Inspiration Peak, Point 5558 and Point 5551 - 2.3.2023
We parked at the end of Keys View Road in Joshua Tree National Park.
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50 yards uphill from where we parked we got this view looking across Coachella Valley to part of the Santa Rosa Mountains on the left horizon to the San Jacinto Mountains on the right horizon... and the snow covered San Jacinto Peak (10,834 feet) sits above the city of Palm Springs.
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From the parking lot we started hiking NW on an obvious (but not official) path that starts gaining elevation immediately... our first point of interest is Point 5558... the pyramidal shaped point out there in the center of the photo... the peakbagger.com website refers to it as South Inspiration.
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Looking back as Denali Girl hikes towards me... you can see the Keys View parking area in the distance behind her... you can also see a good portion of Coachella Valley as the Salton Sea begins to come into view on the left-center horizon.
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We are hiking in the Little San Bernardino Mountains... which forms a lot of the park's western border... here looking into the park at Lost Horse Valley in the center of the photo... with Point 5558 being the pryamidal shaped point on the far left... with Inspiration Peak being the flatish bump to the right of Point 5558.
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We will be giving up a little elevation as we go down and then back up to Point 5558 (aka South Inspiration).... with San Jacinto Peak across Coachella Valley on the left horizon.
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Nearing Point 5558.
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After hiking a total of .6 miles we have reached the summit of Point 5558... where we met a friendly couple... we offered to take their photo... and they returned the favor.
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We have continued hiking NW on a very nice trail... here looking back at Point 5558... with more of the Salton Sea coming into view on the left horizon... with the Santa Rosa Mountains on the right horizon.
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Going to give up a little elevation as we continue hiking NW in the direction of Inspiration Peak.
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Finally a really good view of the flatish Inspiration Peak in the foreground... with Point 5551 in the distance on the right.
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I call it a 'hippie shack'... but it actually belongs to the U.S. Government... perhaps housing some of our top secret materials!... that is not Inspiration Peak behind Denali Girl, but it is very close to the summit of the peak.
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Passing by the rock formation behind Denali Girl in the previous photo... and now we can see the flatish summit of Inspiration Peak over there on the horizon.
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After hiking a total of one mile Denali Girl gets ready to stand on the summit of Inspiration Peak.
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The benchmark on Inspiration Peak... placed in 1939.
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Denali Girl relaxes on the summit of Inspiration Peak... with Lost Horse Mountain on the horizon just to the left of her head... with Ryan Mountain and Queen Mountain on the left-center horizon.
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A close up from the summit of Inspiration Peak... looking across Coachella Valley to the San Jacinto Mountains on the left horizon... and the San Bernardino Mountains on the right horizon... which houses the snow covered San Gorgonio Mountain... at 11,503 feet it is the highest point in southern California.
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Leaving the summit of Inspiration Peak it is time to leave the good trail and head for Point 5551 out there in the foreground.
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Hiking over to Point 5551 I took this photo... looking across Lost Horse Valley to Ryan Mountain on the right side of the tree trunk... and Queen Mountain on the left side of the tree trunk.
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After hiking a total of 1.4 miles we are standing on the summit of Point 5551... looking NE across Lost Horse Valley to Ryan Mountain in the center of the photo... with Queen Mountain in the distance on the left beyond Ryan... with Lost Horse Mountain in the right-center of the photo.
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Time to leave Point 5551 and back back over to the ridge we left earlier.
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Working our way back over to the ridge that looks down on Coachella Valley... with the San Bernardino Mountains on the horizon.
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Denali Girl working a section of rocks as we head for the ridge that looks down on Coachella Valley.
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Denali Girl enjoys a nice little rock formation that I built for her.
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After hiking a total of 2 miles Denali Girl has reached the ridge that looks down on Coachella Valley... with San Jacinto Peak on the horizon in the center of the photo.
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Back on the ridge... looking out across Coachella Valley on the right to the Santa Rosa Mountains... with Inspiration Peak on the horizon in the left-center of the photo.
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Working our way back to Inspiration Peak in the foreground on the far left... with Point 5558 on the horizon in the left-center of the photo.
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Almost back on the summit of Inspiration Peak... glad we didn't have to deal with the steep terrain in this photo.
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After hiking a total of 2.5 miles we are back on the summit of Inspiration Peak... completing the loop portion of our hike... now it is time to hike on the nice trail back over to Point 5558 on the horizon in the center of the photo.
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After hiking a total of 2.9 miles we are leaving Point 5558 and heading down to the Keys View Parking area... with the Salton Sea on the horizon in the center of the photo... the total hike was 3.5 miles, gaining 784 feet of elevation.
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