Needing some solitude, physical exertion, and intricate time-worn beauty to shake things up I opted for a solo escape to Joshua Tree's Wonderland of Rocks. Even though it is only 1.5 hours from my house, time has gone by so quickly such that my last visit was somehow 7 years ago! I sketched out a new route, this one diving a little deeper into the center of the Wonderland hoping to provide some added challenge and isolation. Joshua Tree is known the world over for its isolated rockpile towers of monzogranite, known geomorphically as inselbergs, or "island mountains." In the Wonderland of Rocks however these towers are densely packed into an incredible 2.5D maze with only the occasional narrow wash between continuous stretches of bedrock and boulders. In fact it would be an ideal place to play the most epic (and exhausting) game of "The Floor Is Lava" where you must traverse the entire thing without stepping a single foot onto loose sand. Perhaps that is 2018's challenge.
I had a nice and early start such that I was the first car at the Barker Dam parking lot at 7:30a, and set off still in the cold morning shadows. After walking the first thousand feet on the trail to get me started, I veered off onto the rocks where I would remain for most of the day. The terrain is such that a topo map is pretty much useless and aerial photos are of only partial use because of the subtlety of the features. What looks easy in the aerial photos might roll over into an impossible cliff, what looks like a difficult boulder pile might have a hidden cavern route to spiral down. There is sometimes a small difference between a 30ft deep crack that can be safely jumped across and one that can have dire consequences. Often an easy ramp-like approach will lead to a saddle, only to find a far more formidable set of obstacles on the other side. Navigation is landmark to landmark, and then move by move. In the space of a few hours I must have jumped about a hundred times between rocks.
In little time at all I passed Barker Dam and approached perhaps the most distinct monolith in the Wonderland, the Astro Dome (several following pictures). This is one of the more popular climbing areas here and was one of the few places I saw footprints. I walked not much more than a thousand feet along one of the wider washes before veering into a boulder-strewn fractured hallway, then over a high saddle between two towers. Across a wash and then over another saddle brought me to a surprising sight.
Here in almost the dead center of the Wonderland was a 100m diameter intrusion of different granite more prone to weathering. It was surrounded by an apron of decomposed granite densely packed with prickly pear and yucca. I carefully stepped through the guardians of the fortress and climbed its walls to its flattish summit. Although only around 11a this was too good a lunch spot to pass up and so I enjoyed a snack and the panoramic view from the heart of it all (see the frontispiece).
Descending from the fortress I spied a particularly dark hallway and slab dome that I wanted to try out. This proved to be one of the more challenging portions of my route as I traversed over, under, and around room-sized boulders, sometimes taking several detours before successfully finding a way through. I could see where I needed to get to but could only get there by ticking off about a half a dozen possibilities until I found a route that worked. All was quiet apart from my grunts as I made demanding moves. Once up I was briefly awarded one of the better saddle views of the trip. I somehow had a long way down to go though! Getting down ended up being the sportiest part of the route as I had to chimney and crabwalk my way down the only possible route.
The terrain got comparatively easier but I decided to traverse across three more washes before climbing a prominent peak for a snack. Though I still had the energy and daylight, this seemed like a logical turning around point since I did not have a shuttle set and needed to return. It was mid-winter but I was perfectly comfortable to be sans shirt in the dry high desert air.
I chose an easier way back, this time making good use of the wash network for vastly quicker and straighter walking, though occasionally finding some bedrock ridges hard to resist. It was not until I exited the Wonderland that I saw my first person of the day, and then many more after that. I returned to a 100% filled parking lot and was appreciative of my adventure.
Though I did not get to do a through-trip because I did not have a shuttle vehicle I still had a great day of exploring. At least at my own pace I could maximize my challenges. I wish I could remember every creative downclimb, mantle, chimney, crawl, and jump I had to do to complete my route but all I will remember is the cumulative satisfaction of muscle burn and traversing a unique and remote place. Every trip into the Wonderland makes the maze slightly less insurmountable and a little more familiar, but I still feel there is much more to explore and look forward to my next trip.
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