Our third day in the desert was a simple and relaxing one playing tourist in Mojave. We kept our camp at Mid Hills and took a short hike straight from our campsite over to two big rock jumbles known as Eagle Peaks. They looked more like they belonged in Joshua Tree. We also met some of the locals – the enormous cattle that wander the desert. Just like in the Bay Area, ranchers have use rights for much of the land, and cattle roam around – watch your step!
After the morning stroll we hopped in the car and headed down towards Hole-In-The-Wall. There is a short ‘hike’ here that goes down a short canyon. The canyon wouldn’t be hikable if it wasn’t for the two sets of metal rings that allow you to climb up and down some short dryfalls. It makes things just interesting enough, and although there is very little distance to this hike (maybe a quarter mile total to go through the canyon), it’s not for the tourons. For those who don’t want to deal with the ring climbs and boulder hopping there is a little overlook point where you can look down the canyon.
Next, we headed a bit further south to Mitchell Caverns. Mitchell Caverns is made up of two limestone caves that were commercialized as a side trip to route 66. When Mr. Mitchell died, he sold the land to the California State Parks, and now the rangers do the guided tour for a small fee. There’s some interesting history to the area and the caves, and it’s definitely worth stopping by if you’re in the area. Get there early as tours are limited – we got there about an hour and half before the daily 1:30 tour and got the last two spots.
