Home 7119
The sun is going down and it's time for another juicy hamburger at the Nipton café
Tonight is laundry night, since I didn't get to it last night because of the festivities
Inside the Nipton bathrooms: I end up not soaking in the outdoor hot tub after all, but I do take a shower in the quonset hut
One of the shower stalls at Nipton
Day 9: Mojave National Preserve map: Day ride from Nipton to Nevada State line and power-line road
Snowfall on the Saline Range
Before packing up, I inspect some crusty splatters on the back of my tent that I forgot about
OK, everything out of the tent, time to pack up and leave Nipton!
A semi-final visit to the Nipton quonset-hut shower building before heading out
One of the final things to do before leaving Nipton is to replenish my water supply to full capacity at the outdoor sink
Away again I go on the open road, leaving Nipton behind me
I head west across the Ivanpah Valley on Nipton Road
I've made my left turn on Ivanpah Road, which heads south for three miles
Three miles down Ivanpah Road, I reach "the big curve"
I'll continue straight past the junction here of Morning Star Mine Road
Heading across the valley on Ivanpah Road, the road is big, empty and quiet
A number of datura plants grow on the shoulder of Ivanpah Road
I stop near the top of the Ivanpah Road hill just before the train tracks to enjoy the views behind me
I approach the train tracks that cross Ivanpah Road
The signs behind me warned that the road would turn sharply to the left after crossing the tracks
A single abandoned house is all that remains here at the former settlement of Ivanpah
A closer look reveals that the front door has been pried open
This building...
I've read that this house was once used as a general store and is now owned by the National Parks Service
Other outbuildings, such as this antique trailer, are to be found on the property
I ride another 2.5 miles up Ivanpah Road, climbing 400 feet in the process, and then the pavement ends
Warning to me: "Rough Road Next 23 Miles"
I stop to look at a road that leads into the former Vanderbilt Mines area
A little further, I pull over to eat a Clif bar and enjoy the views; something on my bike has started to rub loudly
Once I adjust whatever it is on the bike that needs adjustment, I'll ride up this gentle roller into the New York Mountains
Ugh: my rear rack has broken, just above the bolt that attaches it to the bike frame
I impress myself and cobble a vertical brace for the rack from two spare support bars that I've been carrying around for ages
Well, after my one-hour delay, I've remounted my saddlebags and have decided to continue on 7 miles more to Keystone Canyon
As I pedal my way gently up Ivanpah Road on the compromised 10-ton bike, I stop briefly at the little road to Bathtub Spring
Another point of interest to my left on this stretch of Ivanpah Road is an old railway grade, abandoned long ago
Some of the old railway grade near Ivanpah Road has been washed out
I continue rising slowly up Ivanpah Road into the New York Mountains
I'm almost at the summit of Ivanpah Road now as I enter a low pass in the mountains
Ivanpah Road passes through a slot in the earth near the summit
It's hard to tell from a distance if this property at Barnwell is still inhabited
To my left is the settlement of Barnwell, once named Manvel
Once over "the summit," Ivanpah Road heads straight toward the New York Mountains
A mile after Barnwell, I turn right on the little road to Keystone Canyon, which immediately splits
As a bicyclist, I can choose to ride on either side of the road to Keystone Canyon: do I choose sand or rocks?
The sand that I liked for a moment on the road to Keystone Canyon disappears and the road is just rough now
The road forks again after 2/3 mile and I stay on the right fork toward Keystone Canyon
Some of the bumpy road is ridable, but I walk the bike because something is rubbing again in the area of the rear rack
After about two miles on the deteriorating road up Keystone Canyon, I reach a wash-out
The old road isn't getting any better as it makes its way up Keystone Canyon!
I don't spot another campsite nearby, so I return to the 10-ton bike back at the wash out
I drag the bike over to the nearby campsite and this happy camper calls it a day
Time to unpack and set up camp in this high-desert area whose landscape I like so much
Mojave National Preserve map: day 10: Nipton to Keystone Canyon via Ivanpah Road
Making morning coffee at Keystone Canyon
Today's day hike will take me to an old mine site not far away, below the crags of New York Mountain in the distance at right
First, I go for a short walk around my Keystone Canyon campsite
I prepare my supplies for the day and begin the hike up Keystone Canyon
White primroses and orange desert-mallow flowers along Keystone Canyon Road
I come across another campsite with a fire ring near the road
The road shares Keystone Canyon with a wash and crosses it several times
Along this stretch, the road is actually in the wash
Road users have placed rocks in this gully to facilitate passage over it
I'm delighted to discover the moist remnants of a recent trickle of water in the middle of the road
The road is almost non-existent in this part of Keystone Canyon
A fork in the road!
I spot an old cistern along the road
Another fork in the barely discernable road
Ah, there's the pipe that presumably leads up to Keystone Spring
I stumble across these little red flowers that I'm not familiar with
The old pipe continues along the ground along the old road to Keystone Spring
Keystone Spring?
The water here at Keystone Spring doesn't look good, but..
Further up the meadow, I reach a hole filled with water
I cautiously approach the spring to test the yellow jackets, and then pump water to fill my Camelbak and water bottles
My water supply refilled, I walk back down the hill from Keystone Spring and hike up the road toward New York Mountain
After a bit more climbing, I turn around to see that I've risen quite a bit during the last half mile
I continue hiking up what's left of the old road up Keystone Canyon
A little higher, I approach a face-like rock formation in the foreground at my left
I get my first view of the old mine site at the bottom of New York Mountain
It appears that rock, silt and wood debris tumbles continually down into Keystone Canyon from the old mine site
The eroding old mine site at the top of Keystone Canyon sits just a few hundred feet below the peak of New York Mountain
Teal-blue rocks are scattered around the mine site while "Sleeping-head Rock" keeps watch from the right side
A trickle of rusty, contaminated water exudes from a tunnel in the hillside above the mine tailings
The old rails from the mine tunnel end at the edge of the tailings pile
I climb a bit up the slope around the mine up and consider going all the way up to the New York Mountain ridge
The views from up here are great, and I hate to turn back, but I'm turning back anyway
I start the walk back down the old road to my campsite at the bottom of Keystone Canyon
Here's a plant that I've never seen before
I'm down at the bottom of the big hill and in the main part of Keystone Canyon now
Looking closer, Keystone Spring seems to be semi-stagnant
Bugs abound at Keystone Spring, as happy to have water as I am
After refilling water at Keystone Spring again, I still have a bit more downhill on the old Keystone Canyon Road
The road in Keystone Canyon descends a little more
I'm down at the bottom of Keystone Canyon now and almost back home for the day
A few primroses bloom along Keystone Canyon Road a bit west of my campsite
I re-repair the broken bike rack by reinstalling my improvised brace under the rack, rather than on top of it
Back at the tent, the job that awaits me is re-repairing my broken bike rack
I take in the views of the surrounding hills while the sun goes down and I ponder my situation and exit strategy
Quite a few desert four o'clocks are blooming around my Keystone Canyon campsite
The last supper at Keystone Canyon
Mojave National Preserve map: Day 11, day hike to Keystone Spring and Keystone Canyon mine
Keystone Canyon hike as viewed in Google Earth
After a couple of miles, I pass the Cima Store at 4200 feet, and it's actually open this time, at this late hour!
I walk my bike down the mostly-bumpy two miles of Keystone Canyon Road
Well, I've been riding Ivanpah Road for a mile now and am passing the settlement of Barnwell again; so far, so good!
Ivanpah Road rises over the pass and begins its slow descent down into the valley
I really like this area of Ivanpah Road where my bike broke down a couple of days ago
As Ivanpah Road comes out of the hills, views into the valley open up
I pass the worn sign to the old Goldome mine
With relief, I'm back on the paved part of Ivanpah Road now and I'm letting the bike gain speed as I ride down the smooth hill
The final slow descent to the bottom of Ivanpah Valley passes beautifully
Good things do come to an end, and I reach the bottom of Ivanpah Valley and the beginning of Morning Star Mine Road
I get up a bit earlier than usual this morning in preparation for the potentially unpredictable day
The last items to be removed from the tent are a big rock and my water bag
After a relaxing start to the morning, I empty the tent and begin packing up
Last night's strong wind continues this morning and tries to push the tent around while I get ready to dismantle it
All packed up, I begin walking the bike down Keystone Canyon; my tripod blows over and my camera lands face-first and dies
I have about 10 miles of uphill ahead of me on Morning Star Mine Road
Morning Star Mine Road keeps climbing slowly up the fan
I stop a few miles up Morning Star Mine Road and look back to see how far I've risen
I take a break on the way up endless Morning Star Mine Road (at the old corral) and see a bicycle speed down the road
I'm glad to finally be on the top of Morning Star Mine Road, but the headwind pushing me back is even more ferocious up here!
The six-mile crawl up Cima Road rises another 800 feet up to 5000 feet elevation and is quite pleasant with very little traffic
On the way up Cima Road, I pass the little dirt road that leads over to Cut Spring
After six more uphill miles, I reach the little plateau at the top of Cima Road and turn down the dirt road to the campsites
There's a lot of rock in this area, and this juniper tree growing in a crack between rocks is striking
The first campsite has this beautiful tree for shade, but is too close to the paved road for my taste
A half-mile down the dirt road, I select a campsite to left of the big rock pile here
Sunset in the Cima Dome area is always beautiful, and tonight is no exception
Mojave National Preserve map: Day 12: Keystone Canyon to Cima Dome via Ivanpah Road and Morning Star Mine Road
I walk across Cima Road with images of the loop hike around Cima Dome still fresh in my mind
The dirt road ends and I walk across Cima Road to reach the Teutonia Peak Trail, looking back to Kessler Peak
The two-mile trail to Teutonia Peak is one of just two official, maintained trails in the expansive Mojave National Preserve
Interpretive panel ("Desert Woodland") at the start of the Teutonia Peak Trail
Just before reaching Cima Road, I pass a point of interest: the "covered cross"
I walk the last 1/2 mile down the dirt road to my Cima Dome campsite for one last night in Mojave National Preserve
The road curves and aims toward Teutonia Peak as it heads back to the paved Cima Road
After a lazy morning, I start hiking the half mile up the dirt road that leads from my campsite to Cima Road
View of Teutonia Peak from the area of my campsite near Sunrise Rock
I have the whole day to spend up here on Cima Dome, so I'll do a hike up to Teutonia Peak and beyond
It's so windy up here on Cima Dome this morning that it takes quite a while to boil water for coffee
View of Teutonia Peak from the Valley View Ranch area
The 3-mile hike up the dead-end road to Deer Spring climbs slowly, then I hike over the summit of Cima Dome through joshua trees
Cima Dome / Teutonia Peak hike route as viewed in Google Earth
Mojave National Preserve map: Day 13: Cima Dome day hike including Teutonia Peak and Deer Spring
About 1.5 miles before reaching the Cima Store, I pass that power-line road again that crosses Mojave National Preserve
The six-mile ride down the Cima Road hill to the Cima Store, 800 feet below, is a blast
To my left while descending Cima Road are views across the valley to the Butcher Knife Canyon area of the New York Mountains
With a bit of sadness, I pack up and leave my Cima Dome campsite to mark the last day of this Mojave National Preserve trip
Here it is: the final little hill at the top of which is the summit of Kelbaker Road between Kelso Depot and Baker
I arrive at the Kelbaker Road summit at 16h15 and feel a bit pooped
While at the Kelbaker Road summit, I take a look at the power-line road which I could have taken to get here from Cima Road
I depart the Kelbaker Road summit at 16h30 and the final 22 miles down to Baker is as enjoyable as ever
I'm so zoned-out on endorphins that I didn't even notice the junction of Aiken Mine Road that I zoomed by a few minutes ago
After coming around the last big curve on Kelbaker Road, I have a final 10 miles (dropping 1000 feet) to ride across the valley
Artless graffiti on the red pavement of Kelbaker Road approaching Baker
Almost there...
Just before arriving at Baker, California, Kelbaker Road crosses the I-15 freeway
Baker, California has a sort of skyline with its "tallest thermometer in the world" and its motel and fast-food signs
I check in at the Royal Hawaiian Motel for the night, which is an interesting example of kitsch from the 60s or 70s
Retro 70s furniture in my room at the Royal Hawaiian Motel at Baker, California
Back on the road at 14h30 to start the climb up to the summit of Kelbaker Road
The climb is going really well, probably because it's the end of the trip and I'm stronger now after two weeks of this
The pavement is wearing out on parts of Kelbaker Road, but that adds to the character of the area (we don't need a freeway here)
I'm up out of Kelso Valley now
The Kelbaker Road summit lies just ahead where the power lines cross the road at the left
I stop in at Kelso Depot to buy a souvenir t-shirt and donate my half-full propane bottle to someone who can use it
Just a few miles to go before reaching Kelso Depot...
Mojave National Preserve map: Day 14: Cima Dome to Baker, California via Kelso Depot
Shadow and stripe
Well, well, there turns out to be a series of big rollers here on the way down. I've just come down the first.
Enjoying the morning outside my tent at Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
Some of these rollers are steep drop-offs that are too slippery and steep for me to ride down or up
Finally, I've come out of the mountains enough to see the entire Powerline Road and Kelso Dunes ahead of me
The little six-site campground at Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
Another steep dip in the Powerline Road
After breaking camp, I leave the Providence Mountains campground and coast down the hill to the desert floor on Essex Road
Finally, I reach the end (for me) of the Powerline Road where it crosses Kelbaker Road and I get back on pavement. I look back
About 3 miles down the hill from the Providence Mountains campground, I hear a big "clunk" and feel something dragging
The Providence Mountains behind me, I stop at the abandoned Kelso Depot after a fast 8-mile downhill on paved Kelbaker Road
At the bottom of the hill, at about 3000 feet, I leave the pavement of Essex Road
I take on the 12-mile climb up Kelbaker Road rising away from Kelso Depot
A beautiful sunset illuminates the Providence Mountains behind me as I climb Kelbaker Road out of Kelso Valley toward Baker
The gravelly road toward Foshay Pass rises slowly
At the top of Kelbaker Road at 3800 feet, the last 20 miles into Baker at 925 feet will be a gentle downhill (in the dark)
Along the way to Foshay Pass, there are a few steep sections, but the grade is mostly moderate
Back in Baker, California, I rent a room at the Bun Boy Motel, waiting for tomorrow's Greyhound bus back to San José
A bit higher up the road to Foshay Pass, I turn around to take in the view behind me
Before leaving the Bun Boy for my Greyhound bus, I take a final photo out my patio door across I-15 to Mojave National Preserve
This short, rocky hill on the road to Foshay Pass requires that I drag the bike up the hill little by little
Entering Foshay Pass now, the actual summit is still a little further ahead
At the Foshay Pass summit in the Providence Mountains, looking back (east) at the desert behind me where I started my climb
Still at the Foshay Pass summit, the road ahead passes alongside a few ridgetops before it descends to the other side
Hmmm.. As the Powerline Road begins to "descend," it looks like I will first have another little uphill
Late morning at my campsite at Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
Excellent views eastward from the ledge on which the campground sits
Northeast from Providence Mountains Campground, one gets a view of Wild Horse Mesa
After taking the tour of the Mitchell Caverns, I go for a walk up the hill behind the Park office
Cholla cactus
I've bought another box of fire wood from the Park office to have a campfire tonight