Distance: 4.2 miles round trip cross country
Summit Elevation: 4493'
Prominence: 1153'
Elevation Gain: 1345'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.0
Round trip time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Recommended water: 24 oz.
Parking/Fees: $30 National Parks Fee or National Parks Pass
Difficulty: Easy
Forty days and forty nights after my ankle break, I bagged the Cottonwood Mountains High Point in Joshua Tree. Under normal circumstances, Cottonwood would have been the first of a two or three peak outing, but with the recovering ankle, it was about the right amount of challenge. I chose an easy desert peak as a starter, but one that would test the ankle from all directions and let me start rebuilding the tendons and ligaments in my foot, and the muscle in my right calf. There was no trail to Cottonwood, but it was a short hike starting about four miles up Pinkham Canyon Road. I had been down this dirt road in 2015 when I hiked Monument Mountain. Monument was north of Pinkham Canyon Road and Cottonwood was south. The road was in better shape than I remember. Passenger cars can likely make the trip without issues.
I pulled off the road at an open spot. Several bumps were visible in the direction of Cottonwood, but there were two false summits, so the summit was not visible from my parking spot. I pulled on my flexible brace, but was uncertain how the ankle would hold up on the slopes. I was concerned mostly with side hill angles and coming down. There was a flat approach to the ridge, then a gentle rise. The rocks at this point were small and grass was abundant making the footing quite solid. Damp ground from recent rain also helped. I moved more slowly than usual, paying close attention to where I stepped with my right foot. Reaching the first false summit, I was fooled into thinking the next bump was the goal. The angles on the false summits were higher, but only moderate class 1. I reached the summit with some relief and found a register dated 1978, courtesy of Wes Shelberg. There were some nice views, but San Jacinto and San Gorgonio were both hiding in the clouds. Since Cottonwood was not on many lists, it doesn't see the kind of traffic other JT peaks enjoy. However, it is a P1K so it's not ignored. This day, I had the entire mountain to myself. Getting down proved even slower. Whenever I had weight on the right foot, and my toes were below my heel, there was discomfort. Needs work. At my normal pace, this hike would have taken me 45 minutes less. Still, I was satisfied to be outside and put something on the scoreboard.
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