Peak 3,146ft P300
Peak 3,385ft P300
Peak 3,467ft P300
Peak 3,877ft P300
Peak 3,789ft P300
Peak 3,723ft P300
Hidden Hill

Feb 18, 2021
Etymology
Story Photos / Slideshow Maps: 1 2 3 GPX

At the start of an 11-day desert roadtrip, I had gotten up early, around 4a, so that I could get more than a half day's effort in following the 6hr+ drive from San Jose. The peaks were scattered along Interstate 40 east of Barstow, in and around the Mojave National Preserve. Most were short jaunts, the longest a couple of miles when linking several together.

Peak 3,146ft

The first three summits were all located within a short distance of I-40, with no nearby exits or other roads I could use to access them. Consequently, I parked just off the freeway, hoping I wouldn't draw the attention of the Highway Patrol for a citation. Peak 3,146ft lies 1/3mi south of the highway in the Bristol Mountains. The freeway fence here is a low, gridded thing, designed to keep out tortoises and not much else. The ascent took less than 15min, the descent about 10min. The summit is a rounded bump with so-so views, mostly of the Interstate stretching west to east.

Peak 3,385ft - Peak 3,467ft

These two are found about 5mi east of the first two, one on either side of the freeway. Peak 3,385ft is on the south side, in the Bristol Mtns. Peak 3,467ft is on the north side, part of the Old Dad Mtns and the Bristol Mtns Wilderness, though really both are minor summits inhabiting the middle ground between the two ranges. There is a large drainage tunnel going under the freeway between the two peaks, making for a convenient means of getting from one side of the freeway to the other without having to dodge vehicle traffic. Peak 3,385ft is the easier of two, taking less than 15min to reach the top where a large cairn is found. Views are similar to those of the first peak. After returning to I-40, I went under the freeway, noting the tunnel has two places where it has had small cave-ins. It took a little over 20min to reach the higher summit of Peak 3,467ft with views looking northeast across the Old Dad Mtns and the Granite Mtns behind it. After ascending the SW Ridge, I dropped off the NW Face into a wash and followed that back to the underpass and the freeway.

Peak 3,877ft

The next three summits are all located in the Old Dad Mtns, a few miles from the previous peak. I could have done them in a larger loop with Peak 3,467ft, but that would have entailed leaving the car on the freeway for a number of hours. Instead, I drove east to the Kelbaker Rd exit, then used 6-7mi of dirt roads within the Mojave NP to get me to the eastern edge of the Old Dad Mtns. From there, Peak 3,877ft is easy enough, taking less than 25min from the northeast. The summit has a fine view of the Granite Mtns to the northeast.

Peak 3,789ft - Peak 3,723ft

These two are located a few miles northwest of Peak 3,877ft. A few miles of driving on the continuing road (high-clearance needed, 4WD maybe for sandy sections) got me within a mile of Peak 3,789ft. There is an old road in what is now the Bristol Wilderness heading northwest from where I parked. I used this to get me half the distance to Peak 3,789ft, then went up the peak's NE Slopes to get me to the summit in half an hour. The summit is flat and kinda boring, strewn with lava rocks and no obvious highpoint. From the top, one can see Peak 3,723ft to the southwest looking far more peak-like, the best summit of the day. After dropping southwest to the saddle between them, I found some fun class 3 on the volcanic plug's north and east sides that I used for the ascent and descent, respectively. I left the only register of the day on Peak 3,723ft. My return route took me east through the upper reaches of Old Dad Mtns Wash, then through a low saddle to the northeast to get me back to the Jeep more directly. I spent about an hour and 40min on the effort.

Hidden Hill

This last summit is located at the southern end of the Providence Mtns in Mojave NP. From paved Kelbaker Rd, I drove dirt Hidden Hill Rd about six miles southeast and northeast to reach the base of the hill in an old mining area with many prospects/shafts, old road spurs and mine works. A windmill for a waterpump and a few head of cattle still grazing the desert here complete the scene. The hike is short but steep, taking all of 15min to reach the top. Barbara Lilley had visited in 2011 at 81yrs of age. Sadly, I found no sign of a register I'm sure she would have left. I finished up shortly after 5p, showered, and drove a few more miles northeast along the edge of the range. I ended up camping near the Bighorn Mine below Peak 4,816ft where I planned to start the next morning. There is a old cabin kept in decent shape near the mine with plenty of flat parking that would have made a fine campsite. Instead, I got greedy and tried to drive the old road above the cabin. This eventually degraded to a foot path and nearly got me stuck on the side of the mountain with a difficult turnaround in failing light. Once I got the Jeep turned around, things got easier and I parked at a small saddle above the cabin. It was a fairly high campsite at over 4,000ft and quite chilly, but I slept well in the back of the Jeep, warm in my sleeping bag...

Continued...


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