Mountain Lion Defense

•  The death of Kristen Kovatch near Estes Park, CO was the straw that broke the camel's back. At best, she had a nail file for defense. The two California men in 2024 jumped up and down and threw everything they had at a lion. And it kept coming. I went on Amazon to find a knife to be easily carried on a backpack strap. I had a million dollars worth of knives in my cart before I came upon the Cold Steel Mini Leatherneck at barely over 20 bucks.  The double edge blade is agnostic. It can rip in either direction. I would instinctively stab rapid fire in soft tissue, the neck if possible. A 3 or 4 inch blade isn't going to instantly kill a lion, but how many stabs can he take? I would only need one poke from that nasty little blade and I'm heading for the tall grass. I've had this on a couple of hikes and forgot is was there. It will be a permanent fixture except for some barren desert excursions. I have not seen any tests on it to see what it would take to break the blade.

Mojave National Preserve

 

Nest on Wild Horse Mesa. She can get away with that since cattle are gone.

Vulcan Mine

⦁ Mojave Washboard Preserve would be a more suitable name as visitors soon find out. The road to Hole in the Wall campground is paved from I-40. There is water at the entrance and I had 2 bars of Verizon there as well as freebie campsites along the way. Posted 2026

⦁ WILD HORSE MESA 5600 has 3 stock trails up but no cattle for years . I went up the north one then walked the mesa south to another one at peak 1398. The easy 4wd Wild Horse Rd departs the paved Black Canyon Rd at mp . Go 3 miles to a campsite at point 1368. Subaru types and ebikes can make it. Walk NW to point 1444 and go south generally along a faded road. It will shrink to a trail at 02886, 27485  and top out in the east saddle of peak 1653. Then it's easy to the east summit where the reg is. I walked from there on the easy ground to the south trail at peak 1398 reading N35 00105, W115 24345. Along the way a spotty trail at 00114, 25845 helps out. The south trail goes down and turns south where I left it and headed down to my bike that I stashed NE of peak 1178 around mp 7. Nearly 5 hours and 9 miles with 1000 noticeable gain. Easy walking on the mesa. Hikers just doing the summit and back can use the road turning off the Wild Horse Rd from another point 1444. There was no closure sign. ALTERNATE DESCENT - I went back a second time and skipped the high point. When I topped out on the trail I headed down thru a gap east of point 1563 at 02027, 27501 then on to the rim. I walked it for 3/4 mile and I could see the trail coming up out of Beecher Canyon. I then headed for the north rim of Borrego Canyon and stayed on center down into a saddle then up thru a cliff at 00951, 25760. I walked on nearly 2 miles to 01518, 24040 where I could get down thru a cliff. But I saw I might get down by going a few feet more just past point 1466. I resumed on the main ridge going SE and stayed left around a minor bump then down to a saddle then dropped right to the guzzler road where I was camped. That took nearly 5 hours and 9.4 miles. The Borrego rim has never had cattle but had the best flowers . Posted 2026

⦁ TABLE TOP el 6181 is approached from Black Canyon Rd. Point 1581 is at mp 15. Cars can park there then a mtn bike works on a high clearance road for half a mile toward the peak. Then walk to N35 06523, W115 23587 north of peak 1602 and then duck under a fence at 06567, 23244. Go on to a trail with cairns at 06629, 22780. The rest is obvious. It goes parabolic near the top but can be zigzagged. Nearly 3 hours with 700 noticeable gain. Posted 2026

⦁ WOODS MOUNTAINS - various loops can be done from a campsite at the south end at point 1230. I went over the high point and back by way of Tortoise Shell Mtn. The road in leaves the Black Rock Rd at point 1239. It's a mile of smooth high clearance and good for mtn bikes. I walked up Rustler Canyon using the left bank.  At  N35 03144, W115 22237 is where  I went left up a bedrock drainage to a cliff then switched up to the right to get on the rim. I walked left of peak 1577 on a game trail and it goes on left of peak 1616 then up to the north saddle. I went on to the right side of the high point el 1704 and up it and back down. Then on and over peak 1702 and followed the ridges down to peak 1462. I call it Little Table Top. A trail goes up it at 03909, 20579. I then headed for Tortoise Shell Mtn. A trail at 03462, 20805 goes along the west side of peak 1403 then I got on a ridge at 03126, 20837 and walked to Tortoise Shell. I then retraced back down a little to get on the easiest ridge down and crossed Burro Canyon at 02153, 20790 then headed for the last trail on the north side of peak 1247. 7 hours, 10.6 miles with 2000 noticeable gain. Rocks aren't a nuisance until peak 1462 with Tortoise Shell being the worst of it. I would skip that peak next time and come back on trails on the banks of Burro Canyon. Posted 2026

⦁ EAST WOODS MOUNTAINS - an easy 4wd road circles around to the north. At point 1362 on the Black Canyon RD is where it heads NE for a mile and a half then left to point 1459 then east to the end at point 1287 in Woods Wash. Posted 2026

⦁ PINTO MOUNTAIN el 6150 is a good rim walk loop. Go north from Hole In The Wall to point 1603 where there is an option to take a shortcut road. It goes a mile to Cedar Canyon Rd and on north but closed there. I walked up it to the end at a wash then up a trail at N35 10977, W115 23277 to circle around the north side of peak 1754. I then walked the rim skirting a couple of peaks with a trail helping out then up to Purdy BM. I went down a little to 10833, 22302 where I could see my way down the north side then strolled back. 3 hours with nearly 1000 noticeable gain. Posted 2026

• EDGAR PEAK el 7160 has an interesting route from the west with nothing harder than class 3. From Kelso, cross the tracks and get on a left side dirt road immediately that parallels the highway. At about a fifth mile from the tracks is a 4wd road going left to Cornfield Spring. Most will be stopped at a steep spot after 4 and a half miles of easy 4wd. As of 2013, jeeps with lockers and fat tires could still make it and that was still the case in 2026. Or ride an ebike from there. In another mile the road makes a hairpin turn close to an agave pit at N34 58512, W115 34283 el 3400 at wash level. Park here. Hike up the broad wash left of the pit. It swings right then gets bouldery and steep before reaching a saddle at 57526, 32688 el 6060. Go left and up slightly to a break at 57514, 32643 and on around the right of a peak to saddles just before the climb up to the peak which is at 57336, 32186. It's the one on the right. Go up a right chute just before the saddle between the twin summits or go to the saddle then up.  On the return, there's an agave pit at 57546, 32930 el 6100 at a saddle west of the 6060 saddle. I went down the fork to the north but it's tricky and harder than just returning the way you came. Near the bottom I went to a colorful saddle at 57786, 32845 on the left. Then thru and over to the left wall and  down to a broad steep drainage that drops right down to the fork with the canyon I came up. 8 hrs, 20 minutes and 8 miles with 3700 gain, take long pants for very light brush. Boulders in the canyon are easy to negotiate. Add 45 minutes for the side trip to the agave pit at el 6100 and I can't remember why I walked out there in 2013 or took that risky route down. Add 300 feet and 45 minutes round trip if starting from the steep spot on the road. I didn't check Cornfield Spring, but water was flowing downstream from it as far as 58476, 34941 in April 2013. Another pit is at an overhang at 58485,34622 el 3300. Posted 2013, 2026

Wonderstone Wash Indian Trail

Pothole at the 2500 level on the ascent

Ring at the head of Wonderstone

Puddle at the big drop el 2350

View down Wonderstone from the big drop

Ring at the saddle el 20250

Peak 649

Near the end

 ⦁ This trail goes from highway 22 and up over a ridge then down Wonderstone. It's mostly within the boundary of Anza Borrego State Park. It's the most dramatic I've ever done and doubt it can be surpassed. I put a track on peakbagger under Marble Peak 3320. This trip report would only be needed as backup. Take highway 86 to Brawley Rd and drive to a gravel plant. Go south along it on an easy 4wd power road for nearly a mile and leave a vehicle at N33 21629, W116 02188. Ebikes and cycles can turn right up a wash there for another half mile. Then drive to mp 32.55 on S22 and walk a tenth mile to a smooth channel at 17973, 11202. Follow that to the west side of a hill and walk the channel along the base. Upon reaching the north side of the hill, drift right a little to get in the main channel of Palo Verde Wash where you'll see a million footprints. Go on up the wash thru point 18536, 11111 then on to the start of the trail at 18873, 10748 el 1350. The trail goes up along the rim of a side canyon and be sure not to miss where it crosses to the left side of the creekbed at the 1550 level. It goes on up steeply to the top of the ridge el 2000 then down to the bed of Smoke Tree Canyon el 1900. Go up the main canyon 400 feet as the crow flies and the trail exits right at cairns. It gets fuzzy, but be sure to be on it where it levels off  at 19430, 09720 el 2250. It's easy to follow to a creekbed where it vanishes. A pothole there had several gallons. Go up the bed for 300 feet and it exits left. The reading there is 19838, 09605 el 2500. It goes on to a saddle on the main ridge el 3150 then runs toward Rosa BM. It gets fuzzy and I dropped off it and down a ridge at 20493, 09839 then picked it up again at 20758, 09607. A rock ring is along the way at 20699, 09685. The trail goes on to 20895, 09359 then runs left of center at 20933, 09041 el 2480. I took the option to drop down and check for water in the canyon. There were some puddles and wet sand then a big drop. I went back on the rim there then down to where it gets skinny at el 2050. Some rock rings are there and I could see water below. I went down the skinny rim and soon the trail drops right down an obvious slope and bends left and hits bottom where the wash goes over a drop. A flat top boulder there has a grinding hole. The trail runs on the right bank to get past the fall and there is a sand slide. I didn't think that to be risky with a good stick, but a likely option is to get in the main arm of the canyon at about 20911, 08495.  I came up canyon that far on a previous hike if my GPS was reading correct. It's a smooth wash on out to the mouth and I stayed in smooth channels near center to 20950, 05151 then cut over to another channel at 20905, 05037 that took me to the west saddle of peak 649. A trail runs down a wash there and goes up on the left bank at 20811, 04653 then on to higher ground. I then moved left to 20978, 04202 where I could walk the rim of a wash on down to 21404, 03068 and then obvious the rest of the way. That took 8 hours, 15 minutes and nearly 14 miles. Noticeable gain is 2000. The hike is over 15 miles for a party with 2 cars. That hiking time is for a 70 year old. Hikers half that age should do it in half the time. The water I saw was from rain 2 weeks before. Be careful around those rings. Posted 2026