 An overview map of the 4 peaks, from Big Maria (lower R) to East Ord (upper L). |
 On the 1st day, I drove down from Vegas, in time to get an 11:42AM alpine start for Big Maria (this synthetic google earth view is from the SW, looking NE). |
 Big Maria actually has 3 highpoints, elevation measured only by photogrammetry and maybe a spot check, listed as 3379', 3380', and 3381'; the DPS register is on the last, but given the errors in the measurement, any of the 3 might be the highest. Many folks climb both the 3381 and 3380' peaks as a hedge against resurvey. |
 On the way up, I stayed on the S side of the 1st wash; coming down, I stayed high on the N side, and that seemed easietr. |
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 view back down the 2nd wash (to SW). |
 The mountain is made of metamorphic rocks intruded with granites. |
 At top, view to the 3379' peak. |
 I wasn't rushing, but reached the summit in 1h 38m. |
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 Arrogance! |
 View S to 3380' peak, where I'll be shortly. |
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 Now I'm on the 3380' peak, looking N to DPS summit (3381' peak). |
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 S from 3380' peak. |
 The register is falling apart. |
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 View NW from 3380'. |
 More samples of granitic intrusions. Shortly I was back at the car, drove to the Spectre Point TH, and set up camp under a full moon. |
 Next morn I awoke early and set out for Spectre by the DPS "A" route (sort of). I had told my wife I would take the easiest route. The first 4.5 miles are on an old road or pretty stable desert surfaces, so it was easy to click those off in the low light. My GPS gave 15 miles for the RT. The USGS topo is quite screwed up in the vicinity of Spectre Point. |
 Twilight had started. |
 I was surprised to find the moon was still giving some useful light. |
 View N, about 3 miles into the easy terrain. |
 At about 4.5 miles, the easy walking suddenly gives way to huge boulders; the boulders let up soon and are intermixed with sand till you enter the wash on the other side of Aqua BM. |
 Yep, some of these look like serious peaks. |
 Now I'm in the far wash (S of Aqua); the wash is full of huge boulders and tricky footing. |
 View up; Spectre Point is at L. |
 View NNW over some nameless jagged peaks. |
 View ~W down a canyon. There is probably a class 2 way up the summit block, but I didn't find it. |
 Another SW view. |
 At the summit; view ~NE over Aqua (L) and Dyadic (R). |
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 Attempt at a bigger pano shot. |
 View S from small summit block. |
 OK, I'm trying to look mean. A fierce wind and the small summit led me to choose a selfie, vs. the normal scale. |
 This stuffed animal, along with a mini-bottle of whiskey, was in the ammo box. |
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 View S. |
 I think this is Dyadic, now seen from the side. |
 Back down the bouldery wash. |
 All right, go misletoe! |
 Where I sepnt the previous night. I then drove to the start of the Sheep Hole TH, and set up camp about 4PM. |
 Next morn, I waited for civil twilight (anbout 6:20AM) and headed up Sheep Hole.This Google Earth synthetic gives a view looking NE. |
 Of course, the topo map can't begin to show the roughness of the terrain. |
 [Oops, this slightly out-of-order pic shows the Sheep Hole range near sunset the previous day. I had a pleasant tent site in a gravelly wash.] |
 After a short walk on a slope, the routes dump into a bouldery wash. I'm sure if one looked hard enough, there might always be a class 2 way around the obstacles, but expendience often causes one to pick harder routes. |
 View NW as the shadow of Sheep Hole recedes with the rising of the sun. |
 Is this the Sheep Hole? |
 How about this? The peak in back (to the NE) is about 4288'. |
 Finally I'm in a gully over 4000'... but that is not the summit! I'll cross to the E (L) side, then back to the W (R) side of that ridge, the cut directly E to the summit. |
 View S from summit; it looks like there actually is a class 2 way on that side. |
 Pano view ~NW. |
 A better view of the possible Class 2 way. |
 More arrogance! |
 Another stuffed animal and whiskey bottle! I think Tim and Rachel may be leaving these. |
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 View SW over ?? on way to Twentynine Palms. |
 Now I'm on the way back. This little pinnacle looks challenging. |
 I've entered the wash down, and this time will travel on the N side. Again, I'm sure you might find a class 2 way with lots of looking, but I chose faster and maybe sketchier ways. |
 In several places, I went down in tunnels among huge boulders. |
 View W |
 Here's a danger at Sheep Hole; either the rock is smooth and slippery, or it is covered with bumps from feldspar crystals. The latter type is so frictional, it will hold the lugs of your sticky ruber shoes and set you up for a face plant. |
 That afternoon I left Sheep Hole, drove through the Lucerne Valley, and up to about 4000' on the SE side of East Ord, at the Grandview Mine site. This is not the normal TH. After some sketchy car issues ("fixed" flat) I turned in. |
 This Google Earth synthetic looks ~NNW. |
 Here's a topo map showing the route up (L) and down (R). It took me less time to go up the relatively stable L route,, than to come down the DPS-recommended gully. |
 View of East Ord from the ridge to the S. |
 View W; the moon offers ambiance, if not much light! |
 The ridge had a few neat rocky prominences. |
 View back on the single class 3 that I encountered, and it may have been avoidable. |
 View E to class 1 summit block. There actually is a route up two ramps, that is nearly a walk-up. |
 View N, getting closer to top. |
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 View NW to Ord. |
 View SW. |
 Arrogance! |
 View ~S from top; my car is parked behind that small peak in center. |
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 Heading down off summit block. |
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 View back up (to NE) of summit block, showing ramps that wind up and to L. |
 Now I'm heading down DPS gully route. The black igneous rock made it feel hot, even though the air T was probably <60F. |
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 Joshua Trees masquerading as palms! |
 In NM, we called a similar plant "coyote melon." |
 I found an old road (not on the USGS map) and followed it to some relatively simple side-hilling, then dropped back down to my car. |
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