Hiking the Mojave Desert In the footsteps of Colin Fletcher Backpacking in the East Mojave Desert • Guided tour
 

Discovering the flora & fauna of the Mojave Desert

In the footsteps of Colin Fletcher

This three-day tour of roughly 30 miles makes you understand something of the magic that binds people to the desert.

Most interesting are the dramatic changes in vegetation almost every couple of miles. You walk through sage and

creosote desert, climb slopes populated with barrel cacti, find yourself surrounded by Joshuas, and get excited following animal tracks on the sandy floor of a green canyon abundantly covered with flowers and trees. After crossing the New York Mountains through a network of canyons, once again you will be surprised by looking over a totally different kind

of desert.

The tour ends at Nipton Station, a former railroad hub that now has a nice motel with outdoor jacuzzis and - for railroad afficionados - frequent freight trains rumbling along your bedroom.

Date & time: This trip is scheduled for May or June. This is the best time to explore the higher elevations of the Mojave Desert. The nights aren’t below freezing point anymore, the days don’t hit the three-digits level yet, and many cacti and flowers will be blooming.

If you are interested in joining, please contact Andreas. Send an e-mail with your preferred time and any comments, restrictions, recommendations.

Tour prices depend on the group size, accommodation and caches.

• Lunch at starting point

  1. •Tour of 3 to 4 days, preparations, cashed goods, photo documentary

  2. •Last night at hotel Nipton Station

On return, you may want to visit the Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association.

Tour dates: please contact me for tour dates in May/June.

Trip schedule (ca. 30 miles)

• 1st evening    > Arrival at meeting point, transfer to starting point

  1. •2nd day         > Walk to the southern foothills of the New York Mountains

  2. •3rd day          > Crossing the range, Caruthers Canyon, Keystone Canyon

• 4th day           > overnight at Nipton Station

  1. •5th morning  > Visit to the Mojave Desert & Cultural Association













 

During his Thousand-Mile Summer walk and on several other trips, Colin Fletcher crossed the East Mojave Desert, an enchanting wilderness area full of history and a surprising richness of wildlife, both flora and fauna.

According to his notes, it was here where Fletcher was ravished by delight, saying: “God is light, we are told, and Hell is outer darkness. But look at a desert mountain stripped bare by the sun, and you learn only geography. Watch darkness claim it, and for a moment you may grasp why God had to create Satan - or man to create both.”

 
Crossing the Mojave Desert

Guided tour: Probably the most stunning experience in the Mojave is the crossing of the New York Mountains, with 7,500 ft. the highest range between the Colorado River and the Panamint Range, which comes up with some natural surprises (continue below...)

click to enlarge