Contact Mine, Point 3937 and Point 3784 - 2.9.2018
From the north entrance fee station to Joshua Tree National Park, drive a half-mile to this parking area on the right side of the road... the kiosk doesn't mention anything about the Contact Mine, but this is the starting place.
|
The path is well marked from the parking area.
|
There are plenty of signs to keep a person on track.
|
Nice steps.
|
Cholla cacti.
|
The Contact Mine is up there somewhere.
|
Gaining elevation toward the Contact Mine.
|
Gaining elevation and looking back at the trail cutting across the hillside... Twentynine Palms Mountain is on the right horizon... with the Bullion Mountains in the distance in the center of the photo.
|
Mining equipment.
|
One of a couple mine shafts that we saw at the Contact Mine.
|
More mining equipment.
|
Still more mining equipment.
|
Gail headed back to the car while I continued north up a drainage toward the ridge above.
|
I decided to leave the drainage and head for Point 3937 on the right.
|
Nearing Point 3937... looking down at the light gray tailings pile of the mine in the center of the photo.
|
Nearing Point 3937.
|
On Point 3937... looking north across the town of Twentynine Palms to the Bullion Mountains.
|
Looking down on the Contact Mine from Point 3937.
|
From Point 3937 I'm going to cross over the gnarly looking rock formation in the left foreground and work my way over to Point 3784 on the right.
|
Looks like a fun little scramble ahead.
|
Heading up.
|
On top of that gnarly thing now... I will follow the ridge to Point 3784 (two bumps from where I am).
|
Looking east and SE to the Pinto Mountains as I work my way over to Point 3784.
|
Point 3784 is on the right.
|
From Point 3784 I can see the park entrance on the far left of the photo and Park Boulevard that leads a half-mile to where the car is parked... time to head down.
|
Not the most fun terrain getting down off of the ridge, but it has to be done.
|
Looking back at the route I used to get off of the ridge.
|
Working my way down from the ridge.
|
Heading back to the car.
|
This makes me think of hiking on sand dunes.
|
I started following a wash... but like a lot of washes, there are big boulders blocking them in places.
|
Looking back after dealing with the blockade.
|
Looking back at the blockade and the ridge where I was earlier in the day.
|
Almost on the desert floor now.
|
Less than a half-mile from the car... looking back the ridge... the Contact Mine is somewhere on the hillside near the pyramid on the left skyline.
|
