Playing Hooky at Little Hunk

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Playing Hooky at Little Hunk

If you're wondering what or where Little Hunk is in Joshua Tree National Park, and why I would want to play hooky there, read on. Little Hunk is a popular rock formation in the Echo Rock area of JTree, with at least ten main climbing spots and over 175 different routes to complete the climbs. It's accessible from a number of different spots: the Barker Dam parking area, the Echo Rock parking area, and even from several turnouts along Keys Ranch Road. The later two routes are the shortest, both traipsing in at less than 1/2-mile, one way.

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Lost Horse Valley

/ Joshua Tree National Park/
Lost Horse Valley

The name of the horse that gave Lost Horse Valley its name is one of the many missing pieces in the jigsaw puzzle known as Joshua Tree National Park. Back in 1890, Johnny Lang and his father drove a herd of cattle into this area and set up camp. The next morning, they woke to find their horses gone. Johnny tracked them to the McHaney brothers camp (local cattle rustlers), and was promptly told "yer horses ain't here, ya better git lost." Johnny heeded their advice and returned to his camp. It's more than likely the McHaney brothers had stolen their horses during the night. At some point, the valley became known as Lost Horse Valley.

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The Candy Bar - Joshua Tree National Park

/ Joshua Tree National Park/
The Candy Bar - Joshua Tree National Park

When I say "Candy Bar," do you think about yummy sweet treats or giant quartz monzonite rocks with crazy names? What if I added, "Snickers, or Mounds, or Big Hunk?" I guess it would depend on whether or not you're a rock climber, a confectionery connoisseur or had recently view Murbachi's 3D imagery of a group of climbing rocks in Joshua Tree National Park known collectively as "The Candy Bar."

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Desert Queen Dam

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Desert Queen Dam

Ok, so most of my 49 constant readers are probably thinking to themselves, "I've never heard of the Desert Queen Dam. Sure, I've been to the Desert Queen Mine, the Desert Queen Well, I've taken the tour at the Desert Queen Ranch and read about the Desert Queen Petroglyphs, but what is this Desert Queen Dam? I think this guy's been out in the sun too long."

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Lower Ivanpah Tank

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Lower Ivanpah Tank

I know what you're thinking. "Lower Ivanpah Tank? What the heck is that?"

It's a newly-named tank/dam I recently located. Well, I had help. Whilst studying Google Earth, the fabled 3D photographer, Murbachi (Joshuatree3d.com), had spotted what appeared to be a man-made dam a short distance east of Ivanpah tank. I had no idea there was another tank in the area, so we set forth to discover it.

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