[John Morrow]

DPS means a list of desert climbs and scrambles created by the Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section. We didn't really choose 'em for list bagging but more for aesthetic desert trips. Our hope was to continue south into the Sonoran Desert. After Spirit Mountain Wilderness proved too hot (I always loved this wilderness area of granite: see https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8019022) we drove to higher altitude in Mojave National Preserve for the New York Mountains. Nov 13: Spirit Mountain Wilderness Plenty of available beta for Spirit Mountain 5639'. Basically drive up the maintained gravel Christmas tree Pass Road to the pass and head up northward. Drop down the north side of a low pass and pick up a cairned route that climbs the SW slope/face of Spirit Mountain, finishing on the south ridge. Great area with such scenic granitic formations.

Jerry dreams of presents under the tree

desert scene start

beginning to climb

Beautiful granite

Summit block toward Devil's Thumb

summit rocks

View northeast from Spirit Mountain

View southeast from Spirit Mountain

Last look at Spirit

Nov 14th: Mojave National Preserve We drove to the NY Mountains and had an afternoon of good light and weather to do an afternoon walk to a isolated summit. A prolific Mojave traveller named Andy Smatko had left a summit register in 1980 and named the mountain Lecyr Mtn 5549'. We were the second party since to sign in! I love the desert isolation!

Jerry on an afternoon up Lecyr Mtn.

rock garden

Nov 15th: Mojave National Preserve Our camp was located in Keystone Canyon, one of two main canyons that access NY Mountain Highpoint 7533'. (other being Caruthers). Keystone was nice because it allowed us to finish the day in a scenic and good travel ridgeline loop.

Keystone Canyon

moon high morning

Approach is a old mining track to an interesting mine site. Then up to a saddle and onto the east ridge of New York One Benchmark 7461'(next to the higher New York Two 7533'). The summit of New York Two (known as New York Mountains Highpoint) was a jumble of vertical blocks, bulges, and spires of granite. Very confusing to locate a route. Doubt we did the standard but collective searching got us to the common and only practical summit block pitch. Impeccably solid, we all still found it to be Class 4 moves with exposure for 30 feet.

Mojave Wilderness, CA

From New York One

Highpoint looks interesting

I felt this was Class 4.

New York Mountains Highpoint

View to the Providence Mtns

Final summit moves (descending)

On the return we did a very aesthetic and fun ridge run (first granite, then limestone, surprisingly) going over Keystone Point 6503' and down its north ridge back into Keystone Canyon.

Making a ridgerun out of it

Descending NY One

Caruthers Canyon

Thanks to Stav for beta on this...excellent!

NY Mountains behind JTree scene

Another trip that I enjoyed thoroughly and added to the sensce of diversity of experience and environments in short radius across the Mojave Desert.

[Fletcher]

Awesome! I love the Mojave. I did Spirit in the rain and snow in February of this year. Cool peak. I have long term aspirations of completing the DPS list some day, every one of them that I’ve done has been highly enjoyable.