Wonderland of Rocks Traverse to Gunsight Notch (Loop), 12/27

[63ChevyII]

I took my in-laws (father & brother) to Joshua Tree this past weekend for some hiking and rock scrambling.

http://www.hikinggeek.com/2015/01/01/wo ... c-27-2014/

[Sally]

Looks like you had a great time, Chevy. Nice TR and pics. I wonder if I could get my hiking partners to go out to JT for a hike with me (hint)?!

[Ellen]

Howdy Chevy

Wonderful trip report and pictures, thanks

Howdy Sally

I'd love to hike the Wonderland -- just don't know about the route finding. I'd also like to hike to Villager and Rabbit again. Last time, Nei lead us and we started and finished in the dark.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[63ChevyII]

Hi Sally and Ellen!

The route finding for Wonderland isn't too bad (for experienced hikers like yourselves). Do either of you have a GPS? I can provide a GPX file and waypoints.

I originally wanted to hike Villager and Rabbit on the 27th, but starting and finishing in the dark and cold didn't sound too appealing to my relatives visiting warm, sunny, SoCal! I think my next trip to JT will be Quail Mtn or another Carey's Castle hike (http://www.hikinggeek.com/2014/03/19/ca ... stle-hike/). I would like to see if I can locate 'Carey's Cache.'

[Myth]

Well, I was certain I had responded to this post, but nope!

That looks really cool. I've poked up into the Wonderland of Rocks from the south, following the easily traveled washes, and I've gone up Rattlesnake Canyon from Indian Cove ( in winter, after a rainstorm. Until I slid right down a slab of granite I was trying to climb, on my belly, and plopped onto the wet sand with a scraped up tummy and knees. Fail! ) I haven't actually done the entire traverse yet, though.

I've had my eye on a trip of this nature for a while. In particular, I'd like to pay Oh-Bay-Yo-Yo a visit. My spousal unit gets much more excited about historic artifacts ( Samuelson's bed frame was much more exiting than his rocks, for instance ) than anything else, so I'm hoping that Oh-Bay-Yo-Yo would help make this trip fun. Is it fairly easy to find along the traverse? I'd hate to pass it by one gully over!

[63ChevyII]

I think that hiking up from Rattlesnake Canyon would be tough. I had a tough time finding a route down (keep in mind, I'm not good with heights).

I think we would've missed Oh-Bay-Yo-Yo without my GPS. David Harris has a good description of how to find it in his book (Afoot & Afield Inland Empire.) If you're paying close attn to where you are on the trail though, I'm sure you'll find it. If you don't have a GPS, I can help you print out a map of our track, which should aid you some.

Have you hiked to Carey's Castle? That's much easier to find and cool too!

[Myth]

Yeah, I don't know that I'd try going up Rattlesnake Canyon again any time soon. It was pretty fun right until I took my tumble, and then it was no fun at all to limp back down! I am terrible with heights but I'm also like a cat - I go up easy but coming down is a struggle. Still, Rattlesnake definitely fits into the "better down than up" category.

I do have a GPS and always carry it with me - often for route finding but sometimes just so I can admire my track in Google Earth afterwards and wonder why I have a talent for picking the dumb way up. A GPS track would be really helpful.

Carey's Castle is on my list ... I'm actually working on a plan to head down to JT and Anza-Borrego later this month and Carey's Castle is one of the planned trips. I live north of JT so I often explore up there instead of down south. There are some really neat things down south that I need to dig into.

I took a look at David Harris' description and pulled up Google Satellite View next to it. I think I see what he speaks of, though the distance measurement from Willow Hole doesn't quite line up. ( This is how most of my adventures start: "Eh, doesn't quite match, but good enough! Let's go see!" Eight hours later: "Man, this was a terrible idea. Lots of type 2 fun, but I really need to start planning better." A few weeks later: "Ah, how bad can it be? I'm sure it will be obvious when I get there!" Slow learner, in other words. )

[drndr]

GPS tracks or a guide who has done it before is the way to go. I think there are lots of places to go wrong. Years ago by myself never found Obayoyo. That was using the info from a hiking book. Explored coming up from Rattlesnake too. Then I was expertly guided (Bluerail) and finally connected the WT. It is fun.

Dan

[63ChevyII]

Myth - I can provide tracks and waypoints for both hikes. What GPS unit do you have?

Carey's Castle is relatively easily to find, but I would not try Wonderland without a GPS, even now after having done it once.

I will be headed back out to Carey's Castle at some point, probably over the next couple of months. Maybe if the time works out, we'll see each other out there. I want to find the 'cave cache:'
http://deathvalleyjim.com/2013/11/07/ca ... onal-park/

My initial use for my GPS was tracking my hikes - I used it quite q bit while creating a map with landmarks for Skyline Trail. I have started using it more for route finding.
http://www.hikinggeek.com/2014/04/30/cr ... armin-gps/

[Myth]

63ChevyII, I would be much obliged! I have a Garmin eTrex 20. Handy little thing. I have recently started to use my GPS preemptively, preloading waypoints and tracks. Turns out it is useful to know where you're going, as opposed to only knowing where you've been!

My previous Wonderland wanderings have been with a GPS ( and a compass and map just in case the GPS crapped out. ) but it was strictly to record tracks.

A track for Carey's Castle would be very nice from an "are we there yet?" standpoint.