Paul in the Parks

Day 5: Climbing Into the Sunrise

Joshua Tree in the Dark

At 4:30 AM, my alarm sounded. Shane and I woke up, packed up our climbing gear, and began driving in the darkness. The route we were targeting – Double Dogleg – is a 5.7 (easy) climb located near Hidden Valley. We were anticipating a chill ascent once completing the difficult approach to its base.

The moon peaks over a mountain ridge as a Joshua Tree near the camera is illuminated by a camera flash — Our view from the car once we arrived at the climb’s trailhead

After parking at the trailhead for Double Dogleg, we began hiking to the climb’s base with headlamps. Navigating the boulder field that led to the climb was a bit treacherous without the sunlight, but our excitement trumped any potential fear of the darkness.

We reached the base of the climb around 6:20 AM. Shane promptly prepared his trad gear while we fashioned makeshift gloves to protect the backs of our hands from the crack. Dawn began breaking in the distance, creating a soft glow around the nearby rocks.

Dawn begins to break behind a cluster of mountains in Joshua Tree — A view of dawn breaking nearby while at the base of Double Dogleg

A Joshua Tree Sunrise with a View

After 20 minutes of preparation, we began climbing. Shane led the route, placing trad gear in the route’s obvious crack as he ascended. I continued to belay him until he reached the top of the route and connected himself to the anchors. From there, he belayed me, and I followed him up the route. I removed pieces of trad gear as I climbed, finding the movements to be delightfully easy.

I joined Shane at the top of Double Dogleg shortly after 7 AM. Once I crested the top, my mouth dropped. The sun had risen high enough to bathe the area in a stunning golden light. From our vantage point, we could see for miles in every direction. We wasted no time in hopping around the boulders up top and snapping photos of each other. The experience was unlike anything I’d done before, and was exactly the send-off we’d been seeking for our visit in the park.

Paul and Shane take a selfie with Joshua Tree's rocky landscape as the morning sun bathes it in light — Not a bad way to start the day!

Paul holds his helmet and looks towards the sun as it rises above the mountains — Not a bad way to start the day!

We stayed atop Double Dogleg for about 20 minutes before beginning our return to the ground. Shane set up a rappel on a set of rings installed on the rock, and I followed him once he reached the ground. Once we were back on land, I noticed how beat-up our hands looked from several days of climbing on the granite. I took a couple of photos to illustrate the rock’s effects on our skin.

A pair of hands covered in climbing tape look beaten and battered after several days of climbing — Shane’s and my hands after descending from Double Dogleg, illustrating several days of wear-and-tear from the granite

Dirt and grime cover a pair of hands beaten and battered by several days of climbing — Shane’s and my hands after descending from Double Dogleg, illustrating several days of wear-and-tear from the granite

We packed up our gear and completed the return hike to the car. Shane convinced me to stop at Saturday Night Live once more to give the problem a few more tries. While I appreciated his encouragement, I once again found no success on the boulder. It didn’t help that my finger tips were either raw or bleeding, depending on the finger.

Goodbye, Joshua Tree…

We finally reunited with the rest of our group at Indian Cove shortly after 9 AM. When we arrived, we found that they had already packed up most of our campsite, but we joined to help deconstruct the tent and put away our sleeping gear.

It was mid-morning when we ultimately departed Joshua Tree National Park. It had been an exciting, wild, and unpredictable few days. Our group had mostly had a good time, save for Aaron and his broken ankle and our day of dreary weather. Exploring the national park and doing what some people can only dream of doing – climbing on its granite rock formations – had felt like an out-of-body experience. I couldn’t wait to return, both to climb more and to explore parts of the park I hadn’t seen yet. For now, though, we were off to Guadalupe Mountains…

In Conclusion…

Was it worth driving 30 hours to reach Joshua Tree National Park? HELL YES.

Despite some hiccups, setbacks, and Aaron’s broken ankle, the six guys on the trip still look back fondly on the memories we made in Joshua Tree. The park’s otherworldly landscapes, excellent rocks, stellar springtime weather, and brilliant night sky left an impression on us all. While it lacked the massive rock faces of Yosemite or crisp sandstone of the Midwest, it was easy to see why its climbing was world-famous. Though difficult compared to what our group was used to, every route we touched was high-quality and worth our time.

A group of Joshua Trees are framed by distant mountains and a blue sky — One of the last photos I took in Joshua Tree National Park

Despite its popularity as a climbing destination, Joshua Tree still offers plenty to do for those who don’t climb. In fact, this is why I want to return. Visiting the park as a climber and as a non-climber are two entirely different experiences, and I’d like to see what the park has to offer from a non-climbing lens. I’m destined to return one day, anyway, since my fiancée Maria has yet to set foot in the park…

If you haven’t visited Joshua Tree National Park yet, I highly recommend you check it out. Wherever you might be coming from, it is 100% worth the visit. Follow the link below to visit my webpage on the park and learn more specifics about how to enjoy your time there.

— Paul

Discover more about Joshua Tree National Park

Return to my National Park Guide

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