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- I'm enjoying the hike up this part of Hyten Spring Wash with its occasional little dry waterfalls to climb over
- As for a pool of water at Hyten Spring, this litle tank in the rock is all I find today
- Interesting rock spikes along the wall of the wash, Kelso Dunes Wilderness
- Time to boil water for tonight's instant meal: Mountain House Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
- Back on the powerline road, less than two miles of hiking to go
- 20 minutes later, I stop for another break further out on Broadwell Dry Lake
- I stop briefly on Crucero Road as I pass the powerline road leading toward the Bristol Mountains Wilderness
- A cactus thorn punctures my tire and some Slime spurts out to fill the wound
- Big rigs park at the Ludlow gas station with the Sleeping Beauty mountains as a sunset backdrop
- I stop just before starting the ride across Broadwell Dry Lake to check out a couple of big mushrooms
- There's nobody else out here on Broadwell Dry Lake today, so it's very peaceful
- First, I ride down the bumpy powerline road 1.7 miles back to Crucero Road
- There's a bit of a wind this morning as I pack up to leave Kelso Dunes Wilderness; my now-empty tent blows over
- Hyten Spring hike elevation, Kelso Dunes Wilderness
- A bird's nest in a catclaw bush in Kelso Dunes Wilderness
- A series of cavelets is clustered in a hill along this wash in the Kelso Dunes Wilderness
- On my way down out of the Bristol Mountains, I pass a few Rush milkweeds in flowers
- Further down in a Bristol Mountains wash are a number of low, reddish buckwheat tufts
- Further down Hyten Spring Wash, I get expansive views across Crucero Valley
- I spend a lot of time snapping photos as the sun goes down on the powerline road
- To my surprise, I'm back at my tent at 16h40, before total darkness; I was expecting to need my flashlight on the way home
- For the return hike back to my tent, I follow a different wash down to the powerline road from Hyten Spring
- I've just passed an open area where I had to choose which route I'll take to Hyten Spring
- This is the high-elevation point of my day, at roughly 3000 feet in the Bristol Mountains, a bit above nearby Hyten Spring
- After climbing over a couple of hills, I drop down into a little canyon ahead where I should find Hyten Spring
- On the way down the hill to Hyten Spring, I stop to look at some of the Desert holly plants that grow here
- And here it is: Hyten Spring, Bristol Mountains, Kelso Dunes Wilderness
- A few pink buckwheat flowers near Hyten Spring, Kelso Dunes Wilderness
- I pass a number of cholla cacti on the way up the wash into the Bristol Mountains
- I hear some noise, look up, and notice an owl, noticing me
- This hike is progressing slowly; I'm finally entering the mountain zone as I walk through this gateway
- A number of small barrel cacti adorn this rock wall in Hyten Spring Wash in the Bristol Mountains
- The rocky terrain gets more interesting as I slowly get higher up this Bristol Mountains wash
- Another cool rock wall in Hyten Spring wash
- I notice several hawks and ravens flying around as I continue hiking up the wash toward Hyten Spring
- I climb up a small dry waterfall in Hyten Spring Wash and look back down
- Before reaching the wash that leads up to the Hyten Spring area, I hike cross-country around the left end of the mountains ahead
- I start hiking up Hyten Spring Wash and encounter several coyote melons left from earlier this year
- I'm up early this morning for the hike to Hyten Spring that I didn't get around to doing last year
- Sleeping Beauty hike, elevation profile
- The star of the show this evening is Backpacker's Pantry Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
- In the bag, Backpacker's Pantry Beef and broccoli Stir-Fry doesn't look like much, but it's good!
- A relaxing evening in the tent, with my sweaters on, and I sleep really well in my new, warm winter sleeping bag
- Closer inspection of the little cave shows smoke stains on the roof
- A few very early Desert mallow blossoms are about to open in this Sleeping Beauty canyon
- A river of rock flows down a hill toward this Sleeping Beauty canyon
- Well, my planned hike down this side canyon in the Sleeping Beauty mountains instantly ends when I reach a 10-foot drop-off
- I'm up above the drop-off now in the Sleeping Beauty foothills
- I look behind me at the lower part of the Sleeping Beauty canyon I've just descended
- I cross a dry, sandy wash on the way back to my tent
- I've seen several of these little yellow flowers on today's hike
- Climbing out of the sandy wash, a few big rocks, and a lot of small ones
- I'm almost back at the tent, with Sleeping Beauty behind me, right at sunset
- Back home for the night in the Sleeping Beauty foothills, what a great hike that was today!
- Hmmm, a little cave on the side of this canyon in the Sleeping Beauty mountains
- I take a look at a small dry waterfall in this unnamed Sleeping Beauty canyon that I just climbed around
- I pass a patch of brilliant rabbitbrush on the way down this Sleeping Beauty canyon
- I study my maps a bit and backtrack a quarter-mile up the canyon before turning right and climbing over a rocky ridge
- On the way up the steep, rocky hill, I notice many of those daisy-like plants of which I've seen many today
- I've made it up to the ridge and have great views toward my campsite down below Sleeping Beauty (which I can't see yet)
- Such a beautiful canyon to descend during the hike back to my tent from Sleeping Beauty
- Now that I've almost reached the bottom of this Sleeping Beauty Canyon, I take a look back up behind me
- The Mojave Desert is full of interesting and colourful rocks and earth
- Oops, just when I'm not expecting any further obstacles, I encounter a 15-foot drop-off in the drainage that I'm hiking
- I take note of small tufts growing in the rocks as I walk down this Sleeping Beauty canyon that I didn't plan to explore
- I head down into the shade in the Sleeping Beauty mountains
- There are a few Mojave asters flowering here today, which I don't expect in November
- Ah ha! A special desert flower that's occasionally found even in the most remote Mojave Desert locales: an old balloon
- Bright, sunny morning, cool breeze, perfect for the hike that I've planned up the adjacent Sleeping Beauty hills
- After a slow, relaxed morning in the sun, I'm finally setting out on today's Sleeping Beauty hike
- I cross a greenish-looking drainage on my way across the Sleeping Beauty foothills
- I start hiking up a slope that I identifed as a possible route up Sleeping Beauty while doing my homework before this trip
- I'm careful and slow as I hike up the loose rock here on Sleeping Beauty
- A look back down the hill behind me says I'm making progress on my Sleeping Beauty climb
- Here and there, I run into a few of these flowers on the slopes of Sleeping Beauty, mostly in relatively shaded areas
- A little further up Sleeping Beauty, I pass around this large rock outcrop
- A bit past the rock outcrop, I continue up a ridge above a steep-sided drainage on the side of Sleeping Beauty
- I'm getting closer to the Sleeping Beauty peaks, but I still have a distance to go
- I zoom in on some nice views across the hills as I gain elevation in the Sleeping Beauty mountains
- There's one of the Sleeping Beauty peaks up above me; how close can I get without getting vertigo?
- Delicious views as I arrive at a saddle high up in the Sleeping Beauty mountains
- I take a half-hour break on this saddle in the Sleeping Beauty mountains, eat an energy bar, and suck back more water
- Well, I probably could climb down that way, in front of me, but I decide to check my maps first
- Day 8: Elevation profile of bicycle route from Newberry Mountains to Barstow by on Route 66
- Day 8: Bicycle route from Newberry Mountains to Barstow by on Route 66
- Barstow Station: I enjoy an early lunch in one of the refurbished train cars while waiting for the Amtrak bus
- The 10-ton bike waits patiently for the Amtrak bus outside Barstow Station
- I see a dusting of snow as my Amtrak bus passes through the Tehachapi Mountains and its wind turbines; this was a good trip
- I spend the evening on the round bed in my cabin room at Barstow's Route 66 Motel, watching TV
- Tomorrow morning, the trip over, I see a bit of ice in the gutter as I ride Barstow's Main Street to the Amtrak Station
- I ride through Barstow's motel district on my way to the old-school Route 66 Motel where I'll stay again tonight
- I have a delicious supper at Rosita's on Barstow's Main Street
- On my sink at the Route 66 Motel is a bar of "Rain Breeze" soap
- I remember passing the dead Barstow Mall at the beginning of this trip; I'm still intrigued by it
- After my side trip into historic Daggett, I get back on Route 66 and head toward the I-40 freeway and tonight's motel in Barstow
- While riding the I-40 freeway past the military base on the way back to Barstow, my GPS mysteriously crashes
- Off the freeway after a couple of miles, I know I've landed in central Barstow when I pass a liquor store
- Before leaving Daggett, I stop at a forlorn park bench to change the batteries in my GPS
- I've seen several of these low-growing pink-budded plants during this trip
- The siding of the old wooden building is peeling away as the structure sags
- Daggett's old town is an interesting place with many modest older houses
- A small grocery store is the dominant living feature on Daggett's main street
- These two old commercial buildings in Daggett have been fenced off, perhaps with the hope of preserving them
- Nice antique tin paneling above the stone wall on the façade of the Daggett Stone Hotel
- An old metal-clad garage-type building sits just down the street from the Daggett Stone Hotel
- At the rear of the old wooden building is an addition that looks like residential quarters
- I return to the 10-ton bike and coast down the gravel road past a recently built fence
- I make it back to the pavement of Hidden Springs Road and roll happily down the hill under the I-40 freeway toward old Route 66
- The headwind is so strong as I ride Route 66 that I can barely maintain 7 miles per hour
- I stop several times along this stretch of Route 66 to take short breaks from the headwind and look to the Newberry Mountains
- As I arrive in the area of the town of Daggett, I pass an old sign for a defunct service station
- While passing a trailer park along Route 66 near Daggett, my eyes notice an unusual mobile home
- I reach the official "Welcome to Daggett" sign and decide to pull in for a quick tour of the small, historic town
- The Mojave Desert is a dry place, but I see a lot of green sprouts, happier than me about last night's rain storm
- While packing up, the tent wants to be a kite; I discover that one of my tent poles has been bent by the wind
- OK, I'm leaving my Newberry Mountains campsite, but maybe I shouldn't wimp out like this
- I start riding down the Newberry Mountains wash road that I came up last night
- It's a winding, gravelly road; no wonder I had to walk the 10-ton bike up this hill last night in the dark
- On my way down this Newberry Mountains wash, I stop at a joining side wash that I saw last night on the way here
- Hmm... If I had camped along this road in the Newberry Mountains foothills, I would have been more sheltered from the wind
- This little wash road in the Newberry Mountains foothills seems to end at the carcass of an old car used for target practice
- Wow, this must be the most shot-up thing I've ever come across!
- If there were ever a quintessential metaphor for the Amercian desert, this is it
- Apparently, this old car was once burned; the steering wheel looks quite melted and limp
- This desert wind storm seems to be getting a kick out of playing with my flexible tent, just to see what shapes it can make
- I've been up for an hour and a half now, and spent much of that pacing around outside, hoping that the wind will die down a bit
- Coffee time, I hope: I try heating some water and shelter the burner a little by placing it behind the tent
- The problem now is that if the tent does fail and blow over, it will surely land on the flame of my propane burner
- Every time I think the wind is lessening, and that the day will progress nicely after all, another big gust pummels my tent
- After more than 30 minutes, my lukewarm water makes a good cup of Starbuck's instant coffee, the only instant I find acceptable
- I stand in the wind on the Newberry Mountains foothills, thinking (wishing) that the wind is dropping to an acceptable level
- I retreat to the tent and consider packing up and skipping today's Newberry Mountains hike as the tent walls blow down at me
- I hate my decision: I'm going to pack up and cancel my hike into the Newberry Mountains, even though I'm camped at my trailhead
- Last night's wind storm, which is still alive, blew a dusting of sand into my tent overnight, and kept me from sleeping well
- I step outside to take care of morning business and it's just as windy as I thought here in the Newberry Mountains foothills
- Route 66 Newberry Mountains bicycle route
- Elevation profile of Route 66 Newberry Mountains bicycle route
- In darkness, I head up the dirt road about a mile, set up camp, then an unexpected rain and wind storm descends upon me
- Westward on Route 66 I go, crossing under the I-40 freeway and leaving Newberry Springs
- Another Route 66 sunset as I ride west from Newberry Spring
- I ride by the California Agricultural Inspection Station, closed in 1967, which I passed on the first day of this trip
- Finally, I arrive at my exit from Route 66, Hidden Springs Road, and turn left
- I look for the dirt road to follow after pavement ends at the foot of the Newberry Mountains, a short distance from the freeway
- Hmmm.... The city lights of Barstow are not so far away as I start my way up the road into the Newberry Mountains foothills
- I ride through another dirt-bike dust cloud as I head west on the way out of Newberry Springs
- The Newberry Mountains briefly come right up to old Route 66 along here
- Bagdad Café: business cards, welcome signs (bienvenue) and personal messages everywhere, le tout en français
- Bagdad Café: a French Harley shirt, mounted high on a wall
- I figure I might as well stop in at the famous Bagdad Café since I'm passing by
- I take a quick glance at the old Henning Motel next door to the Bagdad Café as I get back on the road
- Bagdad Café: I'm hungry (again), so I order a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon
- Bagdad Café: I begin to notice that most of the business cards and other paraphenalia on the walls are from France
- First, I think I'll ride the couple of remaining miles into Newberry Springs and refill my water supply
- Here's another old business on Newberry Springs' Route 66 that didn't make it: "Rocks 'n' Stuff"
- Newberry Springs: dirt-bikers paradise!
- This old property on Route 66 in Newberry Springs is nicely maintained
- Old public toilets on Route 66, Newberry Springs
- I stop to take a look at Gasco Road, which cuts across the salt pan on its way up to the Rodman Mountains Wilderness Area
- Old Route 66 makes a couple of 90-degree turns in order to cross the I-40 freeway
- As old Route 66 crosses the tracks just after an I-40 overpass, I'm briefly facing Pisgah Crater
- Not long after I cross the tracks, another one of those endless freight trains passes by
- I'm on that rough part of old Route 66 again between Newberry Springs and Pisgah siding
- I cross the powerline road that cuts through the Cady Mountains just a few miles north of my campsite at Broadwell Dry Lake
- Now that I'm getting closer to the town of Newberry Springs, I'm starting to see a few more cars on this part of old Route 66
- I begin the slight downhill on old Route 66 into the town of Newberry Springs, with the Newberry Mountains in the background
- Hector Road here provides an opportunity for cars to get off old Route 66 here and get back on the freeway
- This abandoned property at the east end of Newberry Springs has a commanding view of the Rodman Mountains in the background
- East of Newberry Springs, the freeway is really close to old Route 66
- This lava outcrop along old Route 66 glistens in front of its Rodman Mountains Wilderness Area background
- Perhaps the biggest no-trespassing sign I've seen on this trip, just east of Newberry Springs
- Now that I'm closer to town (Newberry Springs), I'm starting to pass more properties that are occupied
- I see another motor-created dust cloud traversing the desert in front of the Rodman Mountains Wilderness Area
- After almost six miles, I notice a little sign for "Sleeping Beauty Road"
- I stop at Sleeping Beauty Road for a very short break; it occurs to me that I could ride up this road and do a nice hike
- I'm out of my motel room by 10h30 and start my way up the first 8-mile segment of Route 66 toward Barstow from Ludlow
- The two antique vehicles are protected from sun and rain under the old gas-station canopy
- Interesting switches on the dashboard panel of the old van
- Faux wood paneling in the back of the old van, sagging a little
- Ludlow Motel, in the heart of the Mojave Desert, has soap in the bathrooms called "Coastal Breezes"
- Between the Ludlow Café and the Ludlow Motel rests a former gas station, decorated with a couple of old vehicles
- Please, have a seat
- Loadmaster
- I slept so well last night here at the Ludlow Motel: the breakfast menu in my room invites me over to the café for FLUFFY
- I decide to spend another night at the Ludlow Motel to catch up on some needed sleep and avoid the cold
- The sun has gone down for the last mile or so of the trudge up to Ludlow
- What could this old sign be out here in the middle of nowhere by Broadwell Dry Lake?
- Ha! This old sign announces a former proposal (from the 1990s) to place a toxic-waste site here at Broadwell Dry Lake
- For further information on the review process for the proposed hazardous-waste site at Broadwell Dry Lake...
- Relieved that I don't have to pass a toxic-waste dump here, I get back on the 10-ton bike and pedal onward toward Ludlow
- Oh, another stray balloon to collect for disposal!
- These last few miles up the gravelly slight incline toward Ludlow are slow, but I'm enjoying it
- I see some pipes sticking out of the surface of nearby Broadwell Dry Lake, but I don't stop to investigate
- Back down on "the main road," I look north on Crucero Road near Broadwell Dry Lake
- I pull over to allow a car to pass by, the first one I've encountered down here by Broadwell Dry Lake
- I watch the sun go down on the Bristol Mountains while I ride alongside Broadwell Dry Lake
- This stretch of Crucero Road looks like it gets mighty muddy during rainy times
- It's almost 16h and I'm just now starting today's bicycle ride out of Broadwell Dry Lake?
- We're ready to ride the half mile down from the Old Dominion Mine area to Crucero Road
- I ride down the faint road from the Old Dominion Mine site at sunset
- I decide that it might be best to turn back since there were no gunshot sounds until I reached this area