Elephant Arches - 3.14.2020
From the west entrance pay station to Joshua Tree National Park... drive Park Blvd for 8.9 miles and turn left onto Hidden Valley Road... then drive 1.7 miles to the shared parking lot for the Barker Dam Trail and the Wall Street Mill Trail.
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We have left the paved parking lot and are hiking toward the Wall Street Mill... NE along the southern boundary of the Wonderland of Rocks.
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After hiking less than a quarter-mile we have reached the unpaved parking lot for the Wall Street Mill... today the dirt road to this lot was closed due to a couple days of heavy rain.
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Continuing beyond the unpaved parking lot we have reached the Worth Bagley homestead after hiking a half-mile... aka the Wonderland Ranch... aka the Pinkhouse.
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We have entered the southern entrance to the Wonderland of Rocks... and are hiking north.
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Continuing north in the Wonderland of Rocks... with our first good look at the two Astro Domes.
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Continuing north in the wonderland... with 'The Camel' in the distance.
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After hiking a total of 1.6 miles we are passing by the 'Freak Brothers' rock formation.
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Continuing north in the wonderland beyond the Camel and the Freak Brothers... possibly the most water I have ever seen in the wonderland.
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Looking back at the Camel as we continue hiking north in the wonderland.
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After hiking a total of 2.1 miles we have left the very broad Wonderland Wash and turned east into a narrow wash/canyon in search of the Elephant Arches.
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It didn't take very long to realize that we had passed by the wash entrance that would lead us directly to the Elephant Arches... we could go up this wash/canyon to reach the correct wash or we could backtrack into the broad Wonderland Wash and go back a short distance to enter the correct wash... Denali Girl and I decided to explore this wash while Star Dancer decided to backtrack... then we could meet her at the end of this wash.
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The wash got really narrow here... looks like it might be blocked up there.
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It isn't blocked... but we did need to take off our packs to get through.
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Here comes Denali Girl... she will lean her back into the rock wall on the right... and side step along the rock surface on the left... kind of different.
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Looking back as we continue up this narrow wash... working our way over to meet Star Dancer in the correct wash.
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Looking ahead... kind of challenging, but we will find a route on the far right.
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Here comes Denali Girl... leaving the narrow wash and coming up higher.
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A nice little slot.
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Denali Girl looks down at me as I look for a route.
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Denali Girl follows me through this narrow passage.
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Denali Girl comes out of the narrow passage... and after hiking a total of 2.4 miles we are back in the correct wash that will take us to the Elephant Arches.
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In the correct wash now... and heading for the gap in the distance.
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Nearing the gap.
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After hiking a total of 2.6 miles Denali Girl is standing at the gap and looking at the two huge Elephant Arches... the arches aren't obvious from this viewpoint... in fact, in 2018 I stood here and didn't even realize that I was looking at the arches... I will continue over to the tree on the far right and get a different angle on the arches.
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The two Elephant Arches.
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The two Elephant Arches.
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I'm actually looking through both of the Elephant Arches.
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Denali Girl took this photo of me (yellow hat over by the tree on the far right)... which gives a better idea of how huge these two arches are.
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Coming back down from the gap and hiking out of this wash... on our way back to the Wonderland Wash.
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After hiking a total of 2.9 miles we have rejoined the Wonderland Wash... with the Camel out there in the distance.
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Approaching the Freak Brothers (center of photo) in the Wonderland Wash.
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Taking a well deserved break in the Wonderland... admiring the two Astro Domes in the distance.
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Working our way over toward the Astro Domes.
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Approaching Don Juan Boulder at the SE end of the Astro Domes.
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After hiking a total of 4 miles Star Dancer and Denali Girl are at the base of the Don Juan Boulder... with the south Astro Dome behind it.
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Continuing beyond the Don Juan Boulder and heading south for Barker Lake.
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Continuing beyond the Don Juan Boulder and heading south for Barker Lake... clouds are forming.
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Continuing beyond the Don Juan Boulder and heading south for Barker Lake.
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After hiking a total of 4.4 miles we have reached the east side of Barker Lake... a week earlier we literally walked right across it... another half-mile of hiking will get us back to our car... the total hike was 4.9 miles, gaining 522 feet of elevation.
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