Crystal Staircase - 1.3.2022
We parked at the trailhead for the Wall Street Mill... it is a dirt parking lot located a quarter mile NE of the paved parking lot for Barker Dam... Falcon joined Star Dancer, Denali Girl and me for this adventure.
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After hiking a tenth of a mile turn left on an unsigned trail... then hike another tenth of a mile to the Pink House... aka the Worth Bagley Ranch.
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We have departed the Pink House and are hiking north into the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Passing by 'The Shark' as we continue hiking north in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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The Astro Domes.
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After hiking a total of 1.3 miles we are passing by the 'Freak Brothers Dome'.
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Shortly after hiking by the 'Freak Brothers Dome' we turned right (east)... and after hiking a total of 1.5 miles we are nearing the 'Red Obelisk'.
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Continuing beyond the 'Red Obelisk' in search of 'The Shrine'.
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Hiking NE now in the Wonderland of Rocks in search of 'The Shrine'.
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After hiking a total of 1.7 miles we can see 'The Shrine'.
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Star Dancer and Denali Girl relax at 'The Shrine'.
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Shortly after leaving 'The Shrine' and hiking a total of 1.9 miles, Star Dancer leads us into 'The Chute'.
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Denali Girl and Falcon working their way down 'The Chute'.
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Continuing down 'The Chute'.
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Denali Girl took this photo of me coming down part of 'The Chute'.
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An animal (probably a bighorn sheep) didn't do as well as we did in 'The Chute'.
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Done with 'The Chute' and and after hiking a total of 3 miles we are beginning to work our way down the 'Crystal Staircase'.
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Continuing down the 'Crystal Staircase'.
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Continuing down the 'Crystal Staircase'.
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Continuing to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks... now looking for a route that will take us to a possible entry into the 'Valley of Kings'.
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Searching for a route into the 'Valley of Kings'.
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Searching for a route into the 'Valley of Kings'.
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Denali Girl took this photo of me as we continue to look for a route into the 'Valley of Kings'.
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Sometimes a person has to crawl their way in the passage... and after hiking a total of 3.8 miles we had to stop our search and head for the cars.
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Looking back to the north as we hike south.
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Looking back to the north as we hike south.
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Continuing to hike south back to our cars... looks like a stretch of easier terrain.
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Continuing to hike south... but here looking north from what I call 'Panorama Point'... beyond the Wonderland of Rocks is Yucca Valley.
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Hiking south in one of the many washes in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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There is still some bouldering to do on the way back to the cars.
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Continuing to hike south on our way back to the cars.
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After hiking a total of 6 miles we are entering what Star Dancer calls 'Little Tibet'.
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Denali Girl nears the pass at the south end of 'Little Tibet'.
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Denali Girl got this photo of me just after crossing the pass at the southern end of 'Little Tibet'.
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Looking north from near the pass at the southern end of 'Little Tibet'... there is still some work to do.
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Continuing to hike south in the Wonderland of Rocks... now in search of the 'Wall Street Mill'.
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Continuing to hike south in the Wonderland of Rocks... Ryan Mountain is barely visible behind the foothills in the foreground.
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One giant step remains!
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After hiking a total of 6.5 miles we have reached the 'Wall Street Mill'.
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We are a stone's throw from the parking lot now... and no, this car or truck is not in the parking lot... the hike/scramble was a total of 7.3 miles, gaining 627 feet of elevation.
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