Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

January 20th, 2024 at 6:50 AMJoshua Tree National Park, CA

Info

Distance

16 mi

Elevation gain

4,100 ft

Route type

Loop

Duration

7.5 hr

Crux

Class 3

Quality

9/10

Vehicle type

Car

Ecoregion

Loading ecoregion...

Loading peaks...

1

2

3

Loading report...

Loading nearby trips...

Trip report

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Starting along Mastodon Mine Loop Trail from Cottonwood Campground.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Entering a wash.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — View back as the trail exits the wash.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Approaching Mastodon Peak.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Mastoson Mine.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — A grated The trail continues up the staircase on the right.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Taking a hard left onto a use trail leading to Mastodon Peak.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Class 2.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Mastodon Peak summit. View west.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — View east toward Eagle Mountain.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Rejoining Mastodon Mine Loop Trail, headed south.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Cool split rock formation on the right.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Approaching the Lost Palms Oasis Trail junction.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Turning left onto Lost Palms Oasis Trail, headed east.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Dropping into a wash.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — The trail undulates as it crosses several arroyos.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — End of Lost Palms Oasis Trail.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Descending a use trail toward Lost Palm Oasis.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Lost Palms Oasis.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Continuing along Lost Palms Canyon, passing a dozen or so scattered palms marked "Victory Palms" on the topo.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Crawling through massive boulders to reach the lower portion of Lost Palms Canyon.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Approching the lower terminus of Munsen Canyon on the left.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Starting up Munsen Canyon.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Approaching Summit Springs Palm Oasis.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Weaving through the palms.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — A short distance away, Munsen Oasis.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — View back at Munsen Oasis.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — A house-sized boulder.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Staying up high on the right side of the canyon to avoid brush below.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — An unnamed oasis.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Around 3,500 feet, veering right for a subsidiary canyon.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Continuing up a subsidiary canyon.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Class 3 boulder-hopping.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Approaching a second unnamed palm oasis.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Dense willow thickets after the second unnamed palm oasis. After a failed bushwhacking attempt, I bypassed the brush by contouring the crumbly slope on the right.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — After the brushy section, the canyon widens before curving east.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — View back as I continue to ascend.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Starting up a Class 3 chute to exit the canyon.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — View back from the exit chute.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Tricky Class 3 slab.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — More Class 2/3 obstacles ahead.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Above the exit chute, the terrain opens up.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Following a wash.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Aiming for the saddle along the Eagle Mountain ridgeline, left of center.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — At the saddle, view back.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Gaining the ridge to Eagle Mountain.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Eagle Mountain ahead.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — View back from below the summit of Eagle Mountain.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Eagle Mountain summit, occupied by a group of friendly Sierra Club hikers who ascended the standard DPS route that I would use for my descent.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — View east toward the rest of the Eagle Mountain Range.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — View north into Pinto Basin.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Starting down the northwest ridge.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Tailing the group for a while. (It was nice to take a mental break from route finding.)

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — At this plateau, I split off from the group and headed to the saddle, left of center.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Cool slabby terrain.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Starting down the descent gully.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — View back up the descent gully.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Exiting the descent gully.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Hiking through the open desert on the way back to Cottonwood Campground.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Some pockets of lush vegetation.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — View back toward Eagle Mountain.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — I gravitated toward a number of small, westward flowing washes.

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon

Trip report photo for Eagle Mountain via Munsen Canyon — Joining an old road which lead back to the campground.