Joshua Tree CRHT, Mojave Desert
From “Joshua Tree: A User’s Manual”
As for a proper thru-hike, Joshua Tree has significantly less to offer. Its longest unbroken trail—the California Riding and Hiking Trail—which at first glance screams from the map for the backpacker’s attention, proves somewhat lacking. I traveled the trail myself, hiking solo and opting ingeniously to depart from the western terminus at sundown and proceed by headlamp. While I may have been viciously pummeled by bats, I’ll not strain the reader’s credulity by mentioning it.
But I will say that this first stretch of trail which climbs the narrow defile of Black Rock Canyon is well worth the walking. Spots to pitch camp and evade the wildlife can be found on lush patches of cheatgrass, and the following morning was spent dropping into the rugged drama of Covington Flats. This is perhaps some of the park’s most remarkable terrain, and looks very much like an Albert Bierstadt landscape; or, with the eyes blurred painfully by sunscreen, a watercolor by Monet. One walks directly through a painting, which is among the greatest joys of hiking.
The issue is that, following this crescendo, the magic falls off steeply. The landscape levels, sharp plateaus which offer cover dissipate, and the hike becomes something of a sandy treadmill. Each mile looks the same. I have distinct memories of standing sideways in the thin shade of a Joshua tree to escape the pounding sunlight—a technique which is, needless to say, completely ineffective.
Total Time: 19:56
Total Distance: 15.97 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,532 ft