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Hey y'all, I'm looking for some suggestions. Moab's been too cold this winter, so I'm heading south for a few weeks to do some backpacking.

If anyone has ideas on hikes/summits in this general area, that would be cool: Yuma, AZ; Blythe, CA; basically anywhere between I-40 and I-8.

I've done the whole Kofa thing. I like that there's not much info about these ranges (solitude!), but I figured there could be some hardcore desert rats on SP who might share a secret or two...Palen/McCoy? Chuckwalla Mountains?

Thanks!

Thanks a lot! You make some great points--a friend of mine once achieved THREE flat tires on one trip to Mojave National Preserve.

The Coxcombs sound interesting, I hadn't thought of that. And wildflowers would be a nice bonus...

Man, so many options in that neck of the woods. Not a big fan of Blythe, but the intaglios are worth visiting. The area around Mopah and Umpah is cool. Mojave NP, of course, ranks amongst my favorite spots in the region, though I realize it's not between I-40 and I-8.

Black Butte Peak in the Chuckwallas is worth a visit. The summit is a short but energetic hike and you are almost guaranteed to have it to yourself. Consider a loop drive along the Bradshaw Trail. You can catch the Bradshaw Trail by exiting I-10 at Wiley's Well Road (near Blythe) or Red Cloud Road (the closest exit for Black Butte). It's possible to take the Bradshaw Trail west to the Salton Sea. The road is pretty good, although some of the roads accessing it (e.g. Red Cloud) are washboard.

There are plenty of other peaks along the I-10 corridor in AZ/CA to do, ranging from easy 3-hour hikes to all-day hikes: Orocopia, Eagle (JT), Quail (JT), Palen, Big Maria, etc. In Arizona, a good hike is Harquahala Mountain from the north along an old pack-mule route. Woolsey Peak is also a great hike, but closer to Phoenix.

Weather should be pleasant at least through late March. Then it gets kind of warm... not too bad at first but enough to wake up all the rattlesnakes. The real heat kicks in about late April.

The Coxcomb peaks of east Joshua Tree look pretty cool. I've not gone in there but have scoped it out from all sides and on the map.

You can see them on this webcam. I believe Coxcomb is the highpoint at the far left. This cam is placed on a prominent peak so the weather readings should be accurate.

http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/p ... otrcam.cfm

Thanks a lot everyone! Great information...can't wait for the low desert.