Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Spring 2011: Mojave National Preserve and area bicycle camping / Day 10: Teutonia Peak hike, Mojave National Preserve, with Sarah and Heather 41
A simple hike that's so scenic: the perfect intro for folks new to Mojave National Preserve. I haven't hiked it in several years, so I'm happy to join Sarah and Heather on their hike there. 3.3 hiking miles and about 700 feet of elevation gain.
- The morning sun at Mid Hills campground is warm, but it was really chilly overnight, one of the coldest nights of this trip
I sleep in until 8h30, have breakfast, including Mountain House Beef Stew (yum) and spend part of the day hanging out with Sarah and Heather at the campsite next door. It's nice to have a day off! Sarah has an "extra" microbrew beer for me during the afternoon, thanks! - We drive in Sarah's minivan over to the Teutonia Peak trailhead from Mid Hills campground for our end-of-day hike
- As we start up the Teutonia Peak Trail, we're greeted by some Indian paintbrush
We're at about 5000 feet elevation here, so the wildflowers haven't all dried up yet from the summer heat that's on its way. It's a perfect day here in the low 80s F, with a cool breeze. - Some of the open areas between joshua trees are lightly carpeted with tiny white and yellow flowers
I think the white daisy-like flowers are Tidy tips (Layia glandulosa), while the yellow ones might be gilias. - Heather stops to check out a joshua tree on Teutonia Peak Trail
A lot of the joshua trees in this area are quite well-developed. They grow very slowly, so these big trees are old. - A soft, furry cactus (one of many) invites passers-by along the Teutonia Peak Trail
You want to reach out and touch it, but you don't want to. - I spot another "pineapple cactus" near Teutonia Peak Trail
I snapped a photo of one of these while hiking in the Castle Peaks area last week. - Here's a colorful Hopsage (Grayia spinosa) along Teutonia Peak Trail
They're not rare by any means, but I haven't noticed many so far on this trip. - A blue delphinium adds a spike of colour in the joshua-tree forest
The adjacent cactus just adds spikes. - Sarah and Heather check out a really huge "pancake cactus"
Most of the ones I see aren't as big as this one. - The Mojave Desert is most known for its spiny and tough plants, but graceful bunch grasses are also to be found
Teutonia Peak, the climax of our hike, is that rocky pile up ahead. - The area here below Teutonia Peak is also known for its big boulder outcrops
There are several campsites on the opposite of Cima Road from here for those wishing to camp out in this area. - I've been seeing desert sages along this trail (Salvia dorrii) and this is one of the better ones
They're just starting to wind down their flowering season, so some of them have lost some of their colour. They still smell great, of course. - An elderly juniper tree picks up the late afternoon sun along Teutonia Peak Trail
Like joshua trees, these grow slowly, so this one must be quite old. - Heather pauses in the middle of the Teutonia Peak Trail to contemplate the awesomeness of the area
The trail is quite narrow, but mostly an easy hike. - We start seeing the occasional Desert four o'clock bush with its intense magenta flowers
We're not too late for these flowers... - As the trail rises toward Teutonia Peak, we pass through a patch of junipers
On a really hot day, the shade from these trees would be welcome. - A Banana yucca sends out a fresh bouquet on the way up Teutonia Peak Trail
We're high enough now to see down into the valley where the minivan is parked, and all the way beyond to the Ivanpah and Clark Mountain ranges. - Sarah moseys around in the rock outcrops as we get close to the top of Teutonia Peak Trail
Some end-of-day haze is blowing in, dulling the view of the distant Kingston Range. - Heather climbs up the top of the Teutonia Peak Trail past another patch of "pancake cactus"
We're almost there! - Near the top of Teutonia Peak Trail, we get a good view across to nearby Kessler Peak (at left)
Cima Road is visible cutting across the valley. In the distance at the right is the New York Mountain range, and behind that the Castle Peaks area where I camped three nights last week. - On Teutonia Peak, we linger and enjoy; Heather looks across the valley to the Mid Hills, where we're camping
We're almost at 5700 feet elevation here. Where we're camped over on top of those hills is at about 5600 feet. - Heather walks between some of the boulders strewn about on Teutonia Peak
In theory, being on top of Teutonia Peak would require that we climb up the huge rocks with steep sides that sit on the summit, but that's not for us. - Sarah takes a break on Teutonia Peak, overlooking the subtle curve of Cima Dome
I have a cell-phone signal here, so I send a few text messages and make a quick phone call. I haven't had any phone service for the past couple of days, so I've been wanting to let people know that I haven't vanished. - We're all taking photos of each other; Sarah sits on one of the Teutonia Peak ridges
Clark Mountain is behind Sarah in the distance. I've hiked the lower parts of that area, but not all the way to the top. - Sarah discovers a rock shelter at Teutonia Peak and tries it out
It works! - Heather stands on a Teutonia Peak "balcony" overlooking the Cima Dome curve
Cima Dome is an interesting sight because its curve is so subtle, yet constant. I hiked over there a few years ago on its summit, and you feel more like you're on a plain than a dome. - From Teutonia Peak are views over to the "summit" of Cima Dome
It's about 1.5 miles from here to there, but it looks much closer. - As we start our way back down from Teutonia Peak, Heather takes the lead
It looks like we could do a walk across the valley to Clark Mountain, but that's over a dozen miles away. - This Claret-cup cactus is comfortable growing on a rock overlooking the Cima Dome expanse
It's usually quite windy up here, but I guess the cactus doesn't mind. - We pass another blooming Claret-cup cactus along Teutonia Peak Trail as we descend
There's that patch of junipers again, just ahead. - Teutonia Peak Trail bends and heads toward the northeast
Our gaze is now fixed on Kessler Peak ahead; the minivan is parked down in the valley well in front of that. - Desert sages along Teutonia Peak Trail pick up the pre-sunset orange glow
Under regular sunlight, they look more blue-purple rather than their present pink. - We turn around for a moment to look back toward Teutonia Peak
The orange sunset casts an almost psychedelic lime-green aspect on this Banana yucca. - Rock outcrops and irregular joshua trees create endless visual interest on the high plain between Teutonia Peak and Kessler Peak
We've lucked out catching sunset while on Teutonia Peak Trail; we didn't specifically plan our hike this way. - Kessler Peak soaks up as much of the reddish light as it can
I've camped in this area several times and the sunsets up here are typically memorable. - The lower part of Teutonia Peak Trail was once an old road, as is visible here
It's not quite camouflage, but Sarah's orange and green outfit fits in perfectly with the desert sunset! - Heather pauses to look at another one of the giant joshua trees along Teutonia Peak Trail
How many centuries old is this one? - We're almost back at the minivan when we pass one last Desert four o'clock blooming in the sunset
Sarah and Heather, thanks for takinq me along on this hike, it has been great! We drive back to Mid Hills campground on the washboarded roads and all settle in for our final evening there. Supper is Mountain House Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Rice, yummy. We had a good, scenic hike, but it wasn't even 4 miles, so I'm not physically tired for a change. I'll appreciate that when I pack up and leave tomorrow. The strong winds have moved on, so it's incredibly still and quiet here tonight. I love the desert when it's like that. I hear some noise by my tent just before going to sleep, probably a kangaroo rat or a jackrabbit... The heavy chill of recent nights is absent, so my sweater and long underwear in the sleeping bag almost feel too warm. - Teutonia Peak Trail, Mojave National Preserve, elevation gain
3.3 hiking miles round-trip plus about 700 feet of elevation gain. - Teutonia Peak Trail, Mojave National Preserve, hiking route
3.3 hiking miles round-trip plus about 700 feet of elevation gain.