Valhalla Dome - 3.8.2024
We parked at the unpaved parking lot located a quarter mile NE of the popular paved parking lot for Barker Dam... and we will hike back toward the parking lot for Barker Dam and then take an unofficial trail into the Barker Dam area that begins near the two huge boulders on the extreme far left in the photo.
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Getting ready to enter the unofficial path into the Barker Dam area... I call it a side door entrance into the area.
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Heading into the Barker Dam area... you would rarely ever see other hikers on this route.
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Heading into the Barker Dam area... you would rarely ever see other hikers on this route.
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Heading into the Barker Dam area... you would rarely ever see other hikers on this route... rocman is staring out and up at the summit of Valhalla Dome in the right-center of the photo.
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Heading into the Barker Dam area.
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After hiking a total of .6 miles we have reached the Barker Dam area.
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We have reached the Barker Dam area... look at the water mark on the rocks in the far right foreground... that is where the Barker Lake water used to be several years ago... we will head for the rock slabs in the foreground.
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Leaving the Barker Dam area and heading up the slabs that will take us up to the summit of Valhalla Dome.
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Looking back down at the very popular Barker Dam area as I watch Denali Girtl and rocman come up to join me... Ryan Mountain is out there on the left horizon.
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Gaining elevation above the Barker Dam area... watching Denali Girl and rocman come up to join me.
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Still gaining elevation on the way up to the Valhalla Dome summit.
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We can see the summit up there... with a little pinyon pine on top.
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Heading up toward the summit of Valhalla Dome.
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Incredible erosion near the summit of Valhalla Dome.
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rocman and Denali Girl near the Valhalla Dome summit... with the South Astro Dome out there on the left-center horizon.
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After hiking a total of .9 miles Denali Girl is on the Valhalla Dome summit (4502 feet)... with the South Astro Dome on the left horizon and 'The Camel' on the center horizon.
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Looking back at the Valhalla Dome summit as we explore the area.
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The high point in the park is Quail Mountain (5816 feet)... located on the left center horizon... with the snow-covered San Jacinto Mountains on the horizon beyond Quail... and the snow-covered San Bernardino Mountains on the right-center horizon.
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I zoomed in for this photo... showing a party of 7 or 8 people on the summit of the South Astro Dome.
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Heading down from the huge summit area.
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Looking back up at the Valhalla Dome summit area... but there is still a lot of exploring to be done.
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Exploring the Valhalla Dome area... with the South Astro Dome on the far left.
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Denali Girl and rocman are standing on each side of the South Astro Dome in the left center of the photo... with the Valhalla Dome summit on the far right horizon.
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Heading down... getting ready to get back on those steep slabs.
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Heading back down to the Barker Dam area.
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Almost back down to the Barker Dam area.
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After hiking a total of 1.4 miles we have returned to the Barker Dam area... and we will hike out of the area on the popular Barker Dam Trail... and see at least 30 hikers in the next quarter mile.
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Heading for our car.
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Nearing the unpaved parking lot... the total hike was 2.1 miles, gaining 322 feet of elevation.
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