Trip Report: Joshua Tree CRHT 2021
Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 10:07 pm
Summer 2020 in the Sierra was a bit of a bust, and I need to get out. I travel the CRHT in Joshua Tree, a nice acronym for the California Riding and Hiking Trail. A much longer description can be found here: https://www.trailnamebackstroke.com/desert-blog
The California Riding and Hiking Trail was originally envisioned as part of a 3,000 mile loop-trail around California. Work started on the trail in 1945 and while the project was abandoned in the 60’s, the 37 mile portion through Joshua Tree remains. I have visited JT many times for day hikes and slept in campsites. I am curious to see how different the experience is camping in the wild.
Although it is claimed that Joshua trees grow between 2,000-6,000 ft altitude, whenever I see them they seem to appear and disappear in a more narrow 2,000 ft range. The next day I begin to appreciate how delicate and beautiful the landscape is. This arrangement of plants looks like something designed by a Japanese master gardener. The trail settles into a more open-sky landscape and thankfully the ground is more firm underfoot. Potato Bug- otherwise known as a Jerusalem Cricket. I don’t know whether to call it cute or ugly. The sky seems to change every few hours.
One can find a lot of useful trail information at AllTrails and also HikingGuy. I tend to agree that one can carry/cache as little as 3 liters of water during the winter and 5 liters when it is warmer. We parked at the North Entrance and called Johnnie The Driver (562) 208-4904 for our shuttle to the Black Rock Campground trail entrance. I can’t believe that I waited so many years to undertake such an interesting trip.
One can find a lot of useful trail information at AllTrails and also HikingGuy. I tend to agree that one can carry/cache as little as 3 liters of water during the winter and 5 liters when it is warmer. We parked at the North Entrance and called Johnnie The Driver (562) 208-4904 for our shuttle to the Black Rock Campground trail entrance. I can’t believe that I waited so many years to undertake such an interesting trip.