Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Mount Inspiration

Hiked: 4/5/2021
Distance: 1.8 miles round trip on use trail
Summit Elevation: 5560'
Prominence: 800'
Elevation Gain: 882'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.7
Round trip time: 1 hour
Recommended water: 32 oz.
Parking/Fees: $30 National Parks Fee (1 car good for 7 days)
Difficulty: Easy

Leisa and I drove to Keys View, a walk up lookout. There were quite a few people at the lookout, but we walked away from it to the start of the use trail to Mount Inspiration (HPS #227). We followed the use trail up to the main ridge, then down a couple of hundred feet to the saddle below peak 5558. It was a short climb to 5558, and the use trail kind of disappears around the pile of boulders at the top. We went over/through some boulders which involved some minimal scrambling, but Leisa was not particularly happy about it, picking up some scratched legs getting over. I had not warned her about this section because I was not aware of it. Dropping to the saddle below Inspiration, we discovered a metal shed that had "fire hose" stamped on the side. The shed was locked and one of the strangest things I had seen in Joshua Tree. We continued the short distance to the summit which had a proper register, a benchmark and two reference marks. Views were again dampened by the partly cloudy skies. When we returned, we side hilled around 5558, but could not totally avoid climbing around/over a few boulders. When were approached the parking area, we met one other couple on their way up. It was a stark contrast to the zombie hordes on Ryan. Inspiration was short, but more fun than Ryan.



Fire shed

Leisa on the summit

Benchmark 1977


San Jacinto in the distance


Almost back to Keys View

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