Benchmark Sunday

Overview

Benchmark Sunday is a rugged little desert butte range south of Edwards Air Force Base in the western Mojave Desert. In recent months, I have made extensive trips to the western Mojave hiking the various remote buttes and hills that make up this region. Benchmark Sunday has extensive views of this region and nearby Edwards where you might see advanced new jet aircraft flying around doing flight testing. I have fallen in love with this large open remote region with frozen winter mornings and the hope that your car is not molested by meth desert freaks. Sunday is a good peak to combine with trips to nearby Shadow Mountains, with Silver Peak, Shadow Mountain, and Peak 3996. Also nearby to the southwest is Saddleback Butte. The approach for Sunday is along roads in San Bernardino County, as the peaks lies just west of the county line in Los Angeles.

Getting There

Take any freeway you need to connect with the Interstate 15 through the Inland Empire. Take I-15 north through Cajon Pass and take the Highway 395 from the junction. Take the 395 passing the town of Adelanto and continuing for about another ten miles to the the junction with the unpaved Shadow Mountain Road and continue another 3.75 miles to the signed Buckthorne Canyon Road on the right. Take this passenger car friendly dirt road for about 10-11 miles west towards Sunday. Sunday will appear on your left, as you near it take one of the many roads that lead south along its east approach. Look for a dirt road near some abandoned building foundations. You may want to consult google earth and other maps for help in this area. There are no signs. You basically want to park to the southeast of the summit area, all the norhtern approaches are across private property.

Route

From the southeast hike up open rugged ridges to the main crest of the butte. Hike up to the point with many loose survey markers.

Roundtrip is around 1.5-2 miles depending on what ridges you take up with about 500 feet of gain.

External Links

Weather Underground

For road and highway information in San Bernardino County.

Images

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