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- The sun is going down and it's time for another juicy hamburger at the Nipton café
The café turns out to be quite busy as the entire dirt-bike group is having supper there right now. I end up chatting with a couple of women who are in the area on research projects relating to bats and kangaroo rats. - Tonight is laundry night, since I didn't get to it last night because of the festivities
Nipton often ends up on my bike-camping trips because of the general store, of course, but also because it's one of the few places in the area with laundry facilities. - 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
The floor here is dirt with wooden slats around the shower stalls. The bathroom has electricity too, so I get to recharge my cell-phone. - One of the shower stalls at Nipton
I've always camped overnight when passing through Nipton, but an even cheaper option is to just stop here and take a shower, which costs about five dollars. The temperature has really cooled down during the evening, so I don my sweater and long underwear and wear them to bed in my sleeping bag. The wind has died down, so the land basks in silence tonight. Even the crowd of dirt bikers is quiet and they retreat to their sleeping quarters a bit after 21 h. However, the couple staying in the tent cabin across from me has a baby that cries from time to time and wakes me during the night. This is why I try not to spend too much time in developed campgrounds during my trips. - 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
Scratch-and-sniffing leads me to conclude that an animal urinated on my tent. Acrid stuff! I think this happened while I was at Butcher Knife Canyon a couple of days ago. I clean it off. I slept OK last night despite being woken up a couple of times by the crying baby and its upset parents over in the nearby tent cabin. It was a bit chilly overnight and I wore my sweater and blue jeans inside my sleeping. The dirt-biker tour group was up early and left at 8h30 for their day ride. I managed to get a little more sleep after they left. - OK, everything out of the tent, time to pack up and leave Nipton!
I'm always amazed at how much stuff I manage to carry with me in those saddlebags when I see it all spread out and unpacked. I take the easy way out this morning again and drink two cups of the weak coffee from the general store and eat another packaged cinnamon bun and apple turnover. - A semi-final visit to the Nipton quonset-hut shower building before heading out
The red wooden box to the right is the hot tub that I didn't get around to soaking in during this visit. - One of the final things to do before leaving Nipton is to replenish my water supply to full capacity at the outdoor sink
There's a good possibility that I will find water at Keystone Spring in the New York Mountains tomorrow, but it's not a sure bet. So, it's the usual addition of almost 40 pounds of water, overloading my tough Old Man Mountain rear rack yet again: newly filled are my 10-litre water bag, four 1.5-litre water bottles, my two-litre Camelbak and the little water bottle on my bike. - Away again I go on the open road, leaving Nipton behind me
I always like visiting Nipton, but I am always glad to return to my travels after a rest there. - I head west across the Ivanpah Valley on Nipton Road
Seven miles away from Nipton, I'll turn left on Ivanpah Road, just before the road starts to climb the big hill ahead. - I've made my left turn on Ivanpah Road, which heads south for three miles
It's highway bicycling for the most part in this area of Mojave National Preserve (Ivanpah Valley), but there are a few dirt roads in the open flats that could be explored. - Three miles down Ivanpah Road, I reach "the big curve"
From here, Ivanpah Road heads southeast, straight toward the New York Mountains. - I'll continue straight past the junction here of Morning Star Mine Road
Most of the traffic here on Ivanpah Road will turn right just ahead to climb the long, slow hill of Morning Star Mine Road, which I had fun descending two days ago. - Heading across the valley on Ivanpah Road, the road is big, empty and quiet
I enjoy a couple of short breaks on the way up the gentle slope to stand motionless and take in the silence. - A number of datura plants grow on the shoulder of Ivanpah Road
I haven't found a space in my garden for one of these yet. - I stop near the top of the Ivanpah Road hill just before the train tracks to enjoy the views behind me
The top of the hill here sits at about 3500 feet, some 850 feet above the junction of Morning Star Mine Road on the valley floor. The 6.3-mile ride up the hill isn't steep by any means, but it tends to sweaty due to the heat of the valley. - I approach the train tracks that cross Ivanpah Road
This is the same freight-train line that passes by Kelso Depot and which I parallelled on the climb up Kelso-Cima Road several days ago. - The signs behind me warned that the road would turn sharply to the left after crossing the tracks
My destination today, Keystone Canyon, is on the other side of the New York Mountains ahead. Getting there will require more climbing and then riding through a low pass. - A single abandoned house is all that remains here at the former settlement of Ivanpah
I'll make a quick stop here to take a look at the old house, which I didn't do when passing by during previous Mojave National Preserve trips. - A closer look reveals that the front door has been pried open
Apparently, the building isn't under too much surveillance, despite the posted notices. I take a peek inside and it appears that squatters have been living here. - This building...
... is under the protection of the United States Government. - I've read that this house was once used as a general store and is now owned by the National Parks Service
The chimney and old air-conditioner are substantial. Notices are pasted on the boarded-up window openings of the house. - Other outbuildings, such as this antique trailer, are to be found on the property
I take a quick walk around the back of the house before resuming my climb up Ivanpah Road on the 10-ton bike. - I ride another 2.5 miles up Ivanpah Road, climbing 400 feet in the process, and then the pavement ends
The road will pass through some old mining areas during the next couple of miles. - Warning to me: "Rough Road Next 23 Miles"
Three motorcyclists riding down the road wave at me, and I reciprocate. I've ridden this road on past Mojave National Preserve trips, and it is bumpy and washboarded as the sign suggests, but it's still quite drivable in an ordinary car. - I stop to look at a road that leads into the former Vanderbilt Mines area
While passing here, an approaching small van slows down, and the driver gives me a thumbs up and yells, "I wish I could do that!" My ego loves positive reinforcement like this, but I'm really not Superman, even though it may appear that way to the uninitiated. I'm in good, but not exceptional, physical condition. This mine area is another spot that I'd like to take an hour or two to explore, but not today. - A little further, I pull over to eat a Clif bar and enjoy the views; something on my bike has started to rub loudly
The great views over Ivanpah Valley will disappear shortly as I begin to climb between the hills through a pass. It's not immediately apparent why my saddlebags are rubbing against the bike; they haven't come loose. - Once I adjust whatever it is on the bike that needs adjustment, I'll ride up this gentle roller into the New York Mountains
There's hardly any traffic on this road, so I'm just standing here enjoying the quiet. Hmmm... I've just realized that I may find myself standing here a bit longer than anticipated. - Ugh: my rear rack has broken, just above the bolt that attaches it to the bike frame
My trip may have just ended and I might be stuck here? I dig into my bag of bolts to see if there's any way I might be able to make the bike ridable. The weight of my saddlebags is bending the broken rack inward such that it rubs heavily against the rear wheel. I can't complain about the rack itself and I actually give it applause despite my breakdown here. I've abused this tough Old Man Mountain rack by carrying much more than the recommended weight on rough roads over hundreds and hundreds of miles and it still stood up beautifully (until now). To my surprise, the great folks at Old Man Mountain bicycle racks replaced my broken rack after the trip even though the damage was my fault from non-stop overloading. A year ago, while heading up bumpy Gold Valley Road in Death Valley National Park, similarly overloaded with extra water for an overnight stay, the bolt holding the rack to the bike snapped in two, but the rack itself survived fine. - I impress myself and cobble a vertical brace for the rack from two spare support bars that I've been carrying around for ages
Maybe my trip hasn't ended just yet! I'm not sure that these two bars screwed together will hold the rack in place, but my first impression is that it works. Now, should I continue on to Keystone Canyon some seven miles further, or turn back while the bike is still functional? The vertical silver bars constitute my repair; the horizontal silver bar attached to the brakes is part of the normal Old Man Mountain rack installation on mountain bikes. I never thought I'd use these two spare rack-support bars, and certainly not for this unintended purpose. - Well, after my one-hour delay, I've remounted my saddlebags and have decided to continue on 7 miles more to Keystone Canyon
I'm carrying enough water to last at least through tomorrow should I get stranded. Also, there may be water at Keystone Spring. If my repair starts to fail, I'll turn back or try flagging down a passing car, if there is another one, to get a lift back down to civilization, or to Las Vegas where I can get to a bicycle shop. I've seen several cars on this road today, but I've ridden this road before and know that sometimes there are no cars for hours at a time. - 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
My original plan was to ride down this road just to see if Bathtub Spring, near the base of the mountains to the left, has any water to offer. Instead of that scenic detour, I'll head directly toward Keystone Canyon to prevent further possible delays. (There are two springs in Mojave National Preserve named Bathtub Spring.) - Another point of interest to my left on this stretch of Ivanpah Road is an old railway grade, abandoned long ago
I was hoping to get a quick look at the old railway grade close-up while checking out Bathtub Spring, but I won't have time for that after all. - Some of the old railway grade near Ivanpah Road has been washed out
Water drainage rushing down the nearby hills has cut a hole through this part of the old railway grade, which hasn't been maintained in many decades. - I continue rising slowly up Ivanpah Road into the New York Mountains
I haven't seen anybody for a couple of hours now. - I'm almost at the summit of Ivanpah Road now as I enter a low pass in the mountains
It's hard to call this a summit because there aren't any great views down to valleys. Furthermore, higher points in the New York Mountains surround the area. But I am up at around 4800 feet elevation now. - Ivanpah Road passes through a slot in the earth near the summit
Despite the rough road, the repair to my bike rack is holding out so far. I am riding slowly and being careful to rattle the bike as little as possible on the road texture. - It's hard to tell from a distance if this property at Barnwell is still inhabited
The line-up of old cars here suggests that the property is vacant, but who knows... - To my left is the settlement of Barnwell, once named Manvel
At least one of the properties here appears to be still inhabited. Bright-orange desert-mallow flowers like those here have been my chaperone during much of this trip. - Once over "the summit," Ivanpah Road heads straight toward the New York Mountains
My destination today, Keystone Canyon, is somewhere in the lower middle of this view, behind the first low hill in the foreground. - A mile after Barnwell, I turn right on the little road to Keystone Canyon, which immediately splits
The road to the right leads toward Lecyr Well and Trio Mines, where I camped during my Mojave 2000 trip, while the left road leads to Keystone Canyon, and is my road today. Back in 2000, I was also intending to enter Keystone Canyon, but I took the wrong branch of the road, partly because it wasn't on the map I was looking at and I had to guess (incorrectly) which fork to follow. - As a bicyclist, I can choose to ride on either side of the road to Keystone Canyon: do I choose sand or rocks?
I choose sand because it's smoother and I don't want to rattle my damaged bike rack more than necessary. But I can hardly stay afloat in the sand, so I change my mind and try rattling my way up the rockier side of the road. - The sand that I liked for a moment on the road to Keystone Canyon disappears and the road is just rough now
Interesting transitional grassland landscape here, punctuated by scatted joshua trees and junipers. - The road forks again after 2/3 mile and I stay on the right fork toward Keystone Canyon
The lesser-travelled left fork leads to Mail Spring, which I'd also like to visit, but I've never heard that it actually contains water. Tomorrow's goal is to hike to Keystone Spring, which does sometimes have water, up in the mountains to the right. - Some of the bumpy road is ridable, but I walk the bike because something is rubbing again in the area of the rear rack
I tighten a bolt that has loosened, but it doesn't stop the rubbing. I pass a campsite in this open area, but continue dragging the bike onward in the hope of a more interesting campsite further up the canyon. - After about two miles on the deteriorating road up Keystone Canyon, I reach a wash-out
I just passed a second campsite that looks interesting, but I think I'll leave the bike here and walk a little further up the road to see if there's an even better one just ahead. - The old road isn't getting any better as it makes its way up Keystone Canyon!
The tire tracks are fairly fresh and have to be from a high-clearance vehicle to get over some of the dips here... - I don't spot another campsite nearby, so I return to the 10-ton bike back at the wash out
This doesn't look much like a road in places, but it is. Nice view across the desert highlands below: I'm up at 5300 feet now. - I drag the bike over to the nearby campsite and this happy camper calls it a day
Well, I've made it to Keystone Canyon with the ailing bike and I hope I won't find myself stranded here. The fire ring adds a nice touch and I wish I had some wood for a campfire later on. - Time to unpack and set up camp in this high-desert area whose landscape I like so much
Old juniper trees, spiky low banana yuccas (bottom left), pinyon pine trees and four o'clocks (the pink flowers) make this a really pretty place. The last people here even left a bottle of water! Tomorrow I'll hike up to Keystone Spring in the hope that I will find water there. For now I'll try to ignore my bike-rack problem and enjoy the evening. As soon as the sun goes down, the temperature drops a lot, as is expected up at 5300 feet. I change into full-length blue jeans with long-underwear shortly after, and I find myself wearing my wool toque and a windbreaker by 21h. It's really quiet tonight, with no strong evening winds for a change, and everything is so silent. No crickets singing here, but there were a few birds earlier. Supper tonight is Mountain House beef stew (my favourite), with a few tamari almonds and some granola for dessert. As much as I enjoyed the great hamburgers at Nipton the last two nights, my body seems to prefer this backpacker-style food. The knob of my propane burner somehow disappeared today and I had to use my wrench to open and close the valve to boil water for supper. I fall asleep happily in the chilly 40-something-degree air with my toque and blue jeans on. - Mojave National Preserve map: day 10: Nipton to Keystone Canyon via Ivanpah Road
- Making morning coffee at Keystone Canyon
Beautiful morning, beautiful location. It was cold overnight, so the warmth from the morning sun shining on the tent felt good. I was up early, around 7h, but managed to fall back asleep for a while. There's almost no wind this morning, so all is silent and peaceful. - 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
Breakfast is two cups of strong coffee, Maryann's "rice and tofu in a ginger-miso broth" (delicious), granola, tamari almonds, dried apricots, dried pears and chili-lime cashews. I'm glad to be eating backpacker food again after eating junk food for breakfast back at Nipton. On the top of the closer hill on the left sits the former Keystone Mine, which I won't be visiting today. - First, I go for a short walk around my Keystone Canyon campsite
A rocky road behind my campsite, which I didn't notice last night, leads to another campsite in a hidden hollow just behind the juniper trees. - I prepare my supplies for the day and begin the hike up Keystone Canyon
I wanted to explore Keystone Canyon during my year 2000 Mojave National Preserve trip, but I ended up on the nearby road to Trio Mines instead. My day pack includes flashlight, water filter, epipens (in case of yellow-jacket sting), sweater, three 1.5-litre water bottles (one full, two empty), camera batteries, energy bars and dried apricots. I'm also wearing my two-litre Camelbak, full of water. - White primroses and orange desert-mallow flowers along Keystone Canyon Road
I listen to the sound of my footsteps as I walk, one of the few sounds here, other than the occasional flitting of a bird. - I come across another campsite with a fire ring near the road
I didn't walk up the road quite far enough yesterday to find this one, but I think I prefer my campsite anyway. - The road shares Keystone Canyon with a wash and crosses it several times
Consequently, the road is generally washed out and requires four-wheel drive and high clearance. - Along this stretch, the road is actually in the wash
I'd probably not think that this is a road if it weren't for the tire tracks here, and the fact that my maps show it. - Road users have placed rocks in this gully to facilitate passage over it
One of my older maps shows this part of the road as being inside a Wilderness area and therefore closed to vehicles. However, the new map that I purchased last week at Kelso Depot visitor centre corrects that error. - I'm delighted to discover the moist remnants of a recent trickle of water in the middle of the road
I'm still at least half a mile away from Keystone Spring, so this is a positive sign that there may be water at the source itself. - The road is almost non-existent in this part of Keystone Canyon
Tire tracks climb over the earth along the wash to avoid the big rocks. - A fork in the road!
The right fork rises up a hill toward Live Oak Canyon and Bronze Mine Spring, while the left fork (my route) continues toward Keystone Spring and New York Mountain. Not visible in the photo are the tire tracks which leave Keystone Canyon and rise up the road toward Live Oak Canyon. - I spot an old cistern along the road
Keystone Spring is up the hill a quarter mile or so, so I'm guessing that the broken pipe leads to the spring. - Another fork in the barely discernable road
The right fork heads up toward New York Mountain (which I'll follow shortly), but the left fork leads to Keystone Spring, where I hope to find water in a few minutes. - Ah, there's the pipe that presumably leads up to Keystone Spring
The road here is faint in places, so it's occasionally easier to follow the pipe than to look for the road. - I stumble across these little red flowers that I'm not familiar with
This might be a scarlet gilia (ipomopsis), not sure. - The old pipe continues along the ground along the old road to Keystone Spring
There's really not much left of the road! - Keystone Spring?
I've read that Keystone Spring sits in a meadow, so this water dripping out of a pipe must be it. It's really not much. I'll walk around a bit to see if there's more water than this. - The water here at Keystone Spring doesn't look good, but..
I've previously filtered uglier water than this which turned out to taste great. Water filters do an amazing job. - Further up the meadow, I reach a hole filled with water
After a bit more walking around, I conclude that this must be Keystone Spring itself. It's still not much, but it is more than that tiny trickle that I discovered just below. - I cautiously approach the spring to test the yellow jackets, and then pump water to fill my Camelbak and water bottles
Fortunately, the yellow jackets are ignoring me, as is often the case when I'm pumping water at springs (I guess they're too busy). Filtering natural spring water from the land always makes me feel closer to my environment. The water is cool and tastes great after filtering. It is a bit odd to be in a grassy meadow in the desert. Right now I feel more like I'm on one of my trips in the dry grasslands of Henry Coe State Park than in the Mojave Desert. - My water supply refilled, I walk back down the hill from Keystone Spring and hike up the road toward New York Mountain
The old road is visible here in the form of a rock bed. No tire tracks here. - After a bit more climbing, I turn around to see that I've risen quite a bit during the last half mile
Nice views past the hills to the distant Castle Peaks area. - I continue hiking up what's left of the old road up Keystone Canyon
With all the big rocks strewn about, it's hard to imagine that this space ever served as a road. - A little higher, I approach a face-like rock formation in the foreground at my left
Two widely set eyes frame a flattened pug-like nose. I'm sure the natives who once inhabited these lands had special names for rocks like these. - I get my first view of the old mine site at the bottom of New York Mountain
From here, it looks like a massive pile of earth. - It appears that rock, silt and wood debris tumbles continually down into Keystone Canyon from the old mine site
Somewhere around that pile of earth is a mine shaft. - The eroding old mine site at the top of Keystone Canyon sits just a few hundred feet below the peak of New York Mountain
It wouldn't be a long climb, mileage-wise, to get up to the ridge, but it would be slow-going since it's fairly steep. - Teal-blue rocks are scattered around the mine site while "Sleeping-head Rock" keeps watch from the right side
"Sleeping-head Rock," as I call it, looks like a side-profile carving of a head with the exaggerated eyes, nose and lips of a cartoon character. Fred Flintstone? - A trickle of rusty, contaminated water exudes from a tunnel in the hillside above the mine tailings
The water isn't pretty, but the big shade tree (an oak?) is. Many chaparral plants normally found near the California coast grow as a "botanical island" in this highland area of the Mojave Desert. - The old rails from the mine tunnel end at the edge of the tailings pile
Looks like a suicide gesture to me. "Sleeping-head Rock" is seen again here at the right. Awesome views across the desert to the Castle Peaks area from here. - 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 slope is quite slippery, but is probably not very risky for a more-experienced hill climber. Since I'm hiking solo and there's nobody around (and my cell phone has no reception up here), I decide not to continue any further. - The views from up here are great, and I hate to turn back, but I'm turning back anyway
I use twigs and trees to brace myself as I climb back down to the mine site below. - I start the walk back down the old road to my campsite at the bottom of Keystone Canyon
Of course, I'm enjoying the views all the way down - Here's a plant that I've never seen before
It reminds me a bit of some kind of verbena. - I'm down at the bottom of the big hill and in the main part of Keystone Canyon now
I turn right for another short walk up to Keystone Spring to top off my water supply before heading back to camp. My two-litre Camelbak is almost empty again. Turning left here would take me back to my campsite. - Looking closer, Keystone Spring seems to be semi-stagnant
Keystone Spring has probably shut down for the summer and is no longer flowing; what's here is quite possibly leftover water from a few weeks ago. - Bugs abound at Keystone Spring, as happy to have water as I am
My main concern is the many yellow jackets that are buzzing around the water. I'm highly allergic to those things. A yellow-jacket sting sent me to the emergency room last summer, but there are no emergency rooms in this part of the Mojave Desert. - After refilling water at Keystone Spring again, I still have a bit more downhill on the old Keystone Canyon Road
The tire tracks make me wonder if I have neighbors in the area this weekend that I haven't run into yet. - The road in Keystone Canyon descends a little more
The dark patches of earth on the hillside straight ahead stand out. - I'm down at the bottom of Keystone Canyon now and almost back home for the day
Even though I'm up at 5300 feet here, it doesn't really feel that high because there are no open views down to the nearby lower desert areas. - A few primroses bloom along Keystone Canyon Road a bit west of my campsite
I remember seeing a single lonely primrose bloom during Xmas week near my campsite at Devil's Playground, in the lower area of Mojave National Preserve. - I re-repair the broken bike rack by reinstalling my improvised brace under the rack, rather than on top of it
The brace on the outside of the broken rack worked for a while, but the rack eventually started rubbing against the wheel again. Having the brace on the underside of the rack should prevent that from happening. To my surprise, the great folks at Old Man Mountain bicycle racks replaced my broken rack after the trip, even though the damage was my fault from non-stop overloading well beyond the recommended capacity during years and hundreds of miles. - Back at the tent, the job that awaits me is re-repairing my broken bike rack
I could have hiked longer today, but I needed to return to camp and settle my mind by fixing (or trying to fix) the bike rack again. - I take in the views of the surrounding hills while the sun goes down and I ponder my situation and exit strategy
I'd like to spend another day hiking and exploring this area, but only two more nights in Mojave National Preserve remain before my trip ends. In case I run into more unforeseen problems, it's best that I begin the 75-mile trek back to Baker tomorrow. This will leave me with more flexibility should my repair not prove to be stable and sufficient. I don't intend to cover all that distance in a day, though I could if needed. After a few miles, I'll be back on smooth pavement again, but I'm really not sure at this point what my bike can and cannot tolerate. - Quite a few desert four o'clocks are blooming around my Keystone Canyon campsite
These plants look too green and plump to be growing in the desert! - The last supper at Keystone Canyon
Supper tonight is Backpacker Pantry's vegan Kathmandu Curry, a delicious and interestingly textured mixture of mostly potatoes and lentils. Ryan, owner of Good Karma Vegan restaurant in San José, suggested that I try this and he's right, it's really good. I follow up with some Trader Joe's beef jerky, tamari almonds, a bowl of miso soup with dulse and a bit of granola for dessert. Mmm. Strong Mojave winds have picked up again this evening and it's thus quite noisy inside the flapping tent. As soon as the sun set, I had to put on full-length jeans and a sweater. Still, it's not as chilly as it was last night and I don't need to crawl inside my sleeping bag wearing my toque and windbreaker like last night. I fall asleep easily in this beautiful place, but wake up a few times due to weird dreams. - 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'm thrilled and instantly come up with a plan to buy extra water at the store here and then ride up the hill six miles to spend the final two nights of my trip camping by Sunrise Rock on Cima Dome. Ironically, the strong wind will push me up the hill on Cima Road such that it paradoxically won't be any harder than riding down the hill toward Kelso Depot with the wind beating against me. I had been wanting to stop at the Cima Dome area on this trip anyway, but couldn't fit it into my original route schedule. I stop in at the Cima Store for three 1.5-litre bottles of water to top off my supply, and a six-pack of Corona Extra beer that I can't resist. I also buy a souvenir t-shirt ("Where is Las Vegas? 75 miles from Cima, CA") and a bag of chips and a 7up to consume while repacking my bike with the new supplies. Just when I thought maybe my trip was winding down to its end, I've got an unexpected exciting new segment of it beginning! - I walk my bike down the mostly-bumpy two miles of Keystone Canyon Road
My original plan was to end this trip by riding across the middle of Mojave National Preserve on the dirt Cedar Canyon Road. Instead, to reach pavement as soon as possible because of my broken rear rack, I'm heading back toward Ivanpah Valley. I'm walking the bike on this road because I don't want to rattle the broken rack any more than necessary. As soon as I reach Ivanpah Road, a better dirt road, I'll start riding carefully again. - Well, I've been riding Ivanpah Road for a mile now and am passing the settlement of Barnwell again; so far, so good!
I'm taking advantage of the zero traffic on the road and ride all over the road to avoid the bumpiest, most washboarded parts. - Ivanpah Road rises over the pass and begins its slow descent down into the valley
It's really tempting to ride fast down these hills, but I'm afraid to let the bike take too much vibration on this rough road, lest my repaired rack break again. - I really like this area of Ivanpah Road where my bike broke down a couple of days ago
I still want to do a short side trip or two on the back roads in this area, but today I'm aiming for pavement and don't want to test my bike's strength any more than I need to. - As Ivanpah Road comes out of the hills, views into the valley open up
A small cabin off to the right is part of one the old mining areas along here. - I pass the worn sign to the old Goldome mine
This photo was taken in 2006, but the sign is still here in 2008. - 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 bike is handling well and I'm starting to feel like it might do just fine for the rest of the trip provided I stay on pavement. I'm approaching the abandoned store that I visited on the way up the hill two days ago. - The final slow descent to the bottom of Ivanpah Valley passes beautifully
I find myself riding at over 30 miles per hour a few times, forgetting than I'm riding a potentially disabled bike. - Good things do come to an end, and I reach the bottom of Ivanpah Valley and the beginning of Morning Star Mine Road
It has been mostly downhill today from my Keystone Canyon campsite at 5300 feet to the bottom of Ivanpah Road at about 2650 feet. I turn left here and it will be uphill for the rest of the day. - I get up a bit earlier than usual this morning in preparation for the potentially unpredictable day
The morning starts off a bit chilly, so my two cups of good strong coffee are soothing. A new addition to my cooking equipment is my wrench, which I need because the knob to open and close the valve of my propane burner disappeared a couple of days ago. - The last items to be removed from the tent are a big rock and my water bag
I placed these items in the corners of the tent to keep it from blowing away in last night's wind. - After a relaxing start to the morning, I empty the tent and begin packing up
I could easily spend another day here at Keystone Canyon, but the smartest thing to do is move on. I have to accept the reality that the 10-ton bike could become disabled should I have more problems with my rear rack between here and Baker, where my trip ends. - Last night's strong wind continues this morning and tries to push the tent around while I get ready to dismantle it
However, it doesn't cause much of a problem; I've gotten fairly good at taking the tent down in the wind! - All packed up, I begin walking the bike down Keystone Canyon; my tripod blows over and my camera lands face-first and dies
What a finale! I can't take any more photos during the rest of this trip, so I'll just fill in gaps with a few photos taken earlier, or during previous trips here. - I have about 10 miles of uphill ahead of me on Morning Star Mine Road
"Caution: this road subject to flash-flood." The road cuts through creosote-bush scrub at the lower elevations as it slowly begins its climb up the hill. I'm heading south now, and the first thing I notice is that I'm pedaling hard into a strong headwind. - Morning Star Mine Road keeps climbing slowly up the fan
I've ridden up this long hill a couple of times in the past, and it's more long than it is difficult. However, today's headwind is making it a bit more demanding than I remember. - I stop a few miles up Morning Star Mine Road and look back to see how far I've risen
I'm perhaps halfway up the hill. The strong headwind is beating me back! - 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
he bicycle looks to be fully loaded, the first other camping bicycle I've ever come across during my trips out here. The rider rings his bell and waves as he passes downward at hummingbird speed. It would have been fun if he had stopped for a chat, but the hill is so much fun to ride down that one doesn't want to stop! - 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!
It's already almost 17h and I haven't decided where I'm going to end the day yet. I think I'll keep going and head down toward Kelso Depot, since I know there's water there, and I may need that by the end of tomorrow. I stop by the power lines for another short break and a chocolate energy bar. - The six-mile crawl up Cima Road rises another 800 feet up to 5000 feet elevation and is quite pleasant with very little traffic
After the tough 10-mile ride up Morning Star Mine Road with the wind pushing me back, this uphill feels easy with the wind behind me. It helps that I'm filled with the excitement of a positive change in my schedule after the setback of my broken rear rack. - On the way up Cima Road, I pass the little dirt road that leads over to Cut Spring
I have no idea if Cut Spring contains water, but I might check it out while doing a day hike tomorrow. When I took this photo two years ago, I didn't know there were potentially useful springs in this area. - 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
I've only passed through this area once during my past Mojave National Preserve trips and have always wanted to come back since. Well, here I am again! - There's a lot of rock in this area, and this juniper tree growing in a crack between rocks is striking
I ride down the road a bit further to choose a campsite. - The first campsite has this beautiful tree for shade, but is too close to the paved road for my taste
I keep riding down the dirt road a little further. - A half-mile down the dirt road, I select a campsite to left of the big rock pile here
When I was in this area two years ago (when this photo was taken), I chose a campsite a bit further down the road. Fresh tire tracks are everywhere, but I'm not seeing any people anywhere. - Sunset in the Cima Dome area is always beautiful, and tonight is no exception
It's windy and chilly up here at 5000 feet, so I change into full-length jeans and a sweater as soon as the sun goes down. I sip on the beer that I bought earlier at the Cima Store and prepare a pouch of Mountain House Beef Stew. Dessert is beef and turkey jerky, and some Trader Joe's chili-lime cashews as well. As I fall asleep later in the evening, wishing I could take a shower first, I enjoy the serenade of singing crickets and some very distant coyotes howling somewhere in the valley below. - 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
When I started today's hike on the Teutonia Peak Trail, I passed a couple that was just finishing the hike and returning to their car. Besides them, I've not seen any other humans today. - The dirt road ends and I walk across Cima Road to reach the Teutonia Peak Trail, looking back to Kessler Peak
The mass of exposed granite on the other side of the road is always interesting to look at. - The two-mile trail to Teutonia Peak is one of just two official, maintained trails in the expansive Mojave National Preserve
Of course, hundreds of miles of old roads, some of which are no longer open to motor vehicles, serve quite nicely as Mojave National Preserve's de facto trail system. Despite what you see in this photo, I do not have my bicycle with me right now (I left it at my campsite). This photo was taken two years ago (2006), when I stopped briefly here at the trailhead with my bicycle. - Interpretive panel ("Desert Woodland") at the start of the Teutonia Peak Trail
The hike up to Teutonia Peak is an enjoyable walk mostly through joshua trees, and I reach the top at 14h15, an hour after leaving camp. After 15 minutes of relaxation to take in the view of everything below, and calling in to change my outgoing cell-phone message (I have marginal reception up here), I head back down. At the base of the mountain, I head north toward Valley View Ranch on an old rolling road that's not on my maps, and which is now closed to vehicles and inside a Wilderness area. It ends at some old corrals not too far from the ranch. My arrival startles a lot of mourning doves near the corrals who flutter about. After the corrals, I head south, along the western flank of Cima Dome, on the old road to Deer Spring, which is still open to motor vehicles. - Just before reaching Cima Road, I pass a point of interest: the "covered cross"
When I saw this during my first visit to Cima Dome in 2006, I thought it was an old sign whose message had been weathered away. It turns out to be a cross on the hill that is being covered to conceal the fact that it's a cross. There's an ongoing debate about the appropriateness of having a religious symbol (the cross) in supposedly religious-neutral federal parkland, which is why the cross is temporarily concealed. Sometime just prior to my current (2008) visit, the box over the cross had been removed to reveal the cross. However, my camera is broken and I can't document that. Christian vandals? - I walk the last 1/2 mile down the dirt road to my Cima Dome campsite for one last night in Mojave National Preserve
It has been a warm sunny day of blue skies (high 70s), but occasional dark clouds have been circling around, bringing random strong winds, and I'm even feeling a few sprinkles of rain on my way back to the tent. I make it back to the tent at 18h45 and immediately put on a sweater and change into full-length blue jeans. I mindlessly stand outside for a while to absorb another desert sunset, happy to be here, but somewhat sad that this will be my last sleep-out in Mojave National Preserve before heading back to the world of employment and mortgages in San José. After dark, I make Alpine Aire "Hurry Curry Chicken and Rice," which turns out to be excellent, and eat some turkey jerky. Dessert is granola and chili-lime cashews. Lots of crickets sing happily and the warm evening (low 60s?) is mostly quiet, except for the occasional gust of wind, airplane flying overhead, or car driving up Cima Road half a mile away. - The road curves and aims toward Teutonia Peak as it heads back to the paved Cima Road
This area does get occasional traffic, as evidenced by the fresh tire tracks here. However, I didn't see anyone else camping in the area last night, nor have I seen signs of anyone yet today. - After a lazy morning, I start hiking the half mile up the dirt road that leads from my campsite to Cima Road
It's 13h15 already! Kessler Peak is that mountain straight ahead, and it would also make an interesting day hike. - View of Teutonia Peak from the area of my campsite near Sunrise Rock
I take the morning easy and study my maps. I decide to start with the obvious four-mile round-trip hike up to Teutonia Peak on the official trail and then follow that with a counter-clockwise loop around the west side of Cima Dome via Deer Spring. I prepare my backpack for the day's hike. I decide to bring my water filter in case there's water at Deer Spring. I won't really be needing extra water, but it's fun to filter spring water when it's available. - I have the whole day to spend up here on Cima Dome, so I'll do a hike up to Teutonia Peak and beyond
I really lucked out that the Cima Store was open yesterday afternoon when I passed by. I wouldn't be at this great location if it had been closed. It was a bit chilly overnight, which is predictable since I'm up at 5000 feet elevation, but the clothing I wore to bed turned out to be too warm (long underwear plus jeans, and t-shirt plus sweater). - It's so windy up here on Cima Dome this morning that it takes quite a while to boil water for coffee
After moving my burner around a few times to try to shelter it somewhat from the swirling wind (ha, good luck!), I eventually manage to make a second cup of dark coffee, and then an instant backpacker meal. Breakfast is Mountain House Rice and Chicken, which turns out to be surprisingly good, though a little greasy (corn oil and chicken fat are added to the recipe for flavour). Dessert is tamari almonds, granola, dried apricots and a few chili-lime cashews. The wind is keeping the flies away, so I eat and drink with the tent open this morning. - View of Teutonia Peak from the Valley View Ranch area
This view was taken two years ago in 2006 from Cima Road near the Valley View Ranch. I'm in the adjacent joshua tree forest right now, and not out on Cima Road, but the view of Teutonia Peak is similar. - 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
Along Deer Spring Road, as I climb up to 5400 feet, I'm enjoying very nice views down to "the back side" of the Mojave National Preserve cinder cones (not in this photo), which I haven't seen before from this angle. I wish my camera weren't broken! I reach Deer Spring and its corral, but its water sits stagnant in a cattle trough, so I don't bother pumping water here. After a short break, I leave Deer Spring at 16h30 and follow an old closed road that's not on my maps and which, it turns out, rises over the summit of Cima Dome at almost 5800 feet. Sweet! At the Cima Dome summit is a survey marker labelled "Teutonia." This road doesn't appear to be hiked often. My compass is useful for checking my direction on the way up since I can't see beyond the thick joshua tree forest for a while. The area of the Cima Dome summit turns out to be an unplanned highlight-of-the-day with a lot of Mojave wildflowers, joshua trees and views of Mojave National Preserve in all directions, as well as the back (west) side of Teutonia Peak. East of the Cima Dome summit, the old road appears to head south toward Cut Spring, instead of northeast toward my campsite. To cut down on mileage, I hike a couple of miles cross-country, first toward Teutonia Peak, then around the south side of its base, passing briefly through a wash area of thick brush, then over a low, rocky rise. The serenity and scenery out in this area (lots of rocks, flowers and joshua trees) makes me again wish that my camera were still operational. I eventually rejoin the Teutonia Peak Trail and follow it back to its beginning at Cima Road. - 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
If my bike rack weren't broken, I could shave a few miles off today's ride (though it would probably take longer) by riding this rough road. A stop at remote Marl Springs, which I visited on my 2006 trip, to filter some water would be a fun diversion along the way. I've ridden various segments of this power-line road over the years, but I've not ridden the part that extends from here to Marl Springs. - The six-mile ride down the Cima Road hill to the Cima Store, 800 feet below, is a blast
On the way down, I pass a small group of police and rangers investigating a car wreck whose driver is nowhere to be found. To my surprise, I have a significant headwind pushing against me as I ride down the hill (there was hardly any wind at all earlier). The views of the Mid Hills straight ahead in the distance make me happy. - To my left while descending Cima Road are views across the valley to the Butcher Knife Canyon area of the New York Mountains
The two nights I spent at Butcher Knife Canyon last week were an enjoyable exercise in solitude and weathering strong winds. - 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
Breakfast is the usual: two cups of strong coffee, granola, tamari almonds and chili-lime cashews. Packing up is intentionally slow on this nice quiet morning because I want to stay longer. I leave at noon. As I reach the pavement of Cima Road, a camper vehicle pulls in and claims the closest campsite to the road: the first humans I've seen in 24 hours. - Here it is: the final little hill at the top of which is the summit of Kelbaker Road between Kelso Depot and Baker
I feel like I've been pedalling rather briskly all the way up this 12-mile hill. I've stopped a couple of times on the way up, but nothing long enough to constitute a real break, so I'm looking forward to reaching the top! - I arrive at the Kelbaker Road summit at 16h15 and feel a bit pooped
I enjoy a 15-minute break and munch on a Clif bar and drink more water. My water is warmer than room temperature now, blech, but of course I keep drinking freely, to stay hydrated and energetic. - 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
The segment of the power-line road from Cima Road to here is about 15 miles long, instead of the 31 miles that I rode on the paved roads via Kelso Depot. - I depart the Kelbaker Road summit at 16h30 and the final 22 miles down to Baker is as enjoyable as ever
The slow, almost traffic-free, descent from the 3800-foot summit down to 925 feet at Baker is one of those rides that makes bicycle touring in the Mojave Desert worth the effort. - 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
This part of the descent past the lava beds which come close to Kelbaker Road is one of my favourites. I have the wind pushing against me again, so coasting down this long hill isn't completely effortless. - After coming around the last big curve on Kelbaker Road, I have a final 10 miles (dropping 1000 feet) to ride across the valley
The heat of the day is getting to me a little and, as usual, it's hotter down here in the valley. Still, at the end of a two-week bicycle trip, 10 miles isn't any big deal. My water is hot and tastes terrible, but that doesn't stop me from drinking it. - Artless graffiti on the red pavement of Kelbaker Road approaching Baker
It's probably no surprise that this exists fairly close to the I-15 freeway and its plentiful Las Vegas-Los Angeles traffic. Please give us colourful, creative graffiti or none at all. - Almost there...
The freeway-exit town of Baker, California with its motels and excess of fast-food restaurants sits just ahead in front of the mountains. - Just before arriving at Baker, California, Kelbaker Road crosses the I-15 freeway
It's nice to be entering a town of prepared meals, beds and showers for hire, but how badly do I need to see hundreds of passing-through cars and people per hour who are uninterested in the austere beauty of this desert region? - Baker, California has a sort of skyline with its "tallest thermometer in the world" and its motel and fast-food signs
Baker's big thermometer registers 94 degrees, so I'm not crazy after all in thinking that it's a hot day here. - I check in at the Royal Hawaiian Motel for the night, which is an interesting example of kitsch from the 60s or 70s
This motel is a bit trashy, and part of it is abandoned. This is the most interesting motel in Baker with its authentic retro 70s-80s decor. However, the Royal Hawaiian is not for everyone. If you're the fussy type, pay a few dollars extra for one of the "better" motels in town instead and spare us the complaints about the Royal Hawaiian! - Retro 70s furniture in my room at the Royal Hawaiian Motel at Baker, California
After checking in at the Royal Hawaiian, I walk over to Los Dos Toritos, one of the only non-chain restaurants in town, to officially end my trip and start reminiscing over a tasty chile verde plate. After a quiet evening at the motel, the 10-ton bike and I will spend tomorrow on the Amtrak bus and train to get back to San José, the land of employment, mortgages and suburban sprawl. I'll even get to speak to some French tourists at the bus stop here in Baker before I leave. This trip will become another well-earned deposit in the memory chest. - Back on the road at 14h30 to start the climb up to the summit of Kelbaker Road
Over 12 miles, I'll rise from 2125 feet at Kelso Depot to 3800 feet at the summit. It's mostly not very steep, but it does take a while, and the sun is hot. - 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
It must be close to 90 degrees this afternoon, or at least it feels like it in the hot sun. - 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 suddenly feel water splashing on my thigh, which feels good in this heat, but I shouldn't be feeling it. The drinking nib has dropped off my Camelbak's drinking hose and water is running out in a small, steady stream. No big deal; I don't end up losing much water, and I just close the valve once I figure out what's happening. One more thing to fix after I get back home, as if living in a fixer-upper weren't already enough! - I'm up out of Kelso Valley now
The views behind me of the Providence Mountains beckon me to stay in Mojave National Preserve a little longer. This photo is from my Xmas 2007 trip; I'm definitely not wearing that windbreaker today! - The Kelbaker Road summit lies just ahead where the power lines cross the road at the left
The last mile or two before the Kelbaker Road summit looks a bit like a moonscape and is always anti-climatic in that no grand views of the surrounding valleys can be experienced here. - 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
I'm not allowed to carry the propane bottle on tomorrow's Amtrak bus and train trip. I chat with the ranger on desk duty, but don't have to bother him to let me in to the downstairs closet again to fill up my water. It turns out that I still have enough water to last until I reach Baker. - Just a few miles to go before reaching Kelso Depot...
Sometimes I'm pedalling lazily, or just letting the bike coast slowly on its own, so I can focus on the views of the distant hills around me. I don't want the trip to end too soon! In the haze ahead stand the Granite Mountains and the Coyote Springs area where I spent two nights last week. The tip of the Kelso Dunes is poking into the right side of this photo. - 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.
Actually, I walked the bike most of the way down this hill because the gravel was slippery and I didn't want to risk losing control. - Enjoying the morning outside my tent at Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
Do I really have to leave today? I really enjoyed my leisurely stay here yesterday, not doing anything too strenuous for a change. My evening campfires, thanks to the boxes of firewood that they sell at the visitor center, were awesome, and gave off lots of much-needed heat! Though still windy and chilly, it's a beautiful, sunny day in the desert and I'm looking forward to the climb over Foshay Pass shortly. - Some of these rollers are steep drop-offs that are too slippery and steep for me to ride down or up
Time for hike-a-bike! Even walking the bike down the hill requires some care and significant braking. I was expecting one of those awesome long downhills into the desert that makes a long hill climb worth the effort, so I'm feeling a bit cheated out of that by all these uphills on the way down! - Finally, I've come out of the mountains enough to see the entire Powerline Road and Kelso Dunes ahead of me
But I also see that I have more rollers to negotiate on the way down! At least I'm getting that great anticipated view of the Kelso Dunes now. From this vantage point, it's clear that this road is just cut across the terrain instead of following the natural contours of the land, which would have created an easier road with switchbacks. - The little six-site campground at Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
The historic visitor-centre buildings are slightly more sheltered from the wind, being closer to the steep Providence Mountains. Would I come back to this tiny campground? Definitely. - Another steep dip in the Powerline Road
Obviously, I can neither ride down nor up this dip! I wouldn't want to be in a motor vehicle without four-wheel drive on this road. - After breaking camp, I leave the Providence Mountains campground and coast down the hill to the desert floor on Essex Road
Just before leaving, a bus-load of high-school students from Las Vegas arrives, which is an odd disruption of the tranquility of this place. (I've been the only camper here the past two nights.) I leave the campground at 4300 feet at around 10h45. The steep hill was tough coming up a couple of days ago, and I recall a ranger telling me that he saw me riding very slowly up the hill (at about 3 mph probably). So it's of course a lot of fun to go back down now. I reach 32 mph on the steepest part; gravity just pulls me down 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
It seemed like I would never make it to the end of those rollers! Gee, looking back, the road doesn't look too unfriendly at all... I consider riding over to Kelso Dunes and camping there one last night as planned. However, I'm running very low on food and that makes me uncomfortable. I would love to eat a snack right now, but all I have left is another add-boiling-water-to-pouch meal. So I decide to keep on going toward Baker and end the trip a day early. It's only another 40 miles further... and there's food in Baker waiting to be eaten! - About 3 miles down the hill from the Providence Mountains campground, I hear a big "clunk" and feel something dragging
Ooops, the brace holding my bike rack to the back of the seat post just snapped off! I pull over and calmly remove the broken rack adapter and bolt the rack directly to the bike's braze-ons instead. The rack is now a bit tilted, but it's more structurally sound like this anyway. Back on the road! - The Providence Mountains behind me, I stop at the abandoned Kelso Depot after a fast 8-mile downhill on paved Kelbaker Road
Kelso Depot is slated to be restored as a Mojave National Preserve visitor centre during the coming years. - At the bottom of the hill, at about 3000 feet, I leave the pavement of Essex Road
I start climbing the sandy Powerline Road back in the general direction from which I just came. This road crosses the Providence Mountains in about seven miles at Foshay Pass, and is the most remote road I've tried riding out here so far. - I take on the 12-mile climb up Kelbaker Road rising away from Kelso Depot
Kelbaker Road rises from 2100 feet here to a summit at 3800 feet, a long but moderate grade. I'm looking forward to arriving in Baker and eating a big meal! - A beautiful sunset illuminates the Providence Mountains behind me as I climb Kelbaker Road out of Kelso Valley toward Baker
Sunset is one of my favourite times to be out on a bicycle, but it also means that darkness will be here soon. - The gravelly road toward Foshay Pass rises slowly
I'm very glad that the road is proving (so far) to be mostly rideable. The sand patches at the beginning of the road made me wonder if I might be getting myself into trouble by trying to ride this road. - 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)
I'm glad I've made it to the summit by sunset so I can see that orange desert-sunset glow from above before it disappears. Now that I've finished climbing and sweating, I put on an extra sweater, my outer shell, and my booties, to keep my feet from freezing. Headlight turned on. A few big slugs of water, and I'm ready to go. I switch into high gear and pedal easily to keep up 25 mph, and then it gets completely dark. With no other traffic and no moonlight, my headlight is the only light on the road. Until, eventually a car does come up behind me and passes, its headlights casting a surreal bright light in the dark surroundings. A little later, the blinding headlights of a lone oncoming car make it hard for me to see where the road is, so I pull over until it passes. When the car gets really close, I feel like it's coming straight at me like a bullet, a very eerie feeling. And then it passes and I return to my blissful, solitary world until I reach Baker, and its little glow of city lights. Gee, that was fun. - Along the way to Foshay Pass, there are a few steep sections, but the grade is mostly moderate
After the fast downhill on paved Essex Road a short while ago, I'm still getting used to my new slow speed on this rough road. No more 25 mph downhill! But I've been out here on the 10-ton bike for 10 days now and I've gotten pretty strong. My legs are enjoying the gentle work-out on this rocky road and are happy that there's not too much sand here. - Back in Baker, California, I rent a room at the Bun Boy Motel, waiting for tomorrow's Greyhound bus back to San José
I celebrate the end of the trip with a big Mexican meal at Los Dos Toritos down the road, some beer from the general store (I actually need all those extra calories right now), and smoke a couple of bowls of Patriot Flake to top it all off. - A bit higher up the road to Foshay Pass, I turn around to take in the view behind me
It's always fun to stop and take in the view behind oneself while climbing a hill and I need a few big slugs of water anyway. - 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
I slept really well last night in my cell at the motel. I know they're probably supposed to be decorative, but those two palm trees behind the Bun Boy Motel aren't as alluring to me as what's on the other side of the freeway. Maybe I should come back here again some day... - This short, rocky hill on the road to Foshay Pass requires that I drag the bike up the hill little by little
Fortunately, most of the road hasn't been as steep as this part! - Entering Foshay Pass now, the actual summit is still a little further ahead
I'm more or less on top now, and it looks like I might reach an overlook down the other side after I cross this less-hilly stretch. - At the Foshay Pass summit in the Providence Mountains, looking back (east) at the desert behind me where I started my climb
I think this item here might be part of the gas pipeline that passes along this road. - Still at the Foshay Pass summit, the road ahead passes alongside a few ridgetops before it descends to the other side
I was expecting a big grand view of the Kelso Dunes down the other side, but I guess all the surrounding hills are in the way! - Hmmm.. As the Powerline Road begins to "descend," it looks like I will first have another little uphill
I'll have to drag my bike up that hill, it's pretty steep! - Late morning at my campsite at Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
There are only six campsites here, and mine is the only one that was occupied last night. Despite the heavy winds yesterday evening, it's a pleasant sunny morning here now. Staff at the Park office tell me that the wind supposedly reached 30 miles per hour. Apparently the winds do pick up like that from time to time at this location and campers occasionally leave unplanned because of it. - Excellent views eastward from the ledge on which the campground sits
I spend some time trying to identify roads and features in the distance where I might have been. - Northeast from Providence Mountains Campground, one gets a view of Wild Horse Mesa
Hole-in-the-Wall Campground is beyond that. Looks like nice hiking country... - After taking the tour of the Mitchell Caverns, I go for a walk up the hill behind the Park office
This could easily turn into a day-long hike way up into the Providence Mountains, but I'm feeling far too lazy today for anything like that. - Cholla cactus
There are lots of these around here; fortunately I haven't been bitten by one yet. - I've bought another box of fire wood from the Park office to have a campfire tonight
Earlier this morning, I had considered packing up and moving on, but the allure of the cave tour, another campfire and water at my disposal, easily convinced me to stay another day.