Willow Hole via the Wonderland of Rocks - 1.27.2024
We started the hike at the Wall Street Mill Trailhead from the dirt parking lot located a quarter mile NE of the popular paved parking lot for the Barker Dam Trail... 15 minutes earlier we left a car at the Boy Scout Trailhead because today's hike will be a thru-hike.
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Hiking north on the Wall Street Mill Trail... with Queen Mountain on the horizon.
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Continuing to hike north on the Wall Street Mill Trail... with the Wonderland of Rocks on the left.
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We are getting close to the Wall Street Mill... Star Dancer, Stalker and photoman have joined Denali Girl and me on this hike.
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After hiking a total of .7 miles we have reached the Wall Street Mill... and we will go behind the mill and enter the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Entering the Wonderland of Rocks from behind the Wall Street Mill.
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Hiking north in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Stalker took this photo of her husband photoman as he scrambles up the rock formation.
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photoman took this beautiful reflection photo.
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Continuing to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Continuing to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Continuing to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Continuing to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks... sometimes we have to deal with vegetation.
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Continuing to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Continuing to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Occasionally we do a little scrambling as we continue to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Continuing to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Continuing to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks... heading for what Star Dancer calls 'The Shrine' out there in the center of the photo.
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After hiking a total of 2.9 miles Denali Girl took this photo from under 'The Shrine'... Star Dancer is relaxing while the rest of us are standing... left-to-right... Stalker, photoman and ragman.
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A very short distance from 'The Shrine' we are entering what Star Dancer refers to as 'The Chute'.
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Stalker took this photo of me getting ready to negotiate 'The Chute'.
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Denali Girl took this photo of photoman and me dealing with 'The Chute'... while Star Dancer and Stalker watch to make sure we can handle it.
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Out of 'The Chute' and continuing to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks.
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Continuing to hike north in the Wonderland of Rocks... and nearing the top of the 'Crystal Staircase'.
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Looking north from the top of the 'Crystal Staircase'... we can see Yucca Valley on the right horizon... as we get ready to give up 250 feet of elevation as we go down the staircase.
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Hiking north as we continue down the 'Crystal Staircase'... so many rock formations, so little time.
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After hiking a total of 3.1 miles we have reached the bottom of the 'Crystal Staircase'... and now hiking west in search of Willow Hole.
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Continuing to hike west in search of Willow Hole.
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Looking back to where we came from as we continue to hike west in search of Willow Hole.
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Continuing to hike west in search of Willow Hole.
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I stopped and took this photo looking back at where we came from... with Queen Mountain on the horizon.
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photoman took this photo of me as I was shooting the previous photo.
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Continuing to hike west in search of Willow Hole.
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We are getting close to Willow Hole.
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Denali Girl took this photo of us closing in on Willow Hole.
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Continuing to hike west in search of Willow Hole.
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Yes... we can see the Willow Hole trees in the left foreground.
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photoman took this photo of Star Dancer getting ready to reach Willow Hole after hiking a total of 4.6 miles.
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Standing at Willow Hole... looking back at where we entered it from the gap on the right.
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Continuing to hike west as we leave Willow Hole... 99.9 percent of the people who visit Willow Hole will come in via the route we are going out.
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Continuing to hike west as we hike out of the Willow Hole area.
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Continuing to hike west as we are now in search of the Boy Scout Trail which will get us back to where we parked our first car.
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After hiking a total of 6.7 miles we have joined the Boy Scout Trail where we will begin hiking to the south... Quail Mountain (the high point in the park at 5816 feet) is on the far right horizon.
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Hiking south on the Boy Scout Trail as we pass by Ellesmere Island... a popular rock climbing spot in the park.
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Nearing the parking lot for the Boy Scout Trail... with the total thru-hike being 7.9 miles, gaining 369 feet of elevation. Not a lot of elevation gain, but the Wonderland of Rocks has a way of sucking energy out of the body.
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