T. White - Jun 1, 2020 10:05 pm Date Climbed: Jan 30, 2009
Singular beauty
Been fortunate to explore peaks in all three deserts. Sad to see more wilderness being eaten away every year, though.
asmrz - Apr 6, 2017 8:02 pm Date Climbed: Feb 24, 2017
The Thumb - Palo Verde Wilderness
Penelope Smrz and I scrambled up this nice looking tower February 24, 2017. The peak is in Palo Verde Wilderness off Interstate 10. Follow Wileys Well Road for about 8.7 miles south to Bradshaw Trail. At this point Wileys Well Road becomes Milpitas Wash Road. Follow this road south for 5.5 miles. Camp. Find an old jeep road on your left side. The road is blocked by big boulders. Follow the road about 1 1/2 miles, locate a large cairn and a faint trail going E/SE. After another mile or so, a nice double summit formation appears on the horizon. That is the Thumb (see the pictures on this page). Get to the saddle between the two summits, Drop down and west over rocky ridge. Find a wide gully shooting up.
Scramble up the gully, short steep chimney above and when progress is blocked, scramble right over couple ridges to find class 2-3 ledges leading to the summit. Return the same way. Wonderful scramble, recommended.
These are some of the peaks I have climbed that might qualify for this page:
White Mountain Peak, Reed Mountain, County Line Hill, Blanco Mountain, Pleasant Mountain, Cerro Gordo Peak, Backus Peak, Jurassic Peak, Scattered Bone Peak, Red Mountain, Red Hill, Haystack, Peak 3334, Andrew Peak, Peak 1743, Rattlesnake Hill, Peak 1589, Peak 1632, Peak 1585, Peak 1414, Peak 1442, Five Fingers, etc.
some Inyo and White Peaks, some others east of the Sierra.
asmrz - Jan 8, 2012 8:38 pm Date Climbed: Jan 5, 2012
La Quinta to Sugarloaf TH
Penelope May-Smrz and I started from the end of Eisenhower Street and Avenida Bermuda in La Quinta on January 05, 2012 via the Boo Hoff trail. We connected with the Guadalupe Trail and hiked up to the base of Martinez Mountain. From there we connected with Cactus Springs trail and finished at Sugarloaf Cafe TH on Highway 74. This is yet another great Santa Rosa Mountains winter and spring hike, about 15 miles and 5,600 feet of elevation gain. Leave one car at Sugarloaf/Sawmill TH and another about 0.3 miles after you reach Avenida Bermuda where the La Quinta TH parking area is located
asmrz - Feb 7, 2011 1:04 pm Date Climbed: Jan 21, 2011
Martinez Mountain from Salton Sea
A very special and unusual trip. Penelope May-Smrz and I drove our Toyota 4WD truck to the mouth of Martinez Canyon west of the town of Valerie and the Salton Sea at elevation -26', on January 20, 2011. Went up Martinez Canyon, no trail, branched into Tahquitz Canyon, located running water at Aqua Alta Spring, bivied above this. Next morning scrambled 2,000' up a huge talus field to the summit of Martinez Mountain (cc 6,560') and hiked to Highway 74 at Sugarloaf (Sawmill TH). About 30+ miles of incredibly rugged cross-country terrain.
The trip just about traverses the Santa Rosa Wilderness. We left one car at Martinez Canyon, second one at Sawmill TH. Awesome scenery, untouched terrain, unvisited, pristine landscape.
P.S. Just wanted to mention, that there was a rather complicated rescue in Martinez Canyon in early January 2013. Hiker from Arizona decided to do the Martinez Canyon as a day hike. After three nights in the mountains , he was rescued by helicopter barely alive. Riverside Mountain Rescue did the pick up. Don't underestimate this "scramble".
Recently, I was told by some Palm Desert Sierra Club people that this trip (to their knowledge) was done only once before and in the opposite direction (starting at Sawmill TH and going down the hill to Salton Sea). A group from LA Sierra Club did it in 1991. I was told that our trip starting at Martinez Canyon, going over Martinez Peak and ending at Sugarloaf was probably never done before..
T. White - Jun 1, 2020 10:05 pm Date Climbed: Jan 30, 2009
Singular beautyBeen fortunate to explore peaks in all three deserts. Sad to see more wilderness being eaten away every year, though.
asmrz - Apr 6, 2017 8:02 pm Date Climbed: Feb 24, 2017
The Thumb - Palo Verde WildernessPenelope Smrz and I scrambled up this nice looking tower February 24, 2017. The peak is in Palo Verde Wilderness off Interstate 10. Follow Wileys Well Road for about 8.7 miles south to Bradshaw Trail. At this point Wileys Well Road becomes Milpitas Wash Road. Follow this road south for 5.5 miles. Camp. Find an old jeep road on your left side. The road is blocked by big boulders. Follow the road about 1 1/2 miles, locate a large cairn and a faint trail going E/SE. After another mile or so, a nice double summit formation appears on the horizon. That is the Thumb (see the pictures on this page). Get to the saddle between the two summits, Drop down and west over rocky ridge. Find a wide gully shooting up.
Scramble up the gully, short steep chimney above and when progress is blocked, scramble right over couple ridges to find class 2-3 ledges leading to the summit. Return the same way. Wonderful scramble, recommended.
youngclimer123 - Jul 22, 2014 9:25 pm Date Climbed: Jul 6, 2012
white-sweetwaterive been to a few desert peaks in the eastern sierra, mainly in the whites and sweetwater ranges.
hightinerary - Dec 17, 2013 12:46 pm
High and DryThese are some of the peaks I have climbed that might qualify for this page:
White Mountain Peak, Reed Mountain, County Line Hill, Blanco Mountain, Pleasant Mountain, Cerro Gordo Peak, Backus Peak, Jurassic Peak, Scattered Bone Peak, Red Mountain, Red Hill, Haystack, Peak 3334, Andrew Peak, Peak 1743, Rattlesnake Hill, Peak 1589, Peak 1632, Peak 1585, Peak 1414, Peak 1442, Five Fingers, etc.
WOLFrising - Feb 17, 2013 12:52 pm
Winter of no winterClimbed many in Death Valley and a few just outside. A hand full of those peaks are on the prominence list. I.E. Telescope, Pinto, Towne, and Pyramid!
gimpilator - Nov 15, 2012 12:45 am
About 150 peaks in this areaI'm a big fan of Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Mojave and Anza Borrego.
Noondueler - Mar 16, 2012 6:44 pm
Lotta peaks in Death Valleysome Inyo and White Peaks, some others east of the Sierra.
asmrz - Jan 8, 2012 8:38 pm Date Climbed: Jan 5, 2012
La Quinta to Sugarloaf THPenelope May-Smrz and I started from the end of Eisenhower Street and Avenida Bermuda in La Quinta on January 05, 2012 via the Boo Hoff trail. We connected with the Guadalupe Trail and hiked up to the base of Martinez Mountain. From there we connected with Cactus Springs trail and finished at Sugarloaf Cafe TH on Highway 74. This is yet another great Santa Rosa Mountains winter and spring hike, about 15 miles and 5,600 feet of elevation gain. Leave one car at Sugarloaf/Sawmill TH and another about 0.3 miles after you reach Avenida Bermuda where the La Quinta TH parking area is located
asmrz - Feb 7, 2011 1:04 pm Date Climbed: Jan 21, 2011
Martinez Mountain from Salton SeaA very special and unusual trip. Penelope May-Smrz and I drove our Toyota 4WD truck to the mouth of Martinez Canyon west of the town of Valerie and the Salton Sea at elevation -26', on January 20, 2011. Went up Martinez Canyon, no trail, branched into Tahquitz Canyon, located running water at Aqua Alta Spring, bivied above this. Next morning scrambled 2,000' up a huge talus field to the summit of Martinez Mountain (cc 6,560') and hiked to Highway 74 at Sugarloaf (Sawmill TH). About 30+ miles of incredibly rugged cross-country terrain.
The trip just about traverses the Santa Rosa Wilderness. We left one car at Martinez Canyon, second one at Sawmill TH. Awesome scenery, untouched terrain, unvisited, pristine landscape.
P.S. Just wanted to mention, that there was a rather complicated rescue in Martinez Canyon in early January 2013. Hiker from Arizona decided to do the Martinez Canyon as a day hike. After three nights in the mountains , he was rescued by helicopter barely alive. Riverside Mountain Rescue did the pick up. Don't underestimate this "scramble".
Recently, I was told by some Palm Desert Sierra Club people that this trip (to their knowledge) was done only once before and in the opposite direction (starting at Sawmill TH and going down the hill to Salton Sea). A group from LA Sierra Club did it in 1991. I was told that our trip starting at Martinez Canyon, going over Martinez Peak and ending at Sugarloaf was probably never done before..