Park Boulevard. Continue down to the very end of Lost Horse Mine road and you will find parking and pit toilets at the trail head. Once you turn off Keys View, you will be on a dirt road to the trail head, but fear not, my little sub-compact Chevy made it with no problem. 

We hit the trail early in the morning, as it's a popular hike and the parking lot fills up. Heading in the clockwise direction, you have two options: the 4 mile and change out and back hike to the mine, or head around the mountain to complete the 6.2 mile loop. If you have enough energy and water, I strongly encourage you to complete the whole loop.

Heading up the hill toward Lost Horse Mine

The first two miles to Lost Horse Mine greeted us with a gradual incline and gentle, rolling hills. The hills were a smooth, refreshing change from the often striking and severe peaks and points towering above the desert floor. This area was badly burned by a fire and there is a noticeable lack of vegetation, so please do your part in helping this area recover by staying on trails and not disturbing the surrounding plants and wildlife. Shoot off the main trail to get a little closer to the mine and take a snack and water break before heading around the hill. Note that due to vandalism, the mine itself has been fenced in. While you can't get close enough to the mine to touch it, there are informative and interesting signs posted about the history of Lost Horse Mine and the importance of mining to the area in the early twentieth century.

The Valley Floor stretched out to the East

I wasn't sure what was in store for us as we headed past the mine and around the hill. Luckily for us, we were about to enter an area untouched by the recent fire with sweeping views of the basin to the East. Winding up and around the nearby hill, we were greeted by a lot of small elevation gains and losses as we twisted and turned toward Quail Wash. The trail here narrows quite a bit, and while mountain biking is forbidden on this trail, there were obvious tire tracks along the trail, so keep an eye out and be safe as you move along the ridge. Stop and take a minute to enjoy the views of the valley stretched out toward the East and see if you can spot Malapai Hill.

Chimney just before Quail Wash

The narrow hillside trail eventually flattens out into Quail Wash, the final portion of the Lost Horse Mine Loop. The Joshua Trees in this wash are absolutely superb. This portion of the trail surprised me with some of the largest and most elegant Joshua Trees I had seen in the park to date. I can only imagine what this wash must look and sound like after a thunderstorm or flash flood, with water rushing through the sand around the great trunks of the Joshua Trees. As this wash forks and winds through the valley, keep an eye out for posted signs keeping you on the trail. The park rangers do an excellent job of posting signs where turnoffs may be the most confusing, but it's up to you to navigate through the wash appropriately.

Quail Wash

Enjoy your last moments of solitude and the beauty of Joshua Tree as you wander through Quail Wash. Soon you will turn the corner and be back on Lost Horse Mine road, a few short steps from the parking lot. As you wind through the mine area, back around the mountain and through the wash I hope you enjoyed the scenery and all that Joshua Tree has to offer as much as I did.

Cabrillo National Monument

I have been so graciously invited by The Little Backpacker to contribute to her hiking chronicles. I recently went on a much (MUCH) smaller hike at Cabrillo National Monument. I highly recommend it for its leisure and sight seeing, not so much for the difficulty or stamina. However, I ended up exploring this little gem in December 2013. So, let's start from the beginning.

What did I bring? I brought my camelbak just as a place holder for my water bottle, keys, and power bars. I did not need to fill the pack because I knew the hike was short. A water bottle is sufficient. I also brought a couple of snacks because I spent a few hours there doing some exploring. Cabrillo National Monument is located in Point Loma overlooking the San Diego bay. The entrance fee was $5 which was well worth the exploring that I got to do. The area is small with gift shops, information centers, the trail, and the Cabrillo lighthouse and monument all in close proximity of each other. I went out early in the morning (meaning 10 am) to do some exploring before I hit the trail. It was well worth my time! So, I highly recommend you set apart some time to explore the lighthouse and the actual monument of Cabrillo. The view isn't too bad either overlooking the bay! If you do go up into the lighthouse I recommend a light jacket or windbreaker especially in the windy and winter months. Other than that jeans (or comfortable pants), a t-shirt, and some tennis shoes are the essentials and layer as necessary depending on weather.

So, the actual hike was not much of a hike at all but more of a stroll overlooking the ocean's edge. The trail is known as the Bayside Trail totaling 1.86 Miles round trip. It does not form a loop so you eventually reach an end with a gate cutting off the trail and you have to turn around to get back. The trail is located right off the light house path and takes you down through a spectacular view of San Diego and the ocean bay. Thankfully, the day I went it was beautiful and mostly clear so the view was the highlight. The trail is very well marked and looks more like an old service road so the terrain in manageable for all ages. The beginning part is moderately steep, but the rest is smooth sailing.

I do recommend this hike for beginners, like me, who are undecided if they want to take hiking up as a hobby. It was a great place to explore on my own and the view was phenomenal. I also got to break in my new hiking booth! There are plenty of activities for all. On the way out of the park I even stopped at the tide pools, but I did not stay long with the wind picking up that day. However, depending on the tide the tide pools may not always be visible. I hope this was helpful and make sure to add this small gem to your list of hikes.


 

Ryan Mountain

At A Glance

Distance: 2.96 miles (out and back)

Difficulty: Strenuous

Elevation Change: 1234 feet

Trail Condition: Very Good

Restrictions: National Park Entrance Fee

Trailhead Coordinates: 34.002611, -116.136592

Elevation Marker at the Peak

After spending my first weekend at Ryan campground, I had my sights set on Ryan mountain. This desert beauty towers over Juniper Flats, keeping the campground in the cool shade until the sun peers over the ridge in the mornings. Getting to the trailhead was a piece of cake. It's a short ride east from Ryan Campground on Park Boulevard. The popularity of the trail was immediately apparent. The trailhead is very well marked and boasts restrooms and relatively large paved parking lot.

View Northwest toward Wonderland of Rocks

Heading south, we started gaining elevation right away. As we started winding around the west side of the mountain, the views were already spectacular. The Joshua Tree forests of Juniper Flats and the Wonderland of Rocks to the north were beautiful. It provided ample motivation to make it to the top.

The trail hugs the West side of the mountains for the majority of the hike. Near the peak, it flattens out into a very small valley and heads toward the eastern side of the ridge. The last couple hundred yards start to give glimpses of the sweeping Eastward views from the summit.

View Southeast toward the Hexie Mountains

Once we arrived at the summit, it was immediately obvious why this was such a popular hike. The 1.5 miles up the ridge paled in comparison to the 360 degree views of the park. The Wonderland of Rocks rises in the North and the Joshua Tree forest of Juniper Flats stretches out to the West. Lost Horse Mine is hidden somewhere in the gentle hills to the South. The vast expanse of the Pinto Basin, abruptly halted by the Hexie Mountains, lies to the East. My only advice is to take a fleece or a windbreaker, as it can get blustery and chilly at the summit.


The takeaway from this hike: DO IT! The short 3 mile jaunt is well worth the incredible views of Joshua Tree NP stretched out below.

Simple Knit Beanie

It's getting a little bit chilly here in Southern California so it was time to break out the knitting needles and do something I've been wanting to for a long time: knit a beanie! I don't have a good beanie for backpacking, skiing and other general outdoors activities, so this was a perfect rainy day project. The beanie is very simple, with a k2 p2 around for the brim and a straight stockinette stitch for the rest. I knit it on circular needles, which are my new favorite thing.

Simple Knit Beanie

Here's what you will need:

-1 pair of US size 8 circular needles (16")
-3.5 ounces of medium weight yarn (something soft and warm so it won't make your forehead itchy)
-1 set of US size 8 DPNs

I used this pattern with a few of my own adjustments. I found that subtracting 2" from the brim wasn't quite enough for a nice, tight fit. I have started subtracting 2.5"-3", depending on the bulkiness of the yarn. I also make the brim 5"-6" thick. Luckily, this is a forgiving pattern and it doesn't take long to churn one out. It's easy to develop a feel for sizing the beanie after you make one or two.

After knitting a few of these for myself, my boyfriend and my sister, I got to try them out in Joshua Tree. It got down to right around freezing both times I have used it and I am very satisfied. The tight knit kept my head warm through the day and all night. My only takeaway is to use a VERY soft yarn, as a little bit of wear can make the beanie scratchy and itchier than initially anticipated.

Happy knitting!

Bushwhacking near Ryan Mountain

What started out as a hike to Lost Horse Mine via Ryan campground turned into an off-trail bushwhacking adventure south of Ryan mountain and east of Keys View road. After setting up camp at Ryan campground, we headed east down the California Riding and Hiking Trail (CRHT). After missing the 90 degree right turn, we turned around and headed west on CRHT, but missed the turn again! Finally, on the third try we were able to spot it. For your own notes, the turn is east of Ryan campground and right next to a National Park Service sign noting that the you are in a fragile burn recovery area. It's just after the CRHT makes a sharp(ish) left turn heading East.

South of CRHT & Ryan Mountain, Looking West

It was clear that this trail is not actively maintained and you should be confident in your backcountry navigation skills if you're going to head in this direction. Sections of the trail appear to be a long abandoned access road. Other sections will make you wonder if you are on any sort of trail at all! We wound up between a few small hills directly South of the CHRT turn off. This area was absolutely perfect for some backcountry camping so we will be back soon.

After passing through the hills, we started to turn slightly southeast and down into a wash. We hit what appeared to be a junction, consulted the map and made a left turn. There were plenty of footprints in this area, and the left turn appeared to be more heavily traveled. Post-hike analysis of the GPS trek and the trail map have indicated we should have continued straight, so this must have been the beginning of our backcountry bushwhacking adventure. We wound up eastward through a wash that had clearly been traveled by many before us. The scenery started to change as we gained a little bit of elevation. There was more shade and even a few pine trees as the trail narrowed and continued along a fold in between the hills.

Heading Through the Wash

We finally traveled far enough up the wash to where there was no longer a clear path forward. It was getting late in the afternoon as well, so we decided to turn around and bushwhack our way back to the trail junction. The hike back was smooth with one small exception: I walked straight into a cactus. When you have to really concentrate on finding the trail, punting a small cactus is easier than you might think. After continuing skin irritation and a little research, it turns out I bumped into a silver cholla cactus. They are native to the region and left mosquito-bite looking bumps on my legs for a few weeks. Luckily, it's all healed up now and the marks are barely noticeable.

Overall, this was a beautiful area of Joshua Tree and we noted a few great looking backcountry camping locations. We were disappointed about not making it to Lost Horse Mine, but I am really looking forward to the backcountry camping areas we scoped out. Another great thing about exploring roads less traveled is the opportunity for solitude. We didn't spot a single soul (except the bunnies of course)!