Hike Sheep Hole Mountains High Point Sheephole Valley Wilderness BLM, CA

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Despite the relatively low mileage, Sheep Hole Mountains High Point took significantly longer than I thought it would. It's got the same rocky personality you'd expect from the Joshua Tree area's granite boulders. I started from a pull-out off Amboy Road and dropped into the sandy drainage on the west side of the Sheep Hole Mountains. I followed the sandy wash into a prominent drainage on the right, and then continued through this drainage, ultimately to its head. Along the way, there was a fair amount of boulder-hopping and some trickier obstacles. About halfway up the drainage, a wall of boulders blocked easy access. Going straight up this blockade would result in some fun Class 3 movement, but keeping the route Class 2 requires leaving the drainage and keeping to the right side slopes to get to higher ground, avoiding the bouldery blockade.

Eventually the drainage rock-hopping simmered out and I reached the head of the wash. Two sets of cairns marked possible routes up. The left leads up a steep slope and then a Class 3 face (my initial ascent route, which I removed from my attached map; it was loose and steep), and the right, which continues to a low saddle and includes a fairly well-eroded social trail. The social trail continues just south of the ridge crest, avoiding much of the difficult rock-hopping and maze-like nature created by the massive boulders. The route is a little confusing to describe since all the boulders kind of look the same, but I had to drop down into a small basin-like formation before making the final ascent on Class 3 boulder-hopping fun, and the summit block required a low Class 3 move. Great views of the surrounding desert.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Sheep Hole Mountains High Point

4613 ft

2218 rise

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From my car, I dropped into this major wash on the west side of the Sheep Hole Mountains.

I entered the major wash that leads deeper into the mountains.

Some Class 2/3 obstacles along the wash.

Looking back at my progress within the wash.

More fun obstacles and the remains of some metal from what I assume was a mining operation.

Typical terrain for the wash. Ahead is a section about halfway up the wash that proved more tedious than the rest.

A wall of boulders within the wash. Class 3 if you go straight up, Class 2 if you leave the wash on the right and follow the slopes to higher ground.

Looking back down the tricky section within the wash, back the way I came.

Continuing through the wash, mostly easy stuff with some boulder-hopping.

Class 2 ascent once I reached the head of the wash. Honestly all my photos kind of looked the same of this bouldery terrain, so follow cairns have fun doing some route-finding.

View south as I continue ascending.

Passing over a ridge, Sheep Hole Mountains High Point visible top right.

The route dropped me down into a minor depression before ascending to the summit ahead.

More Class 2/3 for the last couple hundred feet to the summit.

Class 3 moves. There are easier and harder ways, depending on the boulders you choose to ascend. I used completely different options on my ascent and descent, and it would be very hard to describe my route.

Looking back, below the summit.

Sheep Hole Mountains High Point ahead.

Sheep Hole Mountains High Point summit, view east.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!