Betsy and I spent eight days climbing, hiking, and biking in Joshua Tree National Park at the end of March and beginning of April. For several days we were joined by Gordon and his and Betsy’s friends Meghan, Jacob, and Alex. We stayed in our best Airbnb yet called Fable, which was very close to the center of Joshua Tree town. On the ninth day Betsy and I hiked in the Whitewater Preserve on our way home. Here is what we did each day.
Day 0 (Monday, March 24): Betsy flies to San Diego in the morning, and we drive from Del Mar to our Airbnb later in the day.
Day 1 (Tuesday, March 25): I bike 10 miles out and back to the park entrance in the morning. Betsy and I climb the 5.2 Circus route on Cap Rock in the afternoon.
Day 2 (Wednesday, March 26): I bike 21 miles out and back to the Quail Springs turnout in the morning. Betsy and I climb a 5.2 route on Easy Buttress in the afternoon.
Day 3 (Thursday, March 27): Betsy and I hike 3 miles up and down Ryan Mountain. Alex and Jacob arrive in the evening.
Day 4 (Friday, March 28): Jacob and I bike 10 miles out and back in the morning, while Betsy and Alex climb. Gordon and Meghan arrive in the afternoon and climb up two routes on Turtle Rock after Betsy and Alex place belay ropes. I only make it part way up these 5.4 and 5.5 routes.
Day 5 (Saturday, March 29): Gordon, Meghan, Jacob, and I shuttle to Geology Tour Road. The three of them do a 17-mile mountain bike ride there, and Gordon rides another 11 miles to Keys View. I ride 32 miles on my road bike from Geology Tour Road to Keys View and then back to town. Betsy and Alex climb on their own.
Day 6 (Sunday, March 30): A highlight of the trip is Betsy leading the rest of us on a rock scramble through the awesome Chasm of Doom! Afterward, Betsy and Alex do some serious rock climbing, while the rest of us do a delightful 1-mile hike on the Hidden Valley Nature Trail. Later, Gordon, Meghan, and Alex head for home.
Day 7 (Monday, March 31): Betsy and I shuttle to Intersection Rock and then bike 15 miles out and back to Keys View in a ferocious wind! Jacob rests his sore legs and heads for home in the evening.
Day 8 (Tuesday, April 1): Betsy and I celebrate her 42nd birthday with a 3-mile hike to the Fortynine Palms Oasis and a climb up the 5.1 Brimstone Staircase route on Morbid Mound.
Day 9 (Wednesday, April 2): We check out of our Airbnb and go for a 2-mile hike in the Whitewater Preserve on our way home.
Photos and commentary follow.
Day 1: Tuesday, March 25. This is the Tortoise House of Fable, our two-house Airbnb. 
And this is the Hare House next door. 
I pass this stagecoach on my morning bike ride. 
I turn around at the park entrance but will pass it later in the day and many more times in the coming days. 
This is Cap Rock from the south. Betsy and I hike around on the left to climb from the other side. 
I am ready to belay Betsy. 
Betsy is halfway up the crack that defines the 5.2 Circus route. The belay rope goes through a carabiner attached to a sling and cam that she has placed for protection. I will clean the route on my way up. 
Betsy is higher up the route. 
Now it it my turn, and I struggle up the middle part of the route. 
Finally I near the top! 
Betsy and I savor the success of our Type 2 fun adventure! 
Orion (on the left) and Jupiter (on the right) shine above Cap Rock as we finish our loop hike in the dark.
Day 2: Wednesday, March 26. This is my beautiful view of the park as I bike to the Quail Springs turnout. 
Snow-capped Mt San Gorgonio comes into view on my ride back. 
This is an especially picturesque Joshua Tree. 
I get another glimpse of Mt San Gorgonio as I drop down in elevation. 
Betsy starts the more than 1-mile hike to Easy Buttress. 
A round kingcup cactus is in the middle of the trail. 
The approach pitch is a hassle. Eventually I get to the top of it here with a belay from Betsy. 
This is Easy Buttress. Our 5.2 route follows the prominent crack. I don’t have any photos of Betsy on the climb because I gave her my iPhone at the start 🙁 
I near the top of the climb. 
I am on the top! 
Betsy and I savor another successful climb. 
Betsy sets an anchor for me to descend. Our rope is not long enough for her to rappel down the same way, so she finds an alternative route down.
Day 3: Thursday, March 27. This is Ryan Mountain, our hiking objective for the day. 
Betsy is at the start of the trail to the top. 
I pose with Saddle Rocks in the background. Betsy has climbed the lower ones. 
Betsy nears the top. 
I touch the rock pile on the summit. 
This is the stunning view to the west from the summit. 
The Wonderland of Rocks is in the distance as we head back down the trail.
Day 4: Friday, March 28. Gordon, Meghan, Jacob, and I hike the trail around Turtle Rock while we wait for Betsy and Alex to join us. 
This kingcup cactus is blooming. 
Betsy has highlighted our two routes up Turtle Rock: 5.4 Bisk is on the left, and 5.5 Blistering is on the right. 
Gordon is raring to go. 
He belays Betsy as she heads up Bisk. 
Betsy pauses after surmounting the big block at the bottom. 
Betsy sets an anchor so we can belay from below. 
Gordon starts up Bisk. Note the belay rope high overhead. 
Betsy has a comfy belay spot. 
Gordon is happy to have gotten past the big block. 
Gordon looks for a good hold. 
Gordon makes it to the top of Bisk! 
Meghan starts up Bisk. 
Meghan makes it to the top too! 
Daredevil Alex free climbs above a window in the nearby rock wall. 
Gordon climbs Blistering. 
Gordon is on top of Blistering. 
Meghan starts up Blistering. 
Meghan nears the top of Blistering. 
I climb halfway up Blistering and call it a day 🙂
Day 5: Saturday, March 29. After shuttling to the start of Geology Tour Road, Jacob, Gordon, and Meghan are ready to begin their 17-mile mountain bike ride. 
I get on my road bike and head back the way we came. I am bundled up because there is a cold wind. 
I pedal hard to warm up against the cold headwind as I ride to Sheep Pass, shown here. Fortunately the wind dies after I go over the pass. 
When I get to Cap Rock I turn onto the road to Keys View. The Circus route that Betsy and I climbed four days earlier is just below the cap. 
The road goes through Lost Horse Valley. 
The last stretch of road is a grinding climb up to Keys View! San Jacinto Peak is on the left, and Mt San Gorgonio is on the right. From here it is 21 miles back to town, much of it downhill.
Day 6: Sunday, March 30. Gateway Rock hides the Chasm of Doom. 
Meghan is at the entrance to the Chasm. 
I enter the Chasm enthusiastically! 
Jacob and Betsy are with me deep in the Chasm! 
I scooch on my back below a big boulder to get through the Birthing Canal and then climb a chimney on the other side. 
Meghan rests on a ledge where the route opens up to a window. 
Jacob and Gordon are at the window, which overlooks Turtle Rock. 
Jacob and Gordon head back into the Chasm as we go out a different way than we entered. 
I see the way out! 
Betsy and Alex give me advice for the final descent. 
This is our intrepid team of adventurers: Betsy, Jacob, Meghan, myself, Alex, and Gordon! 
This map marks the start of the Hidden Valley Nature Trail, a 1-mile loop. 
This plaque has information on climate change over the past 10,000 years. 
A Joshua Tree is in bloom. 
Meghan takes this great photo of a chuckwalla! We see two of them on our hike. 
Gordon scrambles high up some rocks to take this nice photo of a kingcup cactus in bloom.
Day 7: Monday, March 31. Betsy and I start our bike ride between Intersection Rock and The Old Woman, seen here. 
I struggle to stay on my bike in the wind. 
This stretch of road is less windy. 
The road steepens as it approaches Keys View. 
We brace ourselves against our bikes to stand up in the ferocious wind at Keys View!
Day 8: April 1, 2025. This is the map at the start of the trail to Fortynine Palms Oasis. 
Betsy and I are ready to start our hike. 
We see a lot of these California barrel cacti. 
I hang onto my hat in the wind. 
The oasis has a lot of palm trees, but no water is apparent. 
Betsy bounds down the trail on our way back. 
Our afternoon climb goes up the 5.1 Brimstone Stairway route on Morbid Mound. 
Betsy zips up the route to set a belay for me. 
I make good progress on the bottom of the route. 
But I struggle a long time in the middle of the route until Betsy climbs up next to me to let me stand on one of her shoulders. 
With a shoulder foothold I get past the difficulty! 
I am on top of Brimstone Stairway! 
Betsy scrambles to the very top of Morbid Mound for extra credit!
Day 9: Wednesday, April 2. This map shows the area around the Whitewater Preserve. 
Betsy starts our hike along the rock-lined trail. 
There is water in the Whitewater River, which Betsy crosses on a small wooden bridge. It must need to be moved often depending upon the river flow. 
We turn around when we get to the Pacific Crest Trail. It is 2,445 miles from here to Canada! 
This is the trail back to the start. 
These brittlebush flowers and pool are in the oasis by the Visitor Center 
Here is a parting view of the pool as we end another great adventure!