Distance: 3.6 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 4337'
Prominence: 1007'
Elevation Gain: 1077'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.8
Round trip time: 2 hours
Recommended water: 32 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Mountain View Lane (dirt)
Difficulty: Easy
I discovered Fairview Mountain while looking for a bonus on a desert Iron Mountain trip. I wasn't able to get to it then, but felt it deserved its own trip. It's a popular rock climbing paradise with dozens of sport and trad routes. The main goal was Fairview Mountain itself, but I hauled my rock climbing gear in case I found a route I thought I could top rope. I drove through Apple Valley, following dirt roads north from Cahuilla (Open Street maps named the road from Cahuilla Mountain View Lane). The dirt roads were in good shape, but I'd recommend high clearance. I could have driven a little closer, but didn't realize there was a turnaround at the start of the rock climbers trail. Right away, I met a friendly gopher snake. Leaving it be, I followed the trail that went all the way to the top, though many side trails branched out to the rocks. The formations were vertical and wildly interesting. Just below the summit, I met a red diamond rattler just off the trail, who politely notified me I was too close. Red diamonds are my favorite and she was a beauty. Eight feet was about her radius of concern. If I got closer, the sprinklers turned on. Outside that range, the sprinklers turned off. The encounter slowed my roll a bit as I completed the ascent. I went to the high point first, a class 2 affair about 90' from the benchmark. Then, I went to the benchmark and searched for a register without luck. Comiong down, I looked for sport routes I thought I could handle. The only one I liked was a mile from the truck and I wasn't sure I could anchor a rope behind it. When I got back, I settled for some bouldering near where I parked. I climbed two boulder piles, both going solid class 3, then called it a day. The area reminded me of Joshua Tree. It was a short, but fun day.
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