Distance: 7.1 miles round trip cross country
Summit Elevation: 4254'
Prominence: 706'
Elevation Gain: 2568'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 2.0
Round trip time: 5 hours
Recommended water: 48 oz.
Parking/Fees: $35 National Parks Fee or Annual Pass at turnout on Pinto Basin Road
Difficulty: Moderate
I had a chance to meet up with Adam Walker and his girlfriend, Frances, for a Joshua Tree quest. Peak 4254 had not even been on my radar, but Adam had it as a prominence goal and it sounded fun. We met at a turnout on Pinto Basin Road and got started around 8 AM. The sun was muted by weird high altitude clouds. Unusual weather. We crossed the road and headed for one of the two ridge lines eventually leading to Peak 4254. After the first slope, we were on a large plateau for a mile or so before gaining the ridge. Black volcanic rock and boulders dominated the area. The ridge was punctuated with bumps of various sizes. A couple of the bumps were substantial and entailed some light class 2 to go over/around. We cached some water about half way. Adam did an expert job of navigating through the obstacles. After clearing the final steep bump, we had a more gentle walk up to the summit. I didn't see a benchmark, but there was a small register placed in 2009. There had been few visitors since then. Views from the top were splendid despite the strange lighting. A moat of giant boulders guarded the plains to the east. Pinto Mountain and Monument Mountain rose high in the distance. After hanging out on top for awhile, we headed back the same way. We tried to side hill around the largest bump, which worked, but I am not sure it was easier than going over. The rest of the descent went smoothly. It was a fun and interesting ridge, much better than I would have guessed from the starting point. Always great to see old hiking friends.
