Shangrila - 3.3.2020
We parked at the upper Boy Scout Trail in Joshua Tree National Park... from the west entrance pay station of the park... drive Park Blvd 6.5 miles to the trailhead.
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This sign is located 100 feet up the trail from the parking lot... not really sure why it isn't located at the parking lot... we will follow the Boy Scout Trail to the junction with the Willow Hole Trail.
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Still on the Boy Scout Trail... nearing Ellsmere Island in the foreground.
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An interesting cloud formation... fresh snow at higher elevation on the horizon.
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After hiking 1.2 miles we will leave the Boy Scout Trail and start hiking on the Willow Hole Trail.
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On the Willow Hole Trail... with Outer Mongolia out there in the distance.
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After hiking a total of 2.4 miles (1.2 miles on the Willow Hole Trail) we have left the Willow Hole Trail to head deeper into the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Hiking east into the Wonderland of Rocks.
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After hiking a total of 2.8 miles we have turned south and are heading for Shangrila... with every step off trail.
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It didn't take very long for the wash to end and force us to scramble up some boulders to reach a higher shelf in the wonderland.
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Here comes Golden Eagle.
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Still looking for another wash.
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Still looking for another wash.
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We have reached another shelf... now we will scramble over the right shoulder of the rock formation in the foreground.
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Star Dancer leads us up the scramble to the ridge above.
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tomman and BarbE coming up to the ridge.
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We have scrambled down to another shelf in the wonderland.
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Denali Girl is scrambling up another pile of boulders.
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Denali Girl working the boulders.
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Almost to a view into Shangrila.
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After hiking 3.9 miles we reached a ridge that gave us this view of Shangrila... what we call the Matterhorn is out there in the center of the photo.
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tomman comes down from the ridge to join a shelf in Shangrila.
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Plenty of work is left to exit Shangrila.
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After hiking a total of 4.6 miles we have left Shangrila and are looking for the Boy Scout Trail to get us back to the car.
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After hiking a total of 5.2 miles we have rejoined the Boy Scout Trail... leaving a 1.3 mile hike back to the car... the trip was 6.5 miles, gaining 519 feet of elevation.
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