Astro Dome - 3.25.2023
We parked at the 'Echo T' parking lot in Joshua Tree National Park... that is Echo Rock on the right... and we will hike between Echo Rock and the rock formation on the far left.
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We are hiking on the west side of Echo Rock (not in photo)... and Crazy Horse is heading directly toward the Astro Dome on the horizon.
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After hiking a total of .9 miles we are getting ready to leave the desert floor and scramble up to a plateau in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Crazy Horse scrambling up to a plateau in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Crazy Horse has almost reached the plateau in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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We have reached the plateau... here looking back down at the desert floor where we were earlier... with some foothills and Ryan Mountain on the horizon in the left part of the photo.
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Crazy Horse relaxes in the shade of a pinyon pine... with the Astro Dome on the horizon just to the left of the pinyon pine.
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We are on a plateau-like formation in the Wonderland of Rocks... but we still need to go up, over and down some rocks to get over to the Astro Dome.
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Getting closer to the Astro Dome... but we can't go straight over to it because of the rocks... so we will start hiking NW on the west side of the Astro Dome in search of a little canyon that will help us access the dome.
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Here we are looking back at Valhalla Dome on the horizon as we continue hiking NW searching for that little canyon that will give us access to the Astro Dome.
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Continuing to hike NW along the west side of the Astro Dome. Actually there are two Astro Domes... a north Astro Dome in the left center of the photo... and a south Astro Dome in the right center of the photo... and you can see the ramp just below the summit that we will use to reach the summit of the south Astro Dome.
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After hiking a total of 1.7 miles we have reached the little canyon that will take us over to where we will begin the Class 3/4 scramble up to the ramp that will get us up to the summit of the south Astro Dome.
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Now hiking east in the little canyon... looking for the place to exit the canyon.
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We needed to make ourselves small right here in the little canyon.
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After hiking a total of 1.7 miles it is time to exit the little canyon and begin the Class 3/4 scramble up to the summit of south Astro Dome.
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Scrambling up the boulders that will get us up to the ramp.
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We will scramble up beyond the dead tree.
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Almost at the dead tree which is a good landmark for this scramble.
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Now scrambling beyond the dead tree.
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Crazy Horse took this photo of me scrambling up in search of the ramp that will make it easy to access the Astro Dome summit.
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After hiking a total of 1.8 miles we are on the ramp that will get us to the summit.
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Crazy Horse took this selfie of us on the ramp.
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Continuing to hike along the ramp.
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Crazy Horse is almost on the summit... the erosion provides very nice steps.
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After hiking a total of 1.9 miles we are on the 4624 foot summit of the south Astro Dome... here looking NW beyond Yucca Valley to the snow covered San Bernardino Mountains on the horizon... and there were several water filled bird baths on the summit.
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Crazy Horse set up his camera to take this shot of us on the summit.
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On the left... looking NE across part of the Wonderland of Rocks to Queen Mountain on the horizon. In the middle... looking south beyond Valhalla Dome and the Barker Dam area to Ryan Mountain on the horizon. On the right... looking SW beyond Hidden Valley to Quail Mountain on the horizon.
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Still on the summit of south Astro Dome... on the far left looking at Quail Mountain on the horizon... with the Wonderland of Rocks in the middle of the photo... and Queen Mountain on the right horizon.
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From the summit we are looking down on the famous 'Don Juan Boulder'... a massive monolith in the Wonderland of Rocks... located east of the south Astro Dome that is overhanging on every side.
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Heading back down the ramp.
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Heading back down the ramp on the west side of the south Astro Dome... with part of the north Astro Dome just beyond on the far right.
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Almost off of the ramp... and getting ready to scramble down to the little canyon that gave us acces to this awesome dome.
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Crazy Horse scrambles down toward the little canyon.
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On our way down to the little canyon.
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Almost down to the little canyon.
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After hiking a total of 2.1 miles we are back in the little canyon... and while this is my fourth trip to the Astro Dome I have never seen water in the little canyon or on the summit.
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This is the place where a person needs to make themselves small.
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Out of the little canyon and looking back at the south Astro Dome in the left center of the photo... with the rock formation on the far left blocking our view of the north Astro Dome.
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Pretty much tracing our steps back to the car... here looking back at the south Astro Dome.
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Back on what I called a plateau earlier... but it doesn't really look much like a plateau here.
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Continuing to trace our steps back to the car... and it looks more like a plateau in this photo.
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Almost ready to leave the plateau and scramble down to the desert floor... here looking back to the south Astro Dome on the horizon.
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Getting ready to leave the plateau and return to the desert floor below.
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After hiking a total of 2.9 miles we are back on the desert floor and heading for Echo Rock in the right center of the photo.
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We will hike between Echo Rock on the left and the rock formation on the right where we will be a stone's throw from our car... the total hike/scramble was 3.8 miles, gaining 539 feet of elevation.
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