J-Tree

  • Rained Out of Red Rock

    Rained Out of Red Rock

    Another trip to Red Rock that almost didn’t happen. Of course rain was involved, but we were also dealing with car issues at the last minute too. But we weren’t going to let the prospect of some awesome sandstone go. We rented a car, shifted our plans forward, and charged…

  • Climbfest 2025

    Climbfest 2025

    When Luke and I planned a two-day trip to Joshua Tree I knew it would hard. But I had no idea what kind of hard it would be. We warmed up on the Thin Wall in Hidden Valley. It was in the sun, but not too hot. We lapped three…

  • Everybody Loves Pearl

    Everybody Loves Pearl

    This is Pearl. She’s why were here at Joshua Tree. Did we have a campsite for a fully booked popular spring weekend? No. But we brought Pearl, and her fan club delivered. Wherever she goes, she makes friends. And sometimes her friends hook you up with campsites for last-minute bonus…

  • Blood and Fire

    Blood and Fire

    Somehow we scored a Saturday site at Ryan Campground. We must have logged in right as someone cancelled, and we snapped that campsite up. Still not warm enough to full venture into the shade, and so once again we were chasing sun at Joshua Tree. After some indecision we settled…

  • Winter Weekend

    Winter Weekend

    It’s been a long time since I’ve had a camping fail. But we’d made a miscalculation with our bedding. Our bed kit had been rocking it all winter in J-Tree, but we failed to appreciate that this time we’d be sleeping in the tent instead of the car. Because this…

  • Doglegged Eye

    Doglegged Eye

    Dogleg? More like Elvis-leg if I’m being honest. As we arrived at the base and racked up I was feeing a little off. Just kinda trembly, and awfully sweaty. Was I hot or cold? I couldn’t tell, just felt off. Two days later I’d be completely laid out by the…

  • Touch and Sole

    Touch and Sole

    When we pulled up to the Echo Cove outer wall and saw two climbers racking up for Horny Corner I couldn’t resist. I had to hop out of the car and go chat them up. Soon we were chopping it up with Luis and his partner. They were on a…

  • Cold Conans Corridor

    Cold Conans Corridor

    Sheeps pass in January is a very cold morning, but we had all arrived at the same plan: head to Conan’s Corridor. The west wall and belay ledge would pick up some morning sun and the corridor would also offer some protection from the ever increasing wind. We parked near…

  • Axe of Dog & Horny Corner

    Axe of Dog & Horny Corner

    Another quick trip to Joshua tree, but this time with a last minute change-up: Luke invited us to stay in the park proper at Sheep Pass with an entire crew of climbers. The only downside was having to meet a bunch of new people and share a campsite with strangers.…

  • High Strung

    High Strung

    The next morning was a hard call to make. We’d been super excited to climb High Strung for months, having scoped it out twice so far, but I was hesitant to climb a finger crack with my injury. But desire and excitement won out, and we headed into the Wonderland.…