Twelve Fox Cities Backpacker Meetup group (including Carl Fisher and Ed Tucker) tackle this 38 mile desert hike.
March 11, 2022 – Ed and I flew to Las Vegas, rented a car (brand new with only 6 miles) and drove to TwentyNine Palms, CA where we got a motel (Best Western-not very good). We had supper at The Rib Co. right up the road from the motel. We both had a nice steak dinner.
March 12, 2022 – Miles Hiked: 2 Cumulative: 2. Today was a day all about getting water positioned for the hike. Ed and I had been tasked to put out one water cache. We went to Walmart and bought 13 gallons of water and then drove about 15 miles down a gravel road to place all of the water at Upper Covington Flats. We then stopped by the Visitor center, no big deal, before having lunch and heading to the North Entrance of the park which was the end point for the hike. The folks arriving from Green Bay were expected to pick us up between 3 and 4 to transport us to the beginning trailhead, Black Rock Campground. They picked us up at 5:30 for the 45 minute drive to Black Rock. Ed and I hit the trail in the waning daylight at 6:30. It was fully dark by 7:00 but fortunately for us there was plenty of moon light and we were able to stay on the trail without our headlamps. We were lucky and found the 7 folks that had been dropped off earlier after a quick 2 mile hike. Set up camp and had supper in the dark.
March 13, 2022 – Miles Hiked: 9 Cumulative 11. Ed and I hit the trail at 8:30 and hiked steady in the 70 degree weather until the water cache at Upper Covington Flats. While we were having lunch and refilling our water a group came in from REI and set up a nice lunch spread (not for us!). Also met a lady waiting for two ultra runners to provide them support. She agreed to take our empty water jugs so we didn’t have to carry them out. We hiked another couple of miles before setting up camp.
March 14, 2022 – Miles Hiked: 12 Cumulative 23. Excellent hiking weather again today. I’m really liking the new long sleeved shirt with a hoodie that I’m using for the first time. We got to Juniper Flats around 11:00 where we had a second water cache. Ate lunch and refilled water. Most of the group wanted to take a side hike to Ryan Mountain. Ed and I did not want to expend the extra energy so we headed out to hike another three miles and then find an appropriate camp site. I found a site right next to a big boulder, my favorite site, that also had enough shade for us to get out of the sun.
March 15, 2022 – Miles Hiked: 12 Cumulative: 35. Just like previous days, the weather was great and the tread was easy for walking. We got water resupply at Twin Tanks and then headed out to find mile marker 35 to make camp. When we arrived at the mile marker the temperature 80 degrees and not a lick of shade. Ed used his umbrella to get him partially out of the sun as we waited for cooler temperatures to set up our tents. I used my map as a sun shade.
March 16, 2022 – Miles Hiked: 3 Cumulative 38. Everyone hit the trail at 7:00 and we got back to the car by 8:00. The group had breakfast at John’s Place in TwentyNine Palms before hitting the road to Las Vegas. Ed and I stayed in a motel and had a nice dinner around 5:30 before a simple night in our rooms.
March 17, 2022 – Flew home without incident.