Thursday, December 19, 2019

Aqua Benchmark and Spectre Peak

Hiked: 12/18/2019
Distance: 13.3 miles round trip cross country
Summit Elevation: 4419' (Aqua), 4482' (Spectre)
Prominence: 2546' (Spectre)
Elevation Gain: 3800'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 3.0
Round trip time: 9 hours 10 minutes
Recommended water: 144 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at turn out on Highway 62
Difficulty: Strenuous

Hardcore Henry and I drove to the Coxcomb Mountains east of Joshua Tree for Aqua Benchmark and Spectre Peak (DPS #75). We parked at a turnout near mile marker 72 off highway 62. The Coxcomb Mountains are a rugged collection of rocks and spires eerily uniform in all directions. Landmarks are difficult to discern making navigation difficult without GPS. We decided to make a loop out of it by ascending a shortcut gully and descending the standard route gully. The three main attractions in this range are Aqua Benchmark, Spectre Peak, and Dyadic Point. While all are challenging, Dyadic is more technical and we opted to save it for a separate trip.

We started just before sunrise with the temp hovering around freezing. The high for the day was supposed to hit the mid-40s but at elevation, it stayed very cold. The 3+ mile approach followed a sandy wash with few obstacles. I was surprised by the almost complete lack of cactus. Grass, catclaw, and a few hardy shrubs were the only vegetation. At the shortcut gully, the scrambling started in earnest. The rock for the most part was poor. Don't trust anything without testing it first. There was one difficult puzzle in the first section that lacked obvious holds. Henry found a way up on the right side while I stemmed a narrow chimney on the left. After topping out the first section, a long middle section rose moderately. The third and final steep section seemed to go on forever before dumping us out on the northwest shoulder of Aqua. We continued directly to the summit with a register and benchmark. It took about four hours to reach Aqua but most of the gain was behind us. Amazing views stretched out in all directions. Spectre and Dyadic were directly across a wash. This angle on Dyadic was striking. We signed in then quickly dropped off the summit to get out of the wind. While descending toward Spectre, I broke off a 100 pound piece of rotting rock that thankfully missed my foot.



Sandy wash




Shortcut gully


Crux move in the shortcut


Looking back from the top of the first section



The middle section of the shortcut


Henry approaching Aqua Benchmark




On the summit with Spectre directly behind


Dyadic Point from Aqua


From the Aqua summit

We crossed the wash toward Spectre and stopped for an energy break where we were sheltered from the wind. I dropped my pack and marked the location. Approaching Spectre, we spotted small cairns that led us on a relatively easy path beyond the base. The ascent was class 3 along ledges with a few airy moves. Half way up, we lost the cairns and ran into tougher moves among the giant boulders. Fortunately, while looking for a way up we spotted a cairn about 20' below in a place we could down climb. That got us back on track and within a few minutes, we were at the summit. There was no benchmark, but the large ammo box contained several registers. We signed the large book that had a dedication to the Navy on the first page. Several other parties had visited within the last couple of months. These obscure desert peaks seemed to be gaining a bit of popularity. Like Aqua, the views were stunning. We hung around a bit on the summit before starting down. I returned to pick up my pack, then we descended the standard route wash that goes between Aqua and Dyadic.


Heading to Spectre




Half way up




Ammo box with register






Looking over at Aqua




Dyadic from Spectre





Although there was a little more scrambling in the wash on the way down, it was easier than our shortcut on the way up. The route out also had useful cairns that bypassed a few dry falls. Near the bottom, we met a tarantula that was likely close to frozen. It didn't react as we photographed it. We continued down until we hit the major wash running perpendicular. Another mile and change closed our loop and we trudged the 3+ miles out to the highway. Spectre was a worthy opponent in unique terrain.


Frozen water puddle


Descending the standard route






Cold spider


note: GPS readings in convoluted terrain are somewhat error prone


Would you like to know more...?

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Shake Benchmark

Hiked: 12/1/2019
Distance: 0.3 miles round trip cross country
Summit Elevation: 3055'
Elevation Gain: 128'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.1
Round trip time: 20 minutes
Recommended water: 0 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on dirt road below Shake
Difficulty: Easy

Shake was a bonus on the way back from Guard/Agua/Store. To reach it, I took a dirt road from S2 north of Shake and was able to drive right up under it. It was a short hike to the top where I found the benchmark, register and a reference mark on the highest boulder. The reference mark was higher than the triangulation benchmark. It had quite a remarkable view for a small pile of rocks. I signed in, took a few quick photos and headed down.


Summit view toward Granite Mountain




Guard, Agua, and Store Benchmarks

Hiked: 12/1/2019
Distance: 4.5 miles round trip cross country
Summit Elevation: 1592' (Guard), 1429' (Agua), 2040' (Store)
Elevation Gain: 1100'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.9
Round trip time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Recommended water: 32 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at turnout on Highway S2
Difficulty: Easy

This was a benchmark hunt just north of Agua Caliente County Park. From a central parking spot, I determined that I could hike to Guard, Agua, and Store Benchmarks. The first two were trivial, and even adding Store to the mix didn't raise the difficulty much. It was a welcome reprieve from the nail biter on Elder North.

First up was Guard. It was hard to spot the high point from the parking area. I just started up the ridge and half a mile later arrived at the benchmark, which was stamped "VALLE". This one got renamed at some point. No register. I returned to the car, then headed the other direction for Agua. It barely rose 100' above the plains. The small mark was placed by the Department of Beaches and Parks. This one did have a register and a handful of signatures going all the way back to 1996. After signing in, I glanced over at Store which looked more substantial.



Looking toward Guard


Guard BM stamped VALLE


Snow covered Laguna Mountains


Looking toward Agua


Agua BM




Looking across toward Store

Back at the 4Runner, I looked over the GPS route I created for Store BM. While it could have been ascended directly, I wanted to head up the nearest gully and circle around behind it. Canyons sometimes have secrets and I wanted to blend in some exploration. The gully did not reveal any secrets and was mostly clear of debris. Class 1 all the way. When I got to the top of the gully, I turned left and went up the ridge to the summit. When I got home, I realized the benchmark was not at the high point. There were great views down to Agua Caliente Park and the park was full of campers. Directly below was the marsh at the end of one of the trails from the park. I haven't been on that trail yet. I returned back down the gully. It had taken so little time, I looked for a bonus on the way back and decided on Shake Benchmark.


Starting up the gully


Top of the gully


Back door to Store BM


Agua Caliente from the Store summit


Tierra Blancas from Store BM

<

Truck and Whale Peak in the background