Shangri-la - 3.8.2018
We started this hike from the Boy Scout Trailhead in Joshua Tree National Park.
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Lots of Joshua trees near the beginning of the Boy Scout Trail.
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The Boy Scout Trail is well traveled.
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After hiking the Boy Scout Trail for ~1.2 miles the trail junctions with the Willow Hole Trail.
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We hiked on the Willow Hole Trail for awhile and then followed a less-traveled path.
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Looking NW to a snow capped San Gorgonio Mountain on the horizon.
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Amazing rock formations in virtually every direction.
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Break time on our way to Shangri-la.
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Rocks.
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Doing a little scrambling... Gail is giving a lot of respect to that catclaw by her right knee... if you don't do so, it will rip you to shreds.
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Working our way through the passage to Shangri-la.
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Melanie (our awesome guide for the day) shows us some petroglyphs along our route.
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Welcome to Shangri-la... now roam around to your heart's content.
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Hiking and scrambling in Shangri-la.
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Hiking and scrambling in Shangri-la.
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Melanie has been hiking in Joshua Tree National Park for more than 30 years.
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Hiking and scrambling in Shangri-la.
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Rocks everywhere!
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Hiking and scrambling in Shangri-la.
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Did I mention that there were rocks everywhere?
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Tom comes up to check out my perch.
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Continuing to roam through Shangri-la.
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Hiking and scrambling in Shangri-la.
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Going through little passes in Shangri-la that open up into broader rock gardens.
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Follow the leader.
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Scrambling through one of the little passes in Shangri-la.
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Looking for Waldo.
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A nice lunch stop.
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Roaming around at our lunch stop.
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If you happen to see a rock that you like, let me know.
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Rocks.
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Hiking and scrambling in Shangri-la.
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Hiking and scrambling in Shangri-la.
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Hiking and scrambling in Shangri-la.
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Hiking and scrambling in Shangri-la.
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Hiking and scrambling in Shangri-la.
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Hiking and scrambling in Shangri-la.
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Shangri-la's version of the Matterhorn on the left.
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There is a little pass to the left of the Matterhorn... and I'm going to check it out.
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Looking across the pass to the left of the Matterhorn to a very interesting rock formation in the distance on the right.
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A closer look at the interesting rock formation.
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Out of Shangri-la and back to the real world.
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Melanie is going to show us some more petroglyphs before we head back to the car.
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Petroglyphs.
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Petroglyphs... a little over a mile of hiking will get us back to the car... our total trip was 5.7 miles, gaining 426 feet of elevation.
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