Distance: 4 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation change: 2200 feet
Time of year best to hike: Fall to Spring
Recommended maps: Dale Lake, CA USGS Topo Map
Video: Summit Attempt
Trail-Head: From Twentynine Palms, the trail-head is about 25 miles east on Amboy Road. As Amboy road turns north between Sheep Hole Mountain and the Bullion Mountains, there will be several dirt roads leaving the paved road to the east. The trail-head that used in this case was the dirt road at the top of this pass that leads to an easy to identify Microwave tower. The short dirt road that leads east from the paved road that leads to the microwave tower is passable to all vehicles. This tower is the trail-head. See the video linked at bottom of the summary for a view of the tower.
Summary: From the trail-head, set out directly east up the gradual desert floor. A fairly deep wash interrupts this trek at the base of the mountain. Follow the draw to the mouth of the rocky canyon from which the wash and the ascent begins. The trail quickly vanishes and scrambling begins. It is a grueling 1.5 miles of class two rock climbing to the top.
From what I have been told the view from the top is amazing. The desert air is very clear. The colors are vibrant. The contrast between desert and sky is stark. Unfortunately, I did not finish the hike. My dogs accompanied me on this hike. We got a mile into the scrambles and as we climbed, the rocks were getting bigger, more jagged, and the grade was becoming too steep for the dogs. They wanted to push on, but the best way to avoid disaster is good judgement. It is difficult for me to say this, but...I did not complete this summit. A video of my attempt is posted here: Sheep Hole Mountain Summit Attempt.
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