I went to the NPS website: Castle Mountains represents some of the most unique elements of the Mojave Desert. Nestled between the Nevada state line and Mojave National Preserve, the nearly 21,000 acres of Castle Mountains boasts Joshua tree forests, unbroken natural landscapes, rare desert grasslands, and rich human history. This intriguing area provides serenity and solitude from nearby metropolitan areas.
The nearby mining is a likely key to Tristan’s question about why the national monument designation. The desert grasslands and joshua trees may not look all that distinct from nearby areas, but then monument status is not merely granted based on the tourist appeal of distinctive landscape features. Sensitive habitats and species protection are factors, and-as with many harsh desert environments-nocturnal life can be richly diverse if left unscathed by human commercial activities such as mining.
Likely bureaucratic empire building. There is a gold mine in the area scheduled to close in a couple of years. Could have been rolled into Mojave NM. Pretty area if you like desert
I travelled extensively in the Mohave National Preserve and the Castle Mountains National Monument in 2018 and you have been misinformed. There are not unique elements in CMNM; the adjacent 1,500,000 acre Mohave National Preserve is representative of the high desert ecosystem and doesn't need an additional 20,000 acres to embellish it. See my post above to understand the the creation of the CMNM was purely a political Federal/State/private interests battle and has nothing to do with "serenity and solitude" opportunities for the public.
We’ve been watching you for awhile and would like to tell you what we like about your videos! They are always very good, we always learn something, maybe about a place, or place in history, or about an area, the climate, it’s always a positive experience for us. You are well spoken, you help us prepare for visiting places, you are positive minded, a great teacher! Thanks for sharing your travels with us. We definitely appreciate you! Be safe…and keep on keeping’ on!
I like the brief clip of your hike up the mountain when you a black silhouette in the black shadow of the mountain. That extreme contrast in desert light.
I was one of the 2 folks up there last year, on April 11. I had been repelled on the southeast slope the previous year, though a braver scrambler than I has gone that way! This time I went the way you did, but without the unnecessary climbing. Great little peak! Purcell's book is great. I've been using his other (perhaps now hard to find?) book to scramble up slickrock peaks in Zion NP. I tried to get over to the Castle Peaks last year, but the roads were very confusing and horrible. Probably will try again next month.
I really enjoyed your scaling the peak, opening the register, and the history that was in that jar. I was born later in 1951, so that one entry predates me. The geoglyphs were an unexpected bonus.
Being on top of a peak where you are the first person for 6 months is kind of an "I'm king of the world" moment. I agree about the desert. No one is ambivalent, you either love it or hate it.
I agree but also can admit that I am always at a crossroads with the south Australian bush. Amazing scenery when camping and then the gust of wind comes through, doing a spot of fishing and then you get a wasp sting to the neck, enjoying a game of cards and then the sand flies bite your ankles, pulling down your tent and realising a small bush scorpion made a nest under it. And then you witness spectacular colours, new growth, fresh water turtles, graceful pelicans and cute emu families going for a wander. I Hate and Love at the same time. These things make you appreciate the way indigenous folk could create a living in such intense environments. Connection with Nature is amazing!
@@chaoticature yes!! I grew up in a desert area in MX and I do love the scenery however when the heat hits for month’s end without rain and water is running low, really low. It is hard to not wish for the trees and rivers 🤣
I’m with you about desert landscapes, Tristan. I’m from New England where the mountains are usually so heavily forested that you don’t get a view until you reach a summit. My first exposure to the desert was when I was 15 and spent THE SUMMER with my aunt and uncle in Why, AZ. Despite the intense heat, I fell in love with the desert and its extremes. I only get out there every few years so your adventures help me get my ‘fix’ in the meantime. Cheers!
Tristan, if you find yourself enjoying terrain like the Castle Mountains you most certainly need to visit the Organ Mountains National Monument. It is composed of a number of sub regions that span the Aden Lava Flow (and volcanic caldera) to the challenging to climb Rabbit Ears in the Organ Mountains. I have been working my way through the various areas. Las Cruces, the private lands, and the Monument are all intertwined with lots of good rattlely road access. Besides the various Monument adventures chasing down the Overland Trail, the various abandoned forts, and Apache battles sites can keep you busy for days and days. I know all this from personal experience; in fact, I spent today rattling around out in the hills trying find Broad Canyon, Dona Ana County, NM (there is a fun and minor slot canyon right in that same area). A bit further north in the Gila Mountains is the spectacular Gila Mountain Cliff Dwellings. In your travels you have skipped over much of NM, you may want to mix things up if I may be so bold to suggest this to you. Plus I would take you out to dinner at La Posta in Mesilla....
I was born and raised in San Diego, but have lived in Phoenix, 46 years. I love the barren beauty of the desert. It's much more quiet than the forest or beach and I love silence.
It is a National Monument because the area is rich in gold, the gov wants to sit on it until we have better mining tech. Same goes for the Chocolate Mountains further south, that was annexed as a bombing range.
Wow! The Castle Rock Mountain Range was beautiful, but the summit registry amazed us! It's hard to believe it hasn't been blown off or destroyed by weather.
Tristan, you're killing me: 1971 was a decade and a half before your time? I was 23 that year. Even the 1951 entry you showed, I was already 3-years-old. But keep on truckin' my boy for us septuagenarians who can no longer do it ourselves but feel we're with you in your excellent videography sans the physical effort we can no longer tolerate.
Wow, that was quite a climb! Beautiful….I’m a desert rat and have been living in the desert for a few years now. I love it because the geology is so evident and the views go on forever.
Mojave Desert Land Trust obtains all the land they can and decides whether to gift it to the government or hold it and if it is donated, they choose who will best preserve it. Might be one of theirs, I don't know. Nice though - I love that the first climb dates are the year before I was born! 1951 you said? Wow.
I'm with you Tristan. I love that type of country. Heck, I love all types of country but now that I am older (70) I have come to look at the desert lands as not "someplace to get through quickly" but as someplace to linger and get to know intimately. Many people love the desert lands of the National Parks (Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Arches.....etc) but they neglect to notice the amazing areas within the Mohave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. I love it all.
I absolutely love the desert and that is a major reason I really enjoy your channel because you do a lot of it. All the rocks and such are so fascinating. I enjoy all your videos but especially those of desert parts of states. Thank you very much
I was born and raised in north-central British Columbia surrounded by mountains and forests. I find the desert landscape absolutely fascinating. I love it. Hopefully I can take my own trip out there one day.
I’m a retired federal land surveyor and Those survey makers 1- azimuth mark 2- USGS Tri Station, other monuments you encounter include section corners, bench marks, boundary markers. All are 3” brass cap, marked in its own special way.
Love the desert! Love seeing the London Bridge! But weirdly I must say my favorite part was learning that I am not the only person who attracts mosquitos like a magnet...
Lovely shots from the summit! Sometimes the camera doesn't do a view like that justice but because you panned around it gave me a better sense of how expansive the view is.
Good video. As the Caretaker at the historic Walking Box Ranch I used to watch the interplay of light and sky on the Castle Mountains daily. The ranch is close to the north end of the road you drove; good for walking, if you don't mind tarantulas, mountain lions, and the deadly Mojave Greens (I don't mind them). The goldminers in the mountains are exceptional folks - Canadians and strong environmentalists who put a million into restoring the old WBR, and mined with the intention of seeing those mountains preserved. Ranger friends and I drove that road all the way to the Kelso Dunes; do that, and you can understand why the Castles are so important. They are valuable in and of themselves for nature and cultural history; but they also connect the Mojave Preserve with a proposed national monument which will connect the Preserve with the Lake Mead backcountry if it's approved. Perhaps the most unique natural feature of that area is its Mojave forest - the largest there is, and of a special subspecies. After a good winter, to see those giant lilies all in bloom is as moving as watching the water fall down Yosemite cliffs. The old WBR has a fascinating human history; and there are also ghost railroads, ghost towns, old Ft Piute nearby, and much, much more. I was there for about 3 years and found every day to be filled with beauty - and a little ranger danger, too.
I have been following you now for a couple months. You are a very fresh and bright story teller... and quite an adventurer. i really like your style... the care and the manner of your trips. You convey a love and an organic curiosity of the land... someone I wouldn't expect in these times. I wish you super well... and may all these roads you are taking lead you to the peace you give us. Thx
Thank you for showing us the site of Hart the town. I’m sad to see that the mining company has closed access. In 2017 and ‘18 I was able to walk the streets of the townsite, poke through the artifacts, camp at Hart. I hope that the mining company respects the site during their operations, and opens access again when it is safe. Perhaps one day we will be able to see Walking Box Ranch also. These are historic sites!
I am afraid of heights. That being said, just watching your video from the comfort of my recliner made my legs and knees quiver. When I was younger (many years ago) it didn't bother me but being in my mid-70s it does. I do love nature and being outdoors and mountains, too. I just don't climb them anymore. Love the videos. Keep them coming.
Thank you for visiting Castle National Monument; I’ve had it pinned on my National Geographic road adventure atlas for years and love the area; providence has been on my list too but I’m not as mobile as I once was
the mojave desert is such a cool place. I hiked kessler peak (not too far from hart) last year on a road trip from denver to san francisco, and it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. It was my first time seeing joshua trees and It was really cool to see all the volcanic rock, very different from what i'm used to in colorado
Really different and has a charm all its own. Enjoyed the story of your grandparents. Always nice to tie family stories to places visited. I pity your mom.......poor eyelids. I imagine she was happy when they sold the land. Thanks for the nice journey again.
Great video! We live just a couple hours from the area you were in. My family and I love the Mojave desert, specifically for the solitude and beauty. The trail registers were incredible, and a testament to the way things are preserved in the deserts of the SW. The Mojave National Preserve is a magnificent place to explore. Note to others interested in exploring the area, bring lots of water (even in the winter) and I recommend a high clearance vehicle (preferably 4WD). Many of the roads in this area can be extremely rough and are not maintained.
WOW! We were just in that same area last week. We were able to go see London Bridge. We tried to see Hoover Dam, but it was crazy busy-- even during the week. Thanks for another great video.
Yep, I actually did that like a week or so after this one. It'll be in an Adventure Know-How bonus video. Just tons and tons of burned Joshua trees. Sad.
You need a 4Runner! It is the ideal vehicle for what you do. Much more comfortable on the road than a Jeep, and very capable off road. I have a sleeping platform in my 2000 4Runner and store my stuff under it and fold it out to a full 6' with a double size folding foam mattress. I'm never going to do any serious "rock crawling" in it, but it gets me anywhere I want to go. Great vehicle.
Interesting thing about London bridge. Apparently they erected the bridge over open desert. The nearest water was the river. To the west. After the bridge was finished they dug a canal under it that connected to the river /lake north and south of the bridge.
I do the same thing with Google Maps when planning trips, and I watch your videos. 😁 I just got back from the St. George/Moapa Valley area. I tried to do the Yant Flat Trail but the road at one point was still covered in ice and snow from that last storm. But Snow Canyon and Valley Of Fire were amazing!
I believe it is separate from Mojave National Preserve is that the law designating it made it a "wilderness", meaning that it can not be used for resources. In the middle of the Castle Mountain National Monument is a large gold mine which can be utilized under the provisions of the Antiquity Act which designates a national monument.
Boom! Know that land use law and you understand so much about all the different flavors of public lands we have. It also gives you a history lesson about the West
@@SUVRVing Interestingly, the company that owns the gold mine is called NewCastle Gold Ltd. My guess is that the monument was actually named after the company, as their land will be transferred to the national parks service by 2025.
So if I understood one article the national monument designation may have been made to make it difficult to reopen the mine. Ha, that would explain why there wasn’t a particular outstanding feature.
nice love Lake Havasu. My parents also had retired there, mostly because of promotion of real estate in the 1970s. The sales mam wined and dined buyers, gave away rooms and some even airfares paid! High pressure (like time share of today). Thay didn't bite then but went back in the 1996 to snowbird for 10 years, both gone now! thanks to MR. McCulloch and chainsaws! and thank you stay safe ALL
Interesting video Tristan and thank you for the Sierra Club shout-out! If you are not a member, yet I highly recommend you joining ASAP we're involved with some important environmental issues; your wheelhouse! Enjoyed the Castle Mountains and The Twins! Thanks again ~
Drove from LA to lake Havasu in 1977 on the way to the east coast. Sang the London bridge is falling down song for many years in Australia as a youngster So when I heard it was reconstructed over lake Havasu I just had to see this bridge. It was neat to see your pics of the bridge again. It’s been 45yrs in April
Tristan, I love, love, love videos like this one when you climb peaks. While I know it’s completely unreasonable to climb a peak a week or expect a video on a climb every week these videos are my jam. And that register! Wow! I’m a grandmother and that registrar is well over a decade older than I am! Amazing! As for desert beauty, I agree, the desert is gorgeous. I’m here in soggy, damp, dank and perpetually dreary, Seattle, and miss the desert like I would miss an amputated arm. It’s the light. My god the light. It’s has a quality to it that I’ve seen no where else. Well, it’s the landscape too. It’s varied, stark, colorful and dramatic. Mix that up with the light and it’s like a slice of heaven with the heat turned up.
Wonderful video! And you're correct - even though I'm originally from California, I had never heard of Castle Mountains National Monument. When I looked it up, I learned why... it's a relatively new national monument which didn't exist when I lived in California. I too have some interesting family history from Lake Havasu. My grandparents had a house on the Colorado River near Parker, AZ, and we spent summer vacations there on the river. Back in 1972, my step father proposed to my mom under the newly re-constructed London Bridge. She said yes!
Tristan, the most fascinating thing about the whole climb is the "summit registry" can! i used to live in 29 Palms so this trip brought back so many memories. can almost smell the greasewood bushes and yuccas. thanks for the video.
Thanks Tristen I just love the desert especially out there since I'm from California we used to go to Ocotillo Wells a lot... also really glad you made it out alive to post this video
Ash Meadows. Very nice place e although can be crowds. I dunno why I mentioned this place... I was trying to recall when I was in Mojave DR...I saw Castle Rock/mountains but didn't climb them. So thanks for the view! That log book...Wow! Those are artifacts! Skeeters. I don't miss the skeeters of N. GA. I lived in Tustin, CA when that bridge was bought and shipped..oh my. And you missed disco...🤣
I get up some mornings and challenge RUclips to find me something new to watch. Of course this is after I mark many "Not interested." Today, I found your video and look forward to future videos as well as digging into the library of your past videos. Oh yes, my favorite part if the video...toss up between reaching the summit of Castle Mountains and the human figures drawn on the ground.
Great Video. Sorry to add that the York fire of July-Aug 2023 burned into part of the monument. Both the Cima Dome fire and the York fire devastated the Joshua tree forests, it will take decades to recover.
I am so happy to find you this morning. I drive really long distances & don't mind sleeping in my car or a hammock as I travel. Last month I drove from Portland, OR to Austin, TX & actually drove to Lake Havasu City & slept next to London Bridge by the river (in my car because it was in the 30's). It was a balloon festival weekend too! I always love driving through the Mojave. The Joshua Trees are beautiful. On my drive back to Oregon I'll have to check out that Nt'l Monument. It's so wonderful to find the messages from decades ago. What a special treat to the 2 hikers a year that take that desert trip! Great video. And I loved the story about your Grandparents & your Moms poor eyes. Sounds just awful.
Oh wow!! Now you wanna make me go there on my next trip.I love it Tristan.I bet some of those people sign on the register are already dead. Awesome job.that is my go too place.😘🥰😍🤩
Great new and inspiring adventure man. Just have been on a desert hike in Namibia once and it was unbelievable. Thanks a lot for sharing. Have a great week. Best wishes, Mario
Great report. Granite and Silver Peaks in the Preserve are interesting struggles for those interested in - well - struggling up desert peaks. Silver is the more recommendable one (less Cholla for one). If my half century old memories serve me correctly, the London Bridge project was the idea of the guy who founded the McCulloch chainsaw and small motors company. Back then it sounded like a sensational, if not crazy idea.
I visited the Blythe Intaglios a couple years back, really interesting. I love the drive along the Colorado in AZ because of the geology. The Ghost town of Swansea is worth your time.
very nice, particularly interested in the peak notes, how cool to think back to the people that have climbed that peak over the years. (would be nice to see a clean shot of that geology diagram) thanks for sharing
Tristan, I know your travels are primarily in the Western US, but you should consider visiting Big Bend NP in West Texas. Beautiful scenery, dark skies, solitude. Only downside is no free camping, and depending when you go, the available sites could be booked up.
Wikipedia: It surrounds the Castle Mountain Mine Area, an open pit gold mine in the southern Castle Mountains owned by Canadian NewCastle Gold Ltd., who can excavate nearly 10 million tons of ore through 2025, though due to low gold prices mining has been suspended since 2001.[2][5] The national monument proclamation states that after any such mining and reclamation are completed, or after 10 years if no mining occurs, the Federal land in the 8,340 acre Castle Mountain Mine Area is to be transferred to the National Park Service.[5]
thanks for the all the videos you do and this one in particular i live in Havasu in the winter and now i know about Hart Peak im a full timer and like you i study maps on the route i want take for my summers which this coming summer is going to be Whitefish Montana you give me some good ideas so thank you
I also like the desert. The emptiness of people or human activity is beautiful. Saying that, my favorite part was the turquoise and white four-door 55 chevy behind you in the last scene.
I went to the NPS website: Castle Mountains represents some of the most unique elements of the Mojave Desert. Nestled between the Nevada state line and Mojave National Preserve, the nearly 21,000 acres of Castle Mountains boasts Joshua tree forests, unbroken natural landscapes, rare desert grasslands, and rich human history. This intriguing area provides serenity and solitude from nearby metropolitan areas.
The nearby mining is a likely key to Tristan’s question about why the national monument designation. The desert grasslands and joshua trees may not look all that distinct from nearby areas, but then monument status is not merely granted based on the tourist appeal of distinctive landscape features. Sensitive habitats and species protection are factors, and-as with many harsh desert environments-nocturnal life can be richly diverse if left unscathed by human commercial activities such as mining.
Likely bureaucratic empire building. There is a gold mine in the area scheduled to close in a couple of years. Could have been rolled into Mojave NM. Pretty area if you like desert
I travelled extensively in the Mohave National Preserve and the Castle Mountains National Monument in 2018 and you have been misinformed. There are not unique elements in CMNM; the adjacent 1,500,000 acre Mohave National Preserve is representative of the high desert ecosystem and doesn't need an additional 20,000 acres to embellish it.
See my post above to understand the the creation of the CMNM was purely a political Federal/State/private interests battle and has nothing to do with "serenity and solitude" opportunities for the public.
We’ve been watching you for awhile and would like to tell you what we like about your videos! They are always very good, we always learn something, maybe about a place, or place in history, or about an area, the climate, it’s always a positive experience for us. You are well spoken, you help us prepare for visiting places, you are positive minded, a great teacher! Thanks for sharing your travels with us. We definitely appreciate you! Be safe…and keep on keeping’ on!
I like the brief clip of your hike up the mountain when you a black silhouette in the black shadow of the mountain. That extreme contrast in desert light.
Thanks! Yeah, that one turned out better than I thought it would 😁
I was one of the 2 folks up there last year, on April 11. I had been repelled on the southeast slope the previous year, though a braver scrambler than I has gone that way! This time I went the way you did, but without the unnecessary climbing. Great little peak! Purcell's book is great. I've been using his other (perhaps now hard to find?) book to scramble up slickrock peaks in Zion NP. I tried to get over to the Castle Peaks last year, but the roads were very confusing and horrible. Probably will try again next month.
I love places like that, it's otherworldly.
I really enjoyed your scaling the peak, opening the register, and the history that was in that jar. I was born later in 1951, so that one entry predates me. The geoglyphs were an unexpected bonus.
Being on top of a peak where you are the first person for 6 months is kind of an "I'm king of the world" moment. I agree about the desert. No one is ambivalent, you either love it or hate it.
I love it!
I agree but also can admit that I am always at a crossroads with the south Australian bush.
Amazing scenery when camping and then the gust of wind comes through, doing a spot of fishing and then you get a wasp sting to the neck, enjoying a game of cards and then the sand flies bite your ankles, pulling down your tent and realising a small bush scorpion made a nest under it.
And then you witness spectacular colours, new growth, fresh water turtles, graceful pelicans and cute emu families going for a wander.
I Hate and Love at the same time.
These things make you appreciate the way indigenous folk could create a living in such intense environments.
Connection with Nature is amazing!
@@chaoticature yes!! I grew up in a desert area in MX and I do love the scenery however when the heat hits for
month’s end without rain and water is running low, really low. It is hard to not wish for the trees and rivers 🤣
There's nothing like the silence in the desert. Such a beautiful place with amazing plants and critters. Thanks for another great vid!
Agreed!
I’m with you about desert landscapes, Tristan. I’m from New England where the mountains are usually so heavily forested that you don’t get a view until you reach a summit. My first exposure to the desert was when I was 15 and spent THE SUMMER with my aunt and uncle in Why, AZ. Despite the intense heat, I fell in love with the desert and its extremes. I only get out there every few years so your adventures help me get my ‘fix’ in the meantime. Cheers!
Tristan, if you find yourself enjoying terrain like the Castle Mountains you most certainly need to visit the Organ Mountains National Monument. It is composed of a number of sub regions that span the Aden Lava Flow (and volcanic caldera) to the challenging to climb Rabbit Ears in the Organ Mountains. I have been working my way through the various areas. Las Cruces, the private lands, and the Monument are all intertwined with lots of good rattlely road access. Besides the various Monument adventures chasing down the Overland Trail, the various abandoned forts, and Apache battles sites can keep you busy for days and days. I know all this from personal experience; in fact, I spent today rattling around out in the hills trying find Broad Canyon, Dona Ana County, NM (there is a fun and minor slot canyon right in that same area). A bit further north in the Gila Mountains is the spectacular Gila Mountain Cliff Dwellings. In your travels you have skipped over much of NM, you may want to mix things up if I may be so bold to suggest this to you. Plus I would take you out to dinner at La Posta in Mesilla....
I was born and raised in San Diego, but have lived in Phoenix, 46 years. I love the barren beauty of the desert. It's much more quiet than the forest or beach and I love silence.
It is a National Monument because the area is rich in gold, the gov wants to sit on it until we have better mining tech. Same goes for the Chocolate Mountains further south, that was annexed as a bombing range.
Hart mountain is exactly the kinds of places I seek. Love the solitude and wide open spaces.
So cool to see the very old log papers, I love no people isolated places, so beautiful. Nice view from the top.
Worked at a Day care facility owner and her Family took me at a Time most needed for a Break...lovely Family
I love these videos, filling my itinerary for unique spots I’ve never heard of when I finally get the chance to go out west
Awesome! Thanks for watching, Shawn.
I'm with you. My wife and I seek these places out. "On the ragged edge of the Earth I'll roam, and the home of Wolf will be my home."
Well said!
Wow! The Castle Rock Mountain Range was beautiful, but the summit registry amazed us! It's hard to believe it hasn't been blown off or destroyed by weather.
I love the remote beauty and serenity of the desert. Thank you for sharing this adventure.
That snowy peak peeking out in the distance. Looks like Mount Charleston. Which is about 50 minutes outside of Las Vegas, Northwest of it.
Mount Charleston is 11, 918 ft
Tristan, you're killing me: 1971 was a decade and a half before your time? I was 23 that year. Even the 1951 entry you showed, I was already 3-years-old. But keep on truckin' my boy for us septuagenarians who can no longer do it ourselves but feel we're with you in your excellent videography sans the physical effort we can no longer tolerate.
Wow, that was quite a climb! Beautiful….I’m a desert rat and have been living in the desert for a few years now. I love it because the geology is so evident and the views go on forever.
It was cool when, as you finished talking about parents and grandparents, that vintage blue and white car came into view.
Great video!
Mojave Desert Land Trust obtains all the land they can and decides whether to gift it to the government or hold it and if it is donated, they choose who will best preserve it. Might be one of theirs, I don't know. Nice though - I love that the first climb dates are the year before I was born! 1951 you said? Wow.
I enjoyed seeing the twins. My favorite clip is at 6:00-the silhouette of you walking up the mountain.
Thank you for your great videos. The hiking the mountain long shoots were AWESOME!
Yes... We appreciate the effort!
Thanks Glenn!
I'm with you Tristan. I love that type of country. Heck, I love all types of country but now that I am older (70) I have come to look at the desert lands as not "someplace to get through quickly" but as someplace to linger and get to know intimately. Many people love the desert lands of the National Parks (Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Arches.....etc) but they neglect to notice the amazing areas within the Mohave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. I love it all.
One of my favorites that you’ve done. I totally understand your appreciation of the Mojave’s beauty.
Swiss Army Knife pointer for the win!
Another great video sir!
I absolutely love the desert and that is a major reason I really enjoy your channel because you do a lot of it. All the rocks and such are so fascinating. I enjoy all your videos but especially those of desert parts of states. Thank you very much
I was born and raised in north-central British Columbia surrounded by mountains and forests. I find the desert landscape absolutely fascinating. I love it. Hopefully I can take my own trip out there one day.
I’m a retired federal land surveyor and Those survey makers 1- azimuth mark 2- USGS Tri Station, other monuments you encounter include section corners, bench marks, boundary markers. All are 3” brass cap, marked in its own special way.
Love the desert! Love seeing the London Bridge! But weirdly I must say my favorite part was learning that I am not the only person who attracts mosquitos like a magnet...
Your adventures are the best, always showing something amazing with information about the area...as always, thanks, and keep going
Thanks Betty!
Lovely shots from the summit! Sometimes the camera doesn't do a view like that justice but because you panned around it gave me a better sense of how expansive the view is.
Haven't watched you in awhile (not sure why) busy etc. I live your videos..your calmness as you present your videos 🌻
Good video.
As the Caretaker at the historic Walking Box Ranch I used to watch the interplay of light and sky on the Castle Mountains daily. The ranch is close to the north end of the road you drove; good for walking, if you don't mind tarantulas, mountain lions, and the deadly Mojave Greens (I don't mind them). The goldminers in the mountains are exceptional folks - Canadians and strong environmentalists who put a million into restoring the old WBR, and mined with the intention of seeing those mountains preserved. Ranger friends and I drove that road all the way to the Kelso Dunes; do that, and you can understand why the Castles are so important. They are valuable in and of themselves for nature and cultural history; but they also connect the Mojave Preserve with a proposed national monument which will connect the Preserve with the Lake Mead backcountry if it's approved. Perhaps the most unique natural feature of that area is its Mojave forest - the largest there is, and of a special subspecies. After a good winter, to see those giant lilies all in bloom is as moving as watching the water fall down Yosemite cliffs. The old WBR has a fascinating human history; and there are also ghost railroads, ghost towns, old Ft Piute nearby, and much, much more. I was there for about 3 years and found every day to be filled with beauty - and a little ranger danger, too.
I have been following you now for a couple months. You are a very fresh and bright story teller...
and quite an adventurer. i really like your style... the care and the manner of your trips.
You convey a love and an organic curiosity of the land... someone I wouldn't expect in these times.
I wish you super well... and may all these roads you are taking lead you to the peace you give us. Thx
Thanks David!
Thank you for showing us the site of Hart the town. I’m sad to see that the mining company has closed access.
In 2017 and ‘18 I was able to walk the streets of the townsite, poke through the artifacts, camp at Hart.
I hope that the mining company respects the site during their operations, and opens access again when it is safe.
Perhaps one day we will be able to see Walking Box Ranch also.
These are historic sites!
I am afraid of heights. That being said, just watching your video from the comfort of my recliner made my legs and knees quiver. When I was younger (many years ago) it didn't bother me but being in my mid-70s it does. I do love nature and being outdoors and mountains, too. I just don't climb them anymore. Love the videos. Keep them coming.
Thanks Ken!
I loved the summit registry. So glad no one has taken them.
Thank you for visiting Castle National Monument; I’ve had it pinned on my National Geographic road adventure atlas for years and love the area; providence has been on my list too but I’m not as mobile as I once was
The bridge is amazing. I think the lamps on it are original too.
the mojave desert is such a cool place. I hiked kessler peak (not too far from hart) last year on a road trip from denver to san francisco, and it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. It was my first time seeing joshua trees and It was really cool to see all the volcanic rock, very different from what i'm used to in colorado
Really different and has a charm all its own. Enjoyed the story of your grandparents. Always nice to tie family stories to places visited. I pity your mom.......poor eyelids. I imagine she was happy when they sold the land. Thanks for the nice journey again.
Great video! We live just a couple hours from the area you were in. My family and I love the Mojave desert, specifically for the solitude and beauty. The trail registers were incredible, and a testament to the way things are preserved in the deserts of the SW. The Mojave National Preserve is a magnificent place to explore. Note to others interested in exploring the area, bring lots of water (even in the winter) and I recommend a high clearance vehicle (preferably 4WD). Many of the roads in this area can be extremely rough and are not maintained.
Loved seeing the notebooks in the summit registry.
Wow! I had no idea summits had registries, both the little metal things and the tin of signatures. How cool! Thank you for sharing!
Interesting collection of sites. Love the mountain climb.
Thanks!
Loved seeing the old summit logs!
Thanks for making videos of isolated places like this! I’m putting it on my list:)
WOW! We were just in that same area last week. We were able to go see London Bridge. We tried to see Hoover Dam, but it was crazy busy-- even during the week. Thanks for another great video.
There IS a subtle beauty about the desert that some just don’t ever experience. The wind does blow a lot. The sun is intense.
My late geologist husband loved the desert out there. The geology is naked. I'm like many others, I like trees, green and water.
Naked is a good way of putting it. Thanks for watching, Orah.
One of my favorite hikes is Teutonia Peak. I understand the area burned in 2020. Thanks for sharing Tristan.
Yep, I actually did that like a week or so after this one. It'll be in an Adventure Know-How bonus video. Just tons and tons of burned Joshua trees. Sad.
My favorite part was the classic car behind you at the end! Great video, thank you for your research.
My favorite part was the Go Pro climb. Would love to see more of those.
You need a 4Runner! It is the ideal vehicle for what you do. Much more comfortable on the road than a Jeep, and very capable off road. I have a sleeping platform in my 2000 4Runner and store my stuff under it and fold it out to a full 6' with a double size folding foam mattress. I'm never going to do any serious "rock crawling" in it, but it gets me anywhere I want to go. Great vehicle.
Seeing those 70 year old registries on Hart Pk was amazing
Interesting thing about London bridge. Apparently they erected the bridge over open desert. The nearest water was the river. To the west. After the bridge was finished they dug a canal under it that connected to the river /lake north and south of the bridge.
I do the same thing with Google Maps when planning trips, and I watch your videos. 😁 I just got back from the St. George/Moapa Valley area. I tried to do the Yant Flat Trail but the road at one point was still covered in ice and snow from that last storm. But Snow Canyon and Valley Of Fire were amazing!
I believe it is separate from Mojave National Preserve is that the law designating it made it a "wilderness", meaning that it can not be used for resources. In the middle of the Castle Mountain National Monument is a large gold mine which can be utilized under the provisions of the Antiquity Act which designates a national monument.
Thanks for the info 👍
Boom! Know that land use law and you understand so much about all the different flavors of public lands we have. It also gives you a history lesson about the West
@@SUVRVing Interestingly, the company that owns the gold mine is called NewCastle Gold Ltd. My guess is that the monument was actually named after the company, as their land will be transferred to the national parks service by 2025.
So if I understood one article the national monument designation may have been made to make it difficult to reopen the mine. Ha, that would explain why there wasn’t a particular outstanding feature.
Tristan, I appreciate the quality of your videos very much. These are incredibly encouraging to me to get out there and explore more. Thank you!
nice love Lake Havasu. My parents also had retired there, mostly because of promotion of real estate in the 1970s. The sales mam wined and dined buyers, gave away rooms and some even airfares paid! High pressure (like time share of today). Thay didn't bite then but went back in the 1996 to snowbird for 10 years, both gone now! thanks to MR. McCulloch and chainsaws! and thank you stay safe ALL
Interesting video Tristan and thank you for the Sierra Club shout-out! If you are not a member, yet I highly recommend you joining ASAP we're involved with some important environmental issues; your wheelhouse!
Enjoyed the Castle Mountains and The Twins!
Thanks again ~
I enjoyed tagging along; my fav was ascending the peak. Thank you.
Thanks Tristan, great video and family story!
Drove from LA to lake Havasu in 1977 on the way to the east coast. Sang the London bridge is falling down song for many years in Australia as a youngster So when I heard it was reconstructed over lake Havasu I just had to see this bridge. It was neat to see your pics of the bridge again. It’s been 45yrs in April
Tristan, I love, love, love videos like this one when you climb peaks. While I know it’s completely unreasonable to climb a peak a week or expect a video on a climb every week these videos are my jam. And that register! Wow! I’m a grandmother and that registrar is well over a decade older than I am! Amazing! As for desert beauty, I agree, the desert is gorgeous. I’m here in soggy, damp, dank and perpetually dreary, Seattle, and miss the desert like I would miss an amputated arm. It’s the light. My god the light. It’s has a quality to it that I’ve seen no where else. Well, it’s the landscape too. It’s varied, stark, colorful and dramatic. Mix that up with the light and it’s like a slice of heaven with the heat turned up.
Well said! Thanks Pamela 😁
Wonderful video! And you're correct - even though I'm originally from California, I had never heard of Castle Mountains National Monument. When I looked it up, I learned why... it's a relatively new national monument which didn't exist when I lived in California. I too have some interesting family history from Lake Havasu. My grandparents had a house on the Colorado River near Parker, AZ, and we spent summer vacations there on the river. Back in 1972, my step father proposed to my mom under the newly re-constructed London Bridge. She said yes!
Tristan, the most fascinating thing about the whole climb is the "summit registry" can! i used to live in 29 Palms so this trip brought back so many memories. can almost smell the greasewood bushes and yuccas. thanks for the video.
here is the below text
Great vid. Rough hike, scramble to the summit and super views. Enjoyed watching.
Thakns David!
The Geoglyphs were interesting. Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks Tristen I just love the desert especially out there since I'm from California we used to go to Ocotillo Wells a lot... also really glad you made it out alive to post this video
We were out there a few weeks ago.
We walked past the barrier about 3/4 mile to the Hart Mine Townsite. only a chimeny remains.
Ash Meadows. Very nice place e although can be crowds.
I dunno why I mentioned this place...
I was trying to recall when I was in Mojave DR...I saw Castle Rock/mountains but didn't climb them. So thanks for the view! That log book...Wow! Those are artifacts!
Skeeters. I don't miss the skeeters of N. GA.
I lived in Tustin, CA when that bridge was bought and shipped..oh my.
And you missed disco...🤣
I get up some mornings and challenge RUclips to find me something new to watch. Of course this is after I mark many "Not interested." Today, I found your video and look forward to future videos as well as digging into the library of your past videos.
Oh yes, my favorite part if the video...toss up between reaching the summit of Castle Mountains and the human figures drawn on the ground.
Great Video. Sorry to add that the York fire of July-Aug 2023 burned into part of the monument. Both the Cima Dome fire and the York fire devastated the Joshua tree forests, it will take decades to recover.
Thank you for the view!
LOVE the desert! good info.. thanks again for taking us along.
I am so happy to find you this morning. I drive really long distances & don't mind sleeping in my car or a hammock as I travel. Last month I drove from Portland, OR to Austin, TX & actually drove to Lake Havasu City & slept next to London Bridge by the river (in my car because it was in the 30's). It was a balloon festival weekend too! I always love driving through the Mojave. The Joshua Trees are beautiful. On my drive back to Oregon I'll have to check out that Nt'l Monument. It's so wonderful to find the messages from decades ago. What a special treat to the 2 hikers a year that take that desert trip! Great video. And I loved the story about your Grandparents & your Moms poor eyes. Sounds just awful.
Hi Pam! Sounds like we're cut from the same cloth. Maybe our paths will cross later on down the road! Happy travels.
One of my favorite things about your channel is how many hidden areas you find
Thanks, I try!
Oh wow!! Now you wanna make me go there on my next trip.I love it Tristan.I bet some of those people sign on the register are already dead. Awesome job.that is my go too place.😘🥰😍🤩
Great new and inspiring adventure man. Just have been on a desert hike in Namibia once and it was unbelievable. Thanks a lot for sharing. Have a great week. Best wishes, Mario
Great video shots on the hike. I had no idea we had geoglyphs. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, love those vintage summit logs! Great video. Thank you!
What did the previous giveaway winners win?
the desert is beautiful and peaceful.
Great report. Granite and Silver Peaks in the Preserve are interesting struggles for those interested in - well - struggling up desert peaks. Silver is the more recommendable one (less Cholla for one).
If my half century old memories serve me correctly, the London Bridge project was the idea of the guy who founded the McCulloch chainsaw and small motors company. Back then it sounded like a sensational, if not crazy idea.
I visited the Blythe Intaglios a couple years back, really interesting. I love the drive along the Colorado in AZ because of the geology. The Ghost town of Swansea is worth your time.
I absolutely love the desert
I loved the video. I am glad that you can do the climbs because I am short, old, and don't like hikes. Thanks for sharing
very nice, particularly interested in the peak notes, how cool to think back to the people that have climbed that peak over the years. (would be nice to see a clean shot of that geology diagram) thanks for sharing
Tristan, I know your travels are primarily in the Western US, but you should consider visiting Big Bend NP in West Texas. Beautiful scenery, dark skies, solitude. Only downside is no free camping, and depending when you go, the available sites could be booked up.
Wikipedia: It surrounds the Castle Mountain Mine Area, an open pit gold mine in the southern Castle Mountains owned by Canadian NewCastle Gold Ltd., who can excavate nearly 10 million tons of ore through 2025, though due to low gold prices mining has been suspended since 2001.[2][5] The national monument proclamation states that after any such mining and reclamation are completed, or after 10 years if no mining occurs, the Federal land in the 8,340 acre Castle Mountain Mine Area is to be transferred to the National Park Service.[5]
Love when you climb mountains ⛰ ❤️❤️🙋🏼♀️
Me too 😄 Thanks Sharon!
@@SUVRVing love the Mojave twins also. How could they possibly see the design from above. Ancient Aliens 👽
thanks for the all the videos you do and this one in particular i live in Havasu in the winter and now i know about Hart Peak im a full timer and like you i study maps on the route i want take for my summers which this coming summer is going to be Whitefish Montana you give me some good ideas so thank you
Thanks for sharing.
That registry can was awesome!! It’s so fun to be a part of history. Also, yes….I’m one of those people that needs trees lol
Tristan, you have great group of subscribers. I enjoy reading the positive comments, which is a nice bonus to your channel. 🌲🌲🌲
Thanks Daniel!
I also like the desert. The emptiness of people or human activity is beautiful. Saying that, my favorite part was the turquoise and white four-door 55 chevy behind you in the last scene.
I liked that too!