Sledgehammer
Trail name: Sledgehammer
Trailhead location: 34o24'52.6"N, 116o28'28.3"W
Length: 1.5 miles
Elapsed time: 2 hours 30 minutes
How to get there: From the lakebed, head east toward the mountains. Stay just to the right of the notch in the ridgeline/dunes. Once through the ridge, drop down into the wash and follow it toward the mountains. There is a sign marking the beginning of both Sledgehammer and Jackhammer in the wash.
The trail: Sledgehammer was the first trail created by the Victor Valley Four Wheelers in the area and it is still a beauty. It follows a narrow and often steep canyon up into the rugged mountains on a route that created the aura and mystique that still surrounds the trails of Johnson Valley. The initial part of the trail is rock crawling at its finest. The trail winds into the narrow wash and then heads UP on a series of steep climbs in a black defile. After climbing through a narrow notch, the trail fattens out and emerges into a much wider valley. There is a mailbox set at the base of a humorous signpost. Join the tradition and sign in at the mailbox. Stay to the right (the left is an alternate exit route coming down Jackhammer). The second section of Sledgehammer is not nearly as steep but the trail has a looser surface where traction is sometimes difficult to find. The canyon and trail veers to the left at the base of a loose rocky hill. The route straight up the hill is used as the escape route for vehicles that have suffered major breakage. Scaling the hill is almost as difficult as finishing out the rest of the trail. The trail goes left at the bottom of the hill, staying in the drainage. In less than half a mile, the route climbs out to the right of the dwindling wash and climbs up to the top of the ridge. Follow the road and it will lead you back down the mountain toward the lakebed. Be aware that there is a very steep and loose section on the way back down to the lake that can get you in trouble if you are not careful. |
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