Desert Hiking Newb Tips

I will be heading out to JTree/Mojave/Death Valley area next month, might climb, but mostly to hike with a friend.

Any tips regarding desert hiking that a Northeast native might not think of himself? Specific recs for sun protection, etc.

I need to order maps, any recommendations there? And if there is any hikes in that general geographic area I should put at the top of the list?

Thanks!

Being a fellow northeasterner who will be doing the same in the near future I'm gonna just leave this here to follow...

Don't bust the crust.
Don't bust the crust.
Don't bust the crust.

A GPS isn't a bad idea. Don't get lost.

LRL wrote:Any tips regarding desert hiking that a Northeast native might not think of himself? Specific recs for sun protection, etc.

tweezers - for the occasional time you run into a spine-y plant

skin lotion - plus maybe something that is hypoallergenic for the face; for after the sun is down.

wide brimmed hat with maybe a bandana - keeps the sun off face and neck; for the bandana, tie two adjacent corners of it together with a small overhand knot and arrange on top of head so back of neck is protected; put hat on top

For February I'd include

• wind/rain shell - both legs and torso
• gloves
• plenty of to-kill-ya

Stay the hell away from these:

For serious. I've seen cholla spines puncture through shoe soles. I second the tweezer recommendation

Those teady-bear cholla are absolutely insane. Been walking around "off trail", not doing anything aggressive, look down to find a bunch of "mobile" ones attached to the sides of my trail shoes. Oy vey!

Leather boots will help with the prickly stuff. Leather gloves if you hike at JT. Cheap windproof jacket(I like Tyvek). The wind can really suck the moisture out of you, so lots of water even on a cool day. The hike from Barker Dam to top of the south astrodome is pretty nice and view spectacular.

Respect the desert. It can be a cruel place, don't underestimate how much water you need and how quickly it can get cold in the evening

Fill up with gas every chance you get. Can be a long, long way between stations

awolf wrote:Respect the desert. It can be a cruel place, don't underestimate how much water you need and how quickly it can get cold in the evening Fill up with gas every chance you get. Can be a long, long way between stations

+1 on gas. Not that it's happened to me...

Don't hike in dry river beds. If it suddenly rains, and CA is in it's rainy season, that dry river bed will be a torrent.

And cholla are the devil. Long pants.

Second wind/rain shell (upper & lower) and gloves.

Also would recommend extra socks, base layers, etc. Nothing worse than sweating in the afternoon warmth, and then being chilled to the bone when the sun drops and you don't have anything to change into. I, stupidly, screwed myself by not doing this my first spring visit to IC.

Fellow NEer - big plus one on the water

Good lord you dont need to pack an extra closet. Just bring a brain and water and you will be fine.

Dont bust the crust.
Dont bust the crust.
Dont bust the crust.

Tampons in case you get a nose bleed, duct tape because it fixes everything, a knife because everyone needs a knife, and a rape whistle, I believe that is everything i bring on my hikes.

You simply have to pay a bit more attention. Moving from the East to the Southwest, I learned to keep my eyes open when crossing washes. Maybe the trail follows it, maybe it crosses. Not so much auto pilot hiking in the desert.

Oh, a cryptobiotic soil really is important. It takes decades, maybe even 100 years to regenerate what you can step on in no time. It keeps the whole place from washing away in thunderstorms is is pretty much the foundation of the whole ecosystem.

Enjoy! You might not want to ever leave!

I use cargo shorts with side pockets and find that pre made burritos travel very well and its easy to get 'em out and start eating if you still have a ways to walk. I don't get into that goo stuff or other non-food energy. Sunscreen and all the above other tips. Don't bring too much stuff!
Steve

James T wrote:Stay the hell away from these: For serious. I've seen cholla spines puncture through shoe soles. I second the tweezer recommendation

Better are needlenose pliers or a leatherman with pliers. Seriously.

Also check for ticks, wear gaiters, light colored clothing and tuck pants into socks. Some areas are infested with them..

Be careful scrambling, I know several people with busted ankles that came from just walking around in desert terrain.. :(

Tangent, regarding the burritos:

The other day I walked into a library to use the wifi and there on the carpet was a little, still in it's paper wrapper, burrito. Some poor library-using hiker must have accidentally dropped it.

I had t laugh. I mean - use your mind's eye and put yourself in my place. Ya just don't really expect to see a burrito on the floor at the library!

This was in Roswell, Texas, so it seems the traveling burrito is not a southern California phenomenon.

I picked it up and handed it to the librarian, and said with a completely straight face: "Someone dropped their burrito."

Got a chuckle thinking about it the whole day, and even now as I recount the story.

Hiking in the desert? Yeah - water, and don't wait to drink when you get thirsty. Chug a bunch before you start, and don't pack it way away in your pack where you won't drink it.

Use the normal brains - look back every so often and note any landmarks you can use to navigate a return. All Joshua Trees and Yuccas pretty much look alike, when you're not sure which direction you came in through, and there ain't a whole lot else out there, and there aint always a high point you can get to for a better view.

Shoutout to the two posters chanting don't bust the crust; I just spent a week out in Death Valley and jtree deserts. Coming from New England I had perfect 60 degree cloudy weather the entire time so I can't comment on how to prepare yourself for the weather but I have never heard of cryptobiotic crust before seeing those posts. I hope I didn't stomp on any in ignorance, and next time I get out to those spectacular places I'll have an eye out

Wasn't mine (burrito)! I'm cucklin' now - thanks