| Orocopia &
Ryan Mtn March 27,1993 Andy & Wynne Zdon (The Couch Potato
Mountaineers) I think we woke up around 3am, but actually didn't crawl out of bed til 4 in the morning-all I remember was that it was too early! After numerous false starts and many stops, we got out to the trailhead for Orocopia. The directions in the DPS peak guide, for road and trail, were right on the money. The weather was clear sunny and warm - out of the wind. A nice walk for the couch spuds that we are. The views were spectacular from the summit - you could see the dead floating atop the surface of the Salton Sea, the Algodones Dunes, San Gorgonio and San Jacinto. After sipping some sodas back at the car, we drove to Joshua Tree stopping briefly at the visitor's center to flash our Golden Eagle pass at the rangers and to check out the books. Some climber in the parking lot was playing (appropriately) U2's Joshua Tree album and we spotted Bob Cates' Joshua Tree trail guide on the shelves of the store. En route to Ryan (on the HPS list), we stopped at the ocotillo and cholla patches. I did a quick watercolor of Pinto Mountain from the ocotillo patch while Andy read "Helter Skelter." This was the first time I have ever seen the ocotillo in bloom. By the time we got on the trail to Ryan (after passing Bob & Maureen Cates on the road), it was almost three-thirty and the desert shadows were growing ever longer. It was cold and the wind was blowing, but it was a nice walk. When we came down we walked to our wedding spot at Sheep's Pass. One year ago, we were married there. We stood in our prospective places and said "I do." It was a short, but sweet trip. WBZ Brown Peak November 28,1992 Andy & Wynne Zdon (The Couch Potato Mountaineers) It was a cold, moonless night as the wind sang ifs lonely song. We were camped at Deadman's Summit in the Greenwater Mountains near Death Valley. Our fire was the only light in the pitch black darkness, save for the occasional illumination in the eyes of mysterious nocturnal creatures nearby. The fire died out slowly as we too laid our weary bones to rest for the night. Dawn. Windy and cold. We ambled off through the sparse desert scrub toward the ridges southwest of the peak |
As we neared the crest, the winds picked up in
their intensity. We were happy to drop down out of the wind into the small
drainage southwest of the peak (following route A of the Desert Peaks Guide
-2nd ed.). The final trudge up the peak was through an intense wind that roared
against the northwest face of Brown Peak. We huddled in a small rock wind
shelter at the summit, signing the register and taking in the spectacular,
clear views. The hike down was through the continuing, relentless winds, and despite the beautiful desert scenery, the car was a truly welcome sight! AZ/WBZ Canyon Point Backpack Nov. 14-15, 1992 Andy Zdon & Campy This trip started out as my provisional lead, however for a variety of reasons (including numerous cancellations), the official trip was cancelled. Campy and I decided to do the hike anyway, so Saturday morning we met along the Cottonwood Canyon Road in Death Valley. We drove up to the Cottonwood trailhead, shouldered our somewhat overloaded packs (which contained wine, lemon merangue pie, etc.) and headed up canyon. This could truly be called a "leisure" trip as we took time to take off our packs and relax under numerous cottonwood groves. Eventually we reached Cottonwood Springs, and set up camp in a great spot at the north end of the cottonwood grove. After dinner, we sat around a campfire, and gabbed about trips of the past. Numerous owls hooted through the night A great night to sleep outside under the stars. The next morning we headed off for Canyon Point, reaching the summit at about 10:30 am. We took time to read the register and take in the views. After about an hour on the summit, we headed back to camp, packed up, and hiked out. Although there is a 5-6 hour round-trip route which ascends the eastern slopes of this peak, this route is a great way to do Canyon Point if the time is available. The hike up Cottonwood Canyon has a considerable amount of shade and is quite pleasant. There is running water in the canyon bottom, however the water is of dubious quality. Although this route can be done as a dayhike, the camping near Cottonwood Spring is fantastic, and any trip half as good as this one would be great!! AZ |