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On Sunday morning January 21, 5 vehicles met at the AM/PM in Mecca at 8am to begin the day. Our objective was Painted Canyon-Ladder Trail, Box Canyon and Pinkham Trail.
Painted Canyon Rd heads West off Box Canyon Rd just North of the Coachella Canal. It is approx 5 miles in on a graded dirt road to the parking area.
http://www.desertusa.com/magfeb98/stories/Paintcny.html or http://www.hiking-in-ps.com/meccahills.html for more info.
Entrance to wash
Entrance to Ladder Trail
Ladder Trail. The walls are 2-3’ apart and 200’ tall in places.
After finishing the Ladder Trail we took Box Canyon North to I-10. South 1 exit to Frontage Road and the beginning of the Pinkham Trail.
From trails.com: Pinkham Canyon is an easy to moderate 4WD trail within Joshua Tree National Park. Park fees are applicable. The North entrance to the trail leaves opposite the Cottonwood Visitor Center, which is an excellent place to gather park information, inquire about road conditions, or stroll through the native plant garden trying to identify the vegetation commonly found within the park. The trail is initially graded to provide access to a park service road, before becoming a single-width, formed trail. It is well used and easy to follow as it crosses a gently sloping bajada and winds through abundant stands of Mojave yuccas toward a gap in the Cottonwood Mountains. The prominent peak to the north is Monument Mountain. Special Attractions: Trail crosses the transition zone between the Colorado and Mojave Deserts; Sandy canyon trail within Joshua Tree National Park. High-clearance 4WDs are preferred, but any high-clearance vehicle is acceptable. Expect a rough road surface; mud and sand are possible but will be easily passable. You may encounter rocks up to 6 inches in diameter, a loose road surface, and shelf roads, though these will be wide enough for passing or will have adequate pull-offs.
Painted Canyon Rd heads West off Box Canyon Rd just North of the Coachella Canal. It is approx 5 miles in on a graded dirt road to the parking area.
http://www.desertusa.com/magfeb98/stories/Paintcny.html or http://www.hiking-in-ps.com/meccahills.html for more info.Entrance to wash
Entrance to Ladder Trail
Ladder Trail. The walls are 2-3’ apart and 200’ tall in places.
After finishing the Ladder Trail we took Box Canyon North to I-10. South 1 exit to Frontage Road and the beginning of the Pinkham Trail.
From trails.com: Pinkham Canyon is an easy to moderate 4WD trail within Joshua Tree National Park. Park fees are applicable. The North entrance to the trail leaves opposite the Cottonwood Visitor Center, which is an excellent place to gather park information, inquire about road conditions, or stroll through the native plant garden trying to identify the vegetation commonly found within the park. The trail is initially graded to provide access to a park service road, before becoming a single-width, formed trail. It is well used and easy to follow as it crosses a gently sloping bajada and winds through abundant stands of Mojave yuccas toward a gap in the Cottonwood Mountains. The prominent peak to the north is Monument Mountain. Special Attractions: Trail crosses the transition zone between the Colorado and Mojave Deserts; Sandy canyon trail within Joshua Tree National Park. High-clearance 4WDs are preferred, but any high-clearance vehicle is acceptable. Expect a rough road surface; mud and sand are possible but will be easily passable. You may encounter rocks up to 6 inches in diameter, a loose road surface, and shelf roads, though these will be wide enough for passing or will have adequate pull-offs.
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