"Pinto Mountain Adventure, by Chekoya "

Date: 16 May 2005

My friend and I decided to explore the Pinto Mt. area as that was the subject of a lecture we attended Friday night at the Old Schoolhouse Museum. They're finding mammoth bones out there! We learned of basalt, black layer of rock from volcanic eruptions...and the red rocks underneath are red from the heat of the fires, not iron as I would have thought!

We entered the Joshua Tree National Park at the East entrance in 29 Palms. Drove the main road and passed the Teddybear cactus gardens and Occotillo patch. Then we turned NNE onto a dirt road through very flat valleys with yellow flowers everywhere.

At the base of the mountain we stopped at an arrastra, an old well where we took pics and then an old mining area where they processed the gold? From here the road becomes very rocky and we soon came to an old mine where all the equipment was rusting away. We stopped and took more pics. I found a cache of old iron balls in sizes from 1" diameter to 8" which were so heavy they took two hands to lift. Uphill now, and discovered an old home overlooking a gorge with a patio area to sit and have a grand view. Some graffiti, and deep holes drilled into the ground, surely an old miners place.

Up up and up, getting really rocky, with all the sand washed away and deep holes. I got out here and put the jeep into 4 wheel drive to get over a tricky patch. Getting way up now and the path is narrow with steep drop-offs, first on my side, then on Pams as we wind around the mountain. Had to stop when it got so narrow and the holes so deep, and the rocks so large. Nowhere to turn around and damned if I was going to go in reverse at that point, so Pam leaned all the way over, practically had to tell her to get out of my lap! Skirted the edge with no inch to spare and saw only more of the same ahead. Bouncing hard and worried about the jeep, didn't want to get a hole in the oil pan or worse trying to go around the deepest holes with the sharpest rocky centers that would surely hole the jeep.

Stopped at another mining home with a water tank in a fairly flat area to catch our breath. Pam was feeling nauseous and had to sit quiet for a few minutes. I had to get out and lean over to let the tension out of my back and neck. Walked down and around and these people were really miners! There was a hole so deep I couldn't see bottom with stairs descending into the dark. An opening into the mountain couldn't be reached as the path led over a wooden platform neither of us would trust. It was about 8 feet long by 4 feet wide overhanging a deep gorge. Thinking we were practically at the top now and should start down soon, and not wanting to go back the way we'd come, we continued on. From here it only turned worse. Narrow, rocky, breathtaking views, hands turning white from pressure on the wheel, bouncing hard, tilting first one way and then the other, but my old jeep, an 84 Suzuki, refused to tip or stall, and sigh of relief, we finally made it to the valley on the other side!

Old Dale Road is still passable if you've nerves of steel and an old jeep that won't stop. It helps to be crazy too. Stopped in the valley and opened the cooler for the necessary drink of water and nervous guffaws and brave talk!

Felt much better after we ate, though we will definitely come better prepared next time. Our cell phones didn't work, and we had considered stopping overnight if it got too dark to see. Definitely not a road traveled in the dark!!

Another perhaps 15 miles of valley so quiet and pristine with mountains rising in the distance on all sides and we came to hwy 62. We were east of 29 Palms, near the Old Dale Dry Lake area. The last hair raising drive we took was applesauce compared to this one yesterday!!