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- From what I can tell, Brant siding has been moved down the road since the time that the maps I'm consulting were made
I hop on the 10-ton bike and backtrack the 1.25 miles to the sandy road that goes under the tracks. - The 10-ton bike takes a break for a few minutes under the train tracks on the road leading up into the New York Mountains
A couple of yellowjackets buzz around; they must have nests somewhere in the protection of the bridge. The beams protruding crookedly from the bridge structure appear to be in poor condition. - After I walk the bike through the sandy area under the bridge, the road rises up to a somewhat firmer surface
There aren't any really recent tire tracks here. - I pass some Wilderness markers blocking an old road on my way toward the New York Mountains
Ruins of an old corral exist up that road, according to my notes. - I come across a collection of cans along Brant Road
At first I think this might be another routine case of someone dumping trash in the desert, as if it would all somehow disappear. But then I take a closer look... - The cans are all food cans; full, upright, different from each other, and only slightly weathered: could this be a food cache?
Who would want a food cache here except train robbers who would cut through a barbed-wire fence to get to the slow-moving trains? Hmmm... - Just beyond the food cache on Brant Road is a small intersection and a sign declaring "Lawler Lane"
There must be some private property down there, but I can't see any buildings from here. - Another shed behind the old house at Ivanpah, Mojave National Preserve; let's take a look inside
Someone decided to partially paint this tin-clad shed with white paint, without finishing the job. This would serve as a nice illustration for some old Gang of Four lyrics: "My ambition was to have ambition." - Inside this tin-clad shed at Ivanpah is an old set of shelves
These shelves don't look all that old; maybe it's just the dry desert air keeping them young-looking. - Someone has removed a board from a small window on the back side of the old house at Ivanpah, Mojave National Preserve
Other windows of the house would be easier to break in, but this one is perhaps less conspicuous. - Next to the crumbling exterior of the add-on at the rear of the house at Ivanpah is an open window
What's inside? - I take a peek inside the open window at the abandoned house at Ivanpah, Mojave National Preserve
Make-up, shoes, mattress: looks like squatters still use this house. When I was here at Ivanpah in 2008, the board had been removed off the front door. - I remount the 10-ton bike, cross the tracks, and get back on the dirt road (now called Brant Road on some maps)
I see a few buildings ahead. - Across the Ivanpah Valley creosote bushes, I see an old trailer and what looks like a garage
That snow-capped mountain is still visible in the distance. - The road leading into the property is marked with fairly fresh "no trespassing" signs, but the gate is open
It's hard to tell at a glance if anyone lives here; the collection of trailers looks rather abandoned from here. - I continue riding up Brant Road and notice that a section of the barbed-wire fence along the tracks has been cut
Wondering why the rather new fence has been cut, I think about reports I've heard of train cargo robberies that have happened along here while the trains are slowly climbing the slight grade. Hmmm... - On the far side of Ivanpah Valley, I can see a distant dirt road squiggling up into the Ivanpah Mountains
That might be the road to the old Morning Star Mine; I haven't explored the Ivanpah Mountains over there at all. - One of the outbuildings at the Ivanpah house is clad with plywood from a sign that once advertised a "ranch resort"
The chicken-wire enclosure suggests that birds were once kept here. - Another outbuilding at the Ivanpah property contains recent fabric and clothing remnants
People have probably taken shelter here recently, despite the menacing "no trespassing" signs. - Old corrals and a decaying outbuilding at Ivanpah, Mojave National Preserve
Some of the debris on this site has been removed since the last time I visited Ivanpah, which was in 2008. - To the west, down in Ivanpah Valley, sits reclusively a lone habitation
A road from here leads down there, and another road, Saddle Horn Road, connects it to Ivanpah Road. - Nipton-Moore Road is mostly straight and almost flat, but it occasionally dips down to cross drainage washes
The erosion shows that a lot of water passes down these washes during heavy rains. - Large culverts beneath the raised train tracks in Ivanpah Valley prevent the tracks from washing out during heavy rains
This one, dated 1926, is in pretty good shape considering its vintage. - Yellow creosote bush flowers, barbed wire, Ivanpah Dry Lake, and that white peak in the distance
I'm over eight miles away from Nipton now, and have risen just enough (400 feet) to have a good view across Ivanpah Valley. Elevation here is 3400 feet. - I'm also just high enough now above Ivanpah Valley to see a few flowers in addition to the creosote-bush scrub
This tuft of buckwheat blooms is one of the first I've seen today, but I'll probably see many more as I gain elevation. - Some yellow flowers add to the predominately dull-green landscape
These might be desert sennas. - Another freight train passes by as I ride up Nipton-Moore Road, Mojave National Preserve
With the New York Mountains in the background, the train seems rather slow because it's climbing a one percent grade, but it's still faster than me on the 10-ton bike. - This train is hauling an endless number of tanks of a presumably deleterious substance
"Vent tank when unloading" and "In case of emergency call Chemtrec" are ominous warnings concerning the tanks' contents. The generic "Renewable Products Marketing Group" label is especially unreassuring. - I'm happy to see this train and its cargo pass by quickly on its way toward Los Angeles
I wonder what's inside those tanks and what its use is. - Nipton-Moore Road dips down to cross another drainage area just before it arrives at the paved Ivanpah Road
The train tracks stay above the wash on a bridge with big concrete footings. - I've reached the pavement of Ivanpah Road, cross the tracks, then ride over to the abandoned house nearby
The 10-ton bike has been here several times in the past, but this is the first time that we took the dirt road along the train tracks to get here. - I park the 10-ton bike against the old house on Ivanpah Road and go for a walk around the property
I've read that this building once housed a general store serving the area. - Today, the valuable historic house at Ivanpah is an attractive nuisance, too close to paved roads travelled by bums and thugs
Signs warn that visitation could be penalized. This is a essentially a ghetto area of Mojave National Preserve, a national park without enough funds and staff to fully protect every property within its boundaries. - View of the rear of the old house at Ivanpah, Mojave National Preserve
The back corner of the house looks like a later add-on that isn't aging so well. On the other hand, the fireplace and chimney appear to have been built to last. - I enjoy the morning shade at Nipton; it makes packing up so much easier
I slept well in last night's pleasant temperatures (except for the trains passing 100 feet away from my tent!) I drink coffee from the general store and eat a couple of their industrial muffins, which give me an unwanted sugar buzz. - I roll the packed bike up to the store at Nipton and stop in for another bottle of iced tea before I leave
My heavy and full 10-litre black water bag is bungeed on to my front rack; I can't count on finding water again until I reach Baker tomorrow evening. The Cima Store may be open when I pass by tomorrow, but it's not always reliable. - The day's travels begin as I ride south on Nipton-Moore Road, a dirt road that hugs the Ivanpah Valley train tracks for miles
Signs remind me that this road is not maintained and that I'm entering Mojave National Preserve again. Nipton is on the Preserve boundary, but is outside the Preserve. - After close to three miles, I approach the power-line road that crosses Ivanpah Valley
This is the farthest up Nipton-Moore Road I've previously ridden. I was reluctant to go further due to the possibility of a poor road, but a fellow working at Nipton gave me the excellent advice that the road is quite passable. - This route across the Mojave Desert gets a lot of freight-train traffic
The first of several trains of the day rolls by, slowly climbing the gentle one-percent grade. - I take a look at the power-line road that heads southwest across the Ivanpah Valley
I haven't ridden this part of the power-line road yet, but I did ride the portion of it behind me during a day ride while camping at Nipton in 2008. - About six miles down Nipton-Moore Road, near Moore siding, I look back and still see Nipton in the distance (the green patch)
A snow-topped peak, perhaps Mount Charleston near Las Vegas, peeks out above the mountains at the distant left. - Ivanpah Valley sunset hike route from Nipton
4.4 hiking miles with 300 feet of elevation loss. - Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve to Nipton bicycle route elevation profile
27.2 bicycle miles, 1900 feet of elevation gain, 3500 feet of elevation loss. - Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve to Nipton bicycle route
27.2 bicycle miles, 1900 feet of elevation gain, 3500 feet of elevation loss. - A glance back toward Nipton, two miles away, reveals pink-orange hills
I start walking back toward "town," and my tent. - The orange glow cast across Ivanpah Valley hits the Lucy Gray Mountains in Nevada, just north of Nipton
The olive-green of the creosote-bush landscape is quite a contrast against the orange sunlight. - I still have another mile ahead of me before I reach the city lights of Nipton, and my tent
Spectacular sunset tonight! - Pink-orange stripes crown the New York Mountains on the southeast side of Ivanpah Valley
Those distant sharp points in the mountains are the Castle Peaks, which appeared prominently in views while hiking and camping around Malpais Spring during the last couple of days. - It's getting darker (and redder) by the minute as I follow a small drainage in the creosote-bush scrub on the way back to Nipton
I follow the "drainage trail" until it turns in the wrong direction, and hike cross-country between creosote bushes after that. - Mojave National Preserve sunset looking up Ivanpah Valley toward the Cima Dome area
Sunsets up at Cima Dome are often memorable. - The end of sunset behind the Clark Mountains, viewed from Ivanpah Valley, produces a nice yellow glow
It's getting dark and I walk the final 20 minutes back to Nipton with the aid of my flashlight. I heat up the outdoor hot tub, but I have cell-phone reception here, make a couple of calls and have no time left for a soak in the tub under the stars and the full moon. My tummy is still fat with food and sleep comes easily. - I take a break from speeding down Nevada 164 toward Nipton to look at a dirt road that leads into the hills
A network of old dirt roads here leads to the Juniper Spring area of Mojave National Preserve, where I hiked yesterday. - I continue zooming down Nevada 164 toward Nipton, California: miles of excellent downhill riding
Mojave National Preserve's Ivanpah Mountains, which I've barely explored, jut upward on the other side of Ivanpah Valley. - My eight miles of zooming downhill on the highway is about to end as I arrive at Nipton, that tuft of trees a mile or two ahead
My brief visit to Nevada has concluded and I'm back in California. It's amazing how quickly a drop of 1800 feet elevation can occur on a bicycle! - At the Nipton store, I check in for another night of tent camping, chat a bit, and buy some beer and salty potato chips
I often complain about over-salted food, but I always seem to crave extra salt after a few days on a bicycle-camping trip. - I'm looking forward to a big meal at the Nipton café in a few hours, the building next to the store with the big covered porch
I've arrived here at Nipton a bit earlier than expected, so I'll have time for a short sunset hike later amongst the creosote bushes on the floor of the Ivanpah Valley. - I set up the tent in the shade of Nipton's eucalyptus trees by the train tracks, like I did a few days ago
Due to the lower elevation, it's predictably warmer down here than it was up at Malpais Spring, but still comfortable at around 80 degrees. I'm lucky because it's often hotter at this time of year. - After a filling steak supper at the Nipton café and some socializing, I look across the train tracks; time to go for a walk
The New York Mountains take on a blue hue in the end-of-day sunlight. - I cross the train tracks at Nipton for a short sunset hike (four miles round-trip) and enter Mojave National Preserve again
I don't usually hike after a huge meal like I just ate at the Nipton café; I can feel its weight in my tummy! - Walking westward through the creosote bushes of Ivanpah Valley, I find myself between two power lines
The power lines on the right are along busy Nipton Road, while the ones on my left cut across the roadless open desert. - Most of Ivanpah Valley is dominated by creosote bushes, but here I pass through an area of small rounded shrubs
Distances are deceiving out here in the open desert. I'd like to walk down to the bottom of Ivanpah Valley ahead, but I doubt I'll make it that far before sunset. - I pass two small hills that seem out of place in the wide-open Ivanpah Valley, and a pile of old barbed wire
A nearby barbed-wire fence is mostly still extant; perhaps this abandoned wire comes from parts of that fence that have been taken down. - I pick up an animal trail through the creosote-brush scrub as I head down into Ivanpah Valley
Yep, I definitely won't make it to the bottom of Ivanpah Valley before the sun goes down. As usual, I should have started my hike earlier! - I discover an abandoned, deflated balloon under a creosote bush in Ivanpah Valley, not far from Nipton Road
Happy something to someone somewhere! Earlier today, I saw a ribbon along a road, but with no balloon attached; this is my first balloon sighting of the day. - The sun is dropping and the first glimmers of sunset in Ivanpah Valley are hitting my beard
It's time to turn around for the two-mile hike back to my tent at Nipton, and enjoy the Ivanpah Valley sunset. - The eight-mile downhill to Nipton on Nevada 164 begins!
Nice view towards Mojave National Preserve's New York Mountains as I start to lose 1800 feet of elevation. (Will it be hot down there?) - I begin the gentle 900-foot climb up Nevada 164 between Searchlight and Nipton
There's not a lot of traffic here on this Thursday at mid-day, but all traffic here is high-speed. - I make a stop at one of the Wee Thump Wilderness signs along Nevada 164
I take a water-and-energy-bar break here and enjoy the scenery. Wee Thump Wilderness was designated in 2002. - Near the Wee Thump Wilderness sign is an old dirt road that leads inland toward the McCullough Mountains
I recorded the track of this dirt road on my GPS in case I had time during this trip to visit the McCullough Mountains, but I don't. Next time perhaps? - After my break, I continue riding up Nevada 164 toward Crescent Peak
Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness is at my right along this stretch, and McCullough Mountains are ahead in the distance. I keep looking at the mountains since they were a possible destination during this trip. - As I climb Nevada 164, I enter the land of desert mallows and joshua trees
A radio tower crowns a hill on the south side of Nevada 164 opposite the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness. - Yellow desert marigolds decorate the shoulders of Nevada 164 east of Crescent Peak
The climb up the hill is really enjoyable; slow, but not strenuous, with minimal traffic and a cool breeze today. - The south side of Nevada 164 is very much alive
Yellow desert marigolds along the highway give way to orange desert mallows and joshua trees behind, in front of the hills. - I park the 10-ton bike and go for a walk in the desert-mallow field along Nevada 164
Across the road beyond the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness are the mountains in South McCullough Mountains Wilderness, which I had hoped to visit on this trip. There's never enough time for everything. - Orange desert mallows bloom amongst the mature joshua trees across the road from Nevada's Wee Thump Wilderness
I don't think I've ever seen so many desert mallows in bloom up close. - Joshua trees grow quite slowly, so these big trees here along Nevada 164 must be quite old
The 10-ton bike hides in the shade of that large joshua tree; I stopped here a few days ago for a quick break on my way to Malpais Spring. - The trunk of this joshua tree near Crescent Peak on Nevada 164 is thicker than most
The Las Pilitas California Native Plant Nursery web site states that joshua trees grow to 20 feet tall (like this one), but not in our lifetime. So how old is this tree? - Back on Nevada 164, I cross Crescent Pass at about 4850 feet elevation, my high point of the day
It will be all downhill from here to Nipton at about 3000 feet elevation. Fun! - All packed up, I ride down the dirt road away from my Malpais Spring campsite
The upper part of the road here is in decent shape. Plus, it's slightly downhill, which usually makes the riding better. - About a mile down the road from my campsite, I approach the defunct water tank and windmill of Stagecoach Well
The road is rougher here, and I had to walk up it when arrived here, but it's an easy ride down into the wash, taken carefully. - I stop at Stagecoach Well when I hear a rubbing sound and, yes, my rear wheel is rubbing against the bike frame again
I loosen my rear quick release, which seems tight, adjust the wheel's position, and remount the bike. I can't seem to get the quick release tight enough to prevent movement under the weight of a swaying full load (my rear rack is axle-mounted). - I arrive back at the "main road," Walking Box Ranch Road, and begin the 11-mile ride to the Nevada 164 highway
I'm backtracking the route to Nipton that I followed to get here three days ago. I considered taking an alternate route via Ivanpah Road, but I've ridden that route more often than Walking Box Ranch Road. - After a mile, I pass the "stateline" sign on Walking Box Ranch Road; I'm leaving California and entering Nevada
I'll be in Nevada for a few hours until I reenter California this afternoon near Nipton. - I stop briefly at an old corral behind which is an alternate old road leading to Malpais Spring
For variety's sake, I probably should have taken that road today, since I have plenty of time. However, with the problems that my rear wheel is giving me, I've been having some fears of breaking down in a remote location. - Residual pavement exists here and there on Walking Box Ranch Road
Now that there is no longer much mining activity in the area, I'm guessing that the pavement is no longer being renewed. In my notes from my 2000 trip here, I recorded that someone called this an "oiled road," not a paved road. - I pass the shot-up 5-mile marker on Walking Box Ranch Road
...meaning that I have five miles to go until I reach Nevada Highway 164. Most of Walking Box Ranch Road is long, straight, and slightly downhill, but here is one of several spots where it dips down to cross a wash. - A field of pinkish-white buckwheat flowers in the joshua tree forest on the west side of Walking Box Ranch Road
The flowers were pinker on the way here three days ago. Today's high clouds whiten the flowers. - A few more miles to go on Walking Box Ranch Road
Long, straight, slightly downhill, and a bit bumpy. - Stop sign in the desert: after 11 dirt-road miles, I reach the end of Walking Box Ranch Road
I turn left here and begin the climb up paved Nevada Highway 164. I'm at about 3940 feet elevation here, and started out at 4600 feet earlier this morning, with numerous little ups and downs along the route. - Time to pack up and leave Malpais Spring; it has been a great three nights here and I didn't encounter any other visitors
It was a bit windy overnight, but perfect sleeping temperature; I slept really well. Granola, dried fruit and coffee went down well. All that's left now is the dirty work of packing up. - At sunset, I watch the sun go down and take dozens of photos to see what I get
All three nights that I've camped here by Malpais Spring have had excellent sunsets. - Feathery pinks and blues dust the sky looking northeast
I get out my pot of water that I'll boil for my evening meal once the sun goes down. - The sun has departed and the full moon is up; looking forward to a moonlit evening after a great day
It's quiet here except for the moderately strong winds that have picked up and I haven't seen anybody in a couple of days. Songs of crickets fills the air, which didn't happen last night. Perhaps they like the fact that today was a bit warmer. I boil water for tonight's tasty instant meal, Mountain House Sweet and Sour Pork with Rice, and chow down. - Elevation profile of Juniper Spring day hike from Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
11 hiking miles round trip, over 2000 feet elevation gain - Juniper Spring day hike route from Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
11 hiking miles round trip, over 2000 feet elevation gain - A third of a mile later, I arrive back at my campsite near Malpais Spring
I'm back a bit earlier than I expected. Hopefully no critters have discovered and burglarized my tent! - Quite a few thorns, probably from cholla cacti, are stuck to the bottom of my shoe and need to be removed (carefully)
I also have some burrs to pick off my socks from hiking through grassy areas. - Back at Indian Spring for the second time today
I filter enough water to fill my four 1.5-litre water bottles, which should get me through tomorrow, before hiking back to my campsite. I drank about 2.5 litres since replenishing here this morning. - I manage to photograph this zebra-tailed lizard near Indian Spring before he scurries away
I've seen dozens of lizards today... - Yellow desert marigolds and purple desert four o'clocks grow by this juniper near Indian Spring, New York Mountains
A few phacelias are hidden in the juniper's shade. - I pass through one of the last groves of junipers on the way back down Indian Springs Road to my campsite
Junipers don't grow down by my campsite near Malpais Spring. - A little further down Indian Spring Road, the junipers fade out, replaced by a fairly dense joshua tree forest
The joshua tree forest here isn't quite as dense as the one in the Cima Dome area. - I pass through "the barren area" again while returning to camp on Indian Spring Road
Plants do manage to grow here, but not enough to form a ground cover. The reddish and purplish shades of earth here are an interesting sight. - I spot some kind of grasshopper in the gravel
It's almost invisible from a distance due to its granite-like colouring. - The mile-long hike from Vanderbilt Peak pass to Indian Spring rolls gently up and down across drainages
It's surprising how much of the area is actually quite green, even though it looks brown from a distance. - I cross several small washes while hiking the plateau on the way to Indian Spring
Junipers, yuccas, snakeweed, cholla cactus, rock, sand... - I follow the rockier stretches on the way up to the Vanderbilt Peak pass for better traction
Loose gravel on the smoother stretches here makes for more slippery hiking. Not a great place to fall and get injured! - The pass by Vanderbilt Peak lies just ahead
Just a little higher... - Now that I'm on the pass by Vanderbilt Peak, I have views southwest across the Indian Spring plateau to Castle Peaks
I won't have time to visit Castle Peaks up close during this trip, but I've been enjoying their presence as I explore the area. - In the northeast from Vanderbilt Peak pass, I can see over to Nevada's McCullough Mountain
McCullough Mountain is another area on my "maybe" list for this trip, but I'll postpone that to a future date due to lack of time. - My next stop will be Indian Spring, to refill my water supply
Hart Peak juts upward from the Castle Mountains; the rusty rocks of the Malpais Spring area stand out at centre-left. - Plenty of cholla cactus also lives in Juniper Spring wash
...even though the junipers, desert mallows and desert sages tend to steal the show. - Fresh juniper berries
No patch of blue phacelias is flowering in the shade of this juniper, unlike some of the others I've seen today - I leave Juniper Spring wash below, and start climbing up a hill toward the Vanderbilt Peak area
I can almost, but not quite, see down into Ivanpah Valley from here. - I head up toward a saddle near Vanderbilt Peak behind the tree at upper left
On the way up, I cross several several washes, including this one filled with yellow flowers (snakeweed, I think). - A garden of Prince's plume and desert mallows grows in the rock on the way up to Vanderbilt Peak
Some of the ups and downs on my cross-country hike here are a bit steep and slippery with some loose rock. - Approaching the pass near Vanderbilt Peak, straight ahead
I have to climb down into the gulley in front of me first. - From the hill above Juniper Spring are nice views across Ivanpah Dry Lake with the Clark Mountains to the left
The cholla cacti here on the hill glow in the bright afternoon sunlight. - I pass a couple more clumps of Prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata) on the way over the hill to Juniper Spring wash
I wonder if the burned branches here are a result of the 2005 Mojave National Preserve "Hackberry Complex" fires or an earlier brush fire. - I start the walk back up Juniper Spring wash
Some of those dark strips in the wash that looks like shadows are actually accumulations of juniper berries. - A patch of Evening primrose grows adjacent to a juniper tree
A few tiny yellow Goldfields flowers, easy to miss, grow here too. - Rhus trilobata is common in many desert washes like Juniper Spring wash
This is "the plant that looks like poison-oak, but isn't." These berries are supposedly edible. I planted one of these at home, but it doesn't get enough sun to produce flowers or grow properly. - Some stretchs of Juniper Spring wash are quite colourful
... thanks to orange desert mallow flowers and purple sage - Slowly, Juniper Spring wash rises; easy hiking
No bushwhacking required in this wash, as is required in some others. - I take a short break in an area with scattered flowers and junipers
My timing for catching wildflowers at the higher elevations of Mojave National Preserve during this trip has turned out to be pretty good. - Purple sage in the foreground and bluer phacelias under a juniper tree
...set off by the orange desert mallow at the left - I start walking up Juniper Spring Road
Juniper Spring, if it exists, should be a half mile or less from here. - Juniper Spring Road rolls up and down in the New York Mountains foothills
Juniper Spring Road is open to motor vehicles, but it apparently doesn't get much traffic. - Some Prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata) grows in the area of Juniper Spring, Mojave National Preserve
This is the first patch of Prince's plume that I've seen during this trip. I planted one of these along my driveway a few years ago and it lived (and flowered) for two years. - Juniper Spring, Mojave National Preserve; it's dry
I wasn't expecting water here, but I wasn't expecting water at Indian Spring either, and it has a full, fresh tank of the life-sustaining stuff. You never know... - Near the dry Juniper Spring trough is a pipe leading up a wash
It's worth following, just to see where it goes; probably not far. - The pipe from the dry Juniper Spring trough leads me up to what may be the smallest pool of spring water possible
Several moths flit around the cup-sized pool of water at Juniper Spring, Mojave National Preserve. This might extend the life of a very thirsty person by a few hours; better than nothing! - Near Juniper Spring are a few small piles of tailings
Despite the tailings piles, I see no mining holes nor tunnels here; they may have been filled in during recent years. - I decide to return to the Juniper Spring wash I descended for the return trip after considering other routes
Other routes back to my Malpais Spring campsite will be steeper. I should probably choose a different route back other than the one I already know, but don't. - A preening bird in a tree above me seems oblivious as I walk up the narrow wash
Perhaps he's not oblivious at all, and it's just that he knows I can't fly and potentially threaten his personal space. - To get back to Juniper Spring wash, I climb over a hill with views across Ivanpah Valley
A few barrel cacti and an old burned tree (probably a juniper) try to interfere with my view across Ivanpah Valley. - I exit the Wilderness boundary, feebly marked by two nondescript, svelte posts, and arrive at Juniper Spring Road
Mojave National Preserve is entirely in California, but driving into the Preserve on the dead-end Juniper Spring Road requires that one start on the Nevada side of the nearby State border. - My text message doesn't want to be sent after I compose it, so I climb up the adjacent hill for better reception; away it goes
I'm high enough here that I can see past the Juniper Spring area below across to Ivanpah Dry lake in the distance. - I return to the wash and pass the big juniper that provided me with some nice shade for a few minutes
It will be all downhill for the next mile and a half. - On the way down through a floriferous area in Juniper Spring wash, I pass an especially bright juniper
Blue phacelias bloom under the shade of the juniper tree, and not beyond. Orange desert mallows outside the shade line provide major contrast. - Juniper Spring wash is an easy descent as it winds down the north side of the New York Mountains
I thought there might be more rock and less sand in the wash, and possible obstructions. I wasn't expecting to run across motorcycle tracks. - A barrel cactus has detached from its hillside garden and tumbled down into Juniper Spring wash
The root system is quite shallow for such a bulky plant; no wonder they lose their footing once in a while - Sporadic accumuations of juniper berries create dark spots on the floor of Juniper Spring wash
From a distance this first appears as dark soil. A directed glance suggests rabbit droppings, until a closer look reveals the unmistakable blue of juniper berries. - Views across Ivanpah Valley to the Clark Mountains present themselves as I approach the bottom of Juniper Spring wash
The short vertical line on the other side of Ivanpah Valley looks to be Nipton Road, where it rises out of the valley to meet I-15. - Near the bottom of Juniper Spring wash are a couple of old rusty cans attached to tree trunks
Target practice perhaps? Maybe I should have brought a few guns, since they're legal here. Yee haw. - Bright-red Indian paintbrush near the bottom of Juniper Spring wash
A purple desert sage and a garden of barrel cacti fill the backdrop. - I reach a fork on the way up the wash to Juniper Spring; I check my GPS and take the left fork
A few motorcycle tracks are visible in the sand in the wash and I'm following their route. - On the way up Juniper Spring wash, I pass a really colourful area with Vanderbilt Peak in the background
Mostly a lot of desert sages with orange desert mallows, but a few flowering yuccas and yellow blooms as well. - The wash comes to an end; remnants of an old road rise the final few feet up to a pass in the New York Mountains
Though many faint or disappeared roads are found on the USGS quad maps, this one isn't. - I pause in the shade of a juniper with its juniper berries at the pass in the New York Mountains
It's nice to retreat from the hot sun for a few minutes. I rest briefly, eat an energy bar, suck back some water, and try my cell phone. It works! So I compose a text message. - A miniscule pool of water holds out between some rocks on "Indian Spring Plateau"
Other than this, the washes crossing the "Indian Spring Plateau" area all seem dry right now. - I pass a cactus-pad patch and a scattering of barrel cacti amongst the junipers on "Indian Spring Plateau"
Some pink is provided by buckwheat flowers and the occasional range ratany in bloom. - Here is the wash that I'll follow up through the New York Mountains and down the other side to Juniper Spring
I climb down into the wash and start hiking up the easy grade. - A patch of barrel cacti grows along Juniper Spring wash
Despite this patch of barrel cacti, I'm not seeing many of these around here. - Before leaving Indian Spring, I check the map for my route across the plateau toward Juniper Spring
I like to carry both a GPS and a few paper maps. - Colourful scat, it's party time
Whoever left these droppings at Indian Spring appears to have feasted on a lost balloon or two, instead of real food. Which reminds me, I haven't seen a lost balloon today. - I'll start by hiking 1.5 miles straight across the plateau and down to a wash which I'll follow to Juniper Spring
There are almost enough junipers for me to call it a forest. - Peach cactus flowers on the plateau northeast of Indian Spring
I haven't noticed many cactus flowers of this colour. The colour makes me think of hybrid roses rather than cacti. - A number of shallow dry washes need to be crossed as I hike "Indian Spring Plateau"
I'm hiking northeast, which is largely crossing against the "drainage grain" of much of this territory. - I pass a rock outcrop that's associated with the rocks down around nearby Malpais Spring
Malpais Spring is about a mile southeast of this location. - I'm awake at 8h45, step outside my tent near Malpais Spring, and am greeted by a lizard
Good morning! I haven't spoken to anyone since leaving Nipton two days ago, so I chat with him for a bit. I first woke up at 6h, but I felt like I needed more sleep. - After breakfast I prepare my backpack and start the hike toward Juniper Spring around 10h15
Perfect weather again today! It was cool overnight, but not cold, and the morning sun is warm, but not hot. I enjoyed the light breeze blowing through the tent while eating my usual granola-nuts-coffee-dried fruit breakfast. - The first part of Indian Spring Road leaving Malpais Spring is nicely camouflaged beyond the Wilderness boundary
Someone did a great job scattering plant debris on the old closed road to discourage vehicles from accidentally driving in the Wilderness area. - On the way to Indian Spring, the road passes through a rather barren area above the Malpais Spring canyon
I walked through a piece of this area yesterday afternoon on the way back to camp from Taylor Spring. - After two miles, I reach Indian Spring and filter drinking water for the day
The water is cool and I'm relieved that it tastes good! I filter three 1.5-litre water bottles. I'll return here later for more water on the way back to camp. - Elevation profile of today's hike to Malpais Spring, Indian Spring and Taylor Spring, Mojave National Preserve
7.9 hiking miles with about 1700 feet of elevation gain. Lots of little ups and downs along the way. - Route of today's hike to Malpais Spring, Indian Spring and Taylor Spring, Mojave National Preserve
7.9 hiking miles with about 1700 feet of elevation gain. Lots of little ups and downs along the way. - Red Indian paintbrush decorates the joshua tree forest on the old Indian Spring Road
And there's one of those ghostly whitish shrubs again... - As I approach my campsite, I get a good view of Searchlight, Nevada down in the valley
It's odd to have such a remote campsite from which one can see "city" lights at night. The last human I saw was in a car yesterday afternoon back on Walking Box Ranch Road. - I enjoy watching the sun set from my tent near Malpais Spring
The nearly full moon has already risen in the sky. - I fill my pot from my big black water bag next to pink buckwheat flowers; I'll make my instant meal shortly
The fire ring here is a nice touch; if I had brought any wood with me I'd be using it tonight. It's starting to get chilly again, now that the sun is going down. - The sun sets nicely behind the Castle Peaks
Everything is quiet. I can hear myself breathe. - Clouds beyond the Castle Mountains pick up the last sunlight of the day
I'm looking forward to the bright moonlight after the sun goes down. - With sunset completed, it's time to boil water for tonight's instant meal and settle in for the evening
Supper is Backpacker's Pantry Chicken Cashew Curry. Good but not great. - Indian Spring Road skirts the ridge above Malpais Spring wash, so I walk over to see where I started today's hike
I'm amused when I notice the suspended water pipe running down the wash that I followed this morning. Amazing area. - The walls of the wash are steep and cactus-covered here at the fence line
I'll backtrack a little to climb up out of the wash at an easier spot, then I'll hike cross-country toward my campsite. - I arrive at a gravelly area on the plateau with an other-worldly purplish colour
Not much grows in that purple rock! I think I'll explore that drainage just ahead. - I dip down into this purplish and reddish wash
A few patches of yellow lichen look like spilled paint from a distance. - A neato little slot to pass through in this unnamed wash between Malpais Spring and Taylor Spring
The mini-pinnacles here haven't completely eroded away yet. - A lone bird sits high up on a rock, twittering away
He flies up into a nearby juniper tree after noticing me watch him. - Ha, foiled again! I'm back at another segment of that barbed-wire fence
I figured I would rediscover this fence. I'm only about a half mile from camp and realize that I might have had enough time after all to add Castle Peaks to today's hike. - I climb the short, steep hillside up out of the wash and take a look back down
A lot of yellow desert marigolds grow on the hillside, enjoying the very-well-drained soil. - My Malpais Spring campsite is not too far ahead, just in front of that large rocky hill
I follow the fence for a short distance, then veer off to my left to pick up the old Indian Spring Road. - I rejoin the old Indian Spring Road (now closed) for the final 1/3 mile walk back to the campsite
This part of the road crosses more of that purplish rock. One can still see traces of old tire tracks. - A few miniature lupines grow in the gravel of Indian Spring Road
These are the tiniest lupines I've ever seen. - I start walking down the wash below Taylor Spring in a random route back to my campsite near Malpais Spring
A garden of barrel cacti lines part of the wash. - Orange desert mallow flowers contrast with the greenery in this sometimes-wet drainage (but not today)
Another shrub I'm seeing frequently in this wash is dark-green Rhus trilobata (skunkbush). - Foiled! I reach a barbed wire fence across the wash below Taylor Spring
This must be the Mojave National Preserve boundary. There's enough room for me to crawl under the fence, but it might be hard to get back across the fence further along. Hmmm... - This cactus is different from all the others that I've seen today
Those delicate pale pink flowers... - I wonder what is this ghostly grey bush
It has the nicely rounded shape of snakeweed. Post-flower snakeweed? Naaa, must be something else. - I walk down the wash toward Taylor Spring with Castle Peaks in the background
So many Mojave Desert springs are dry, so I'm not expecting to discover anything at Taylor Spring. However, I wasn't expecting water at Indian Spring and it turns out to be my principle water source for this visit. - Joshua tree fruits hang low at ground level
Edible? Perhaps. - Taylor Spring should be somewhere around the next bend
As I noted earlier in the day around Malpais Spring, "no footprints here." - I almost walked past this old, fallen-down, unhewn-wood fence around the Taylor Spring site without noticing it
I'm here at Taylor Spring, so says my GPS, but I don't see a spring yet. - I walk up and down the wash a little and locate the Taylor Spring site
Not a trace of water here, just a few old water troughs. - I hike over several low hills and across drainages on my cross-country hike toward Taylor Spring
The little ups and downs are fun, but care must be taken not to walk into piercing cacti or yuccas. - I take a short energy-bar break on a big rock pile before hiking down the next wash on the way to Taylor Spring
Despite the hot sun, the cool breeze has made today's hiking very comfortable, with the result that my water consumption has been moderate. - I look up to Castle Peaks again before I head down the wash toward Taylor Spring
I do wish I had enough daylight left to hike up there also; perhaps tomorrow? - I stop to look at an old, dead yucca trunk laying on the ground
From a distance, it just looks like old grey wood, but a close-up view reveals the tightly compacted fibres that make up the "wood." - An open area on the ridge is dotted with tufts of pink cactus flowers
Probably Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris). Clark Mountain presides in the distant background.