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- Well, since I'm at the base of one of the Castle Peaks outcrops, it's time to decide whether to continue upward or not
- I decide not to climb up to the Castle Peaks, and instead hike down a wash and across the plateau toward Taylor Spring
- Occasional colour juxtapositions make for a scenic hike down this wash east of the Castle Peaks
- I walk through a patch of yellow desert marigolds (the large flowers) and goldfields (the tiny yellow ones)
- This plant (snakeweed, I think) is so odd for its dense, rounded shape
- More purple desert sage and yellow desert marigolds as I glance up at the Castle Peaks
- A GPS check shows that Taylor Spring lies somewhere past the large rounded hill ahead
- A patch of pink buckwheat flowers sits in my view of the Castle Peaks as I hike down the wash
- A little further along the ridge, I gaze across the plateau over Malpais Spring toward the area of Searchlight, Nevada
- A patch of phacelias bloom under the shade line of an old juniper tree
- From this ridge in the New York Mountains, I recognize Ivanpah Dry Lake and Clark Mountain in the distance
- I walk along this ridge in the New York Mountains, parts of which are quite lush in a Mojave Desert way
- As I approach a ridge in the New York Mountains, I notice pink cactus flowers popping out of a boulder
- The water in the Indian Spring cistern is clean, aside from minor algal growth in the tank
- A bee sits on the edge of the Indian Spring cistern, enjoying the water's edge
- When I arrived here at Indian Spring, a flurry of doves took flight and left; this one watches me from a nearby branch
- Now that I know there's good water here at Indian Spring, I'll be back tomorrow to fill up
- Beyond Indian Spring, I start hiking up the remnants of an old road that leads upward
- I hike up the wash beyond the slot canyons above Malpais Spring, then hike cross-country over to Indian Spring
- At Indian Spring in the New York Mountains is an old fence that has collected a lot of rock and sand over the years
- At Indian Spring in the New York Mountains is a dry, abandoned cistern
- Indian Spring, New York Mountains, Mojave National Preserve has water!
- I'm enjoying the rocky constrictions in Malpais Spring wash, and I find myself hiking toward another one
- Deposits of sand and silt fill the drainage between the rocks
- I reach a small dry waterfall to climb
- Just beyond the dry waterfall is a narrow, curving slot to walk through
- I take a look back toward my tent and Hart Peak after climbing out of the slot canyon
- The white blooms of Cliff rose line some stretches of the upper part of Malpais Spring canyon
- Orange desert mallow flowers bloom out the side of reddish rock in upper Malpais Spring canyon
- Quite a few moths flutter about in the moist area around Malpais Spring
- Above Malpais Spring are more interesting eroded areas to walk through
- One of several slots to walk through in the canyon above Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
- I climb up the hill above the slot canyon and look back down into the area above Malpais Spring
- Atop a rocky outcrop above Malpais Spring, I notice a lizard near my feet, who thinks I don't notice him
- The walls of Malpais Spring canyon are less tall as it rises up to meet the highlands
- I pass a big rock wall in Malpais Spring wash
- A rock outcrops juts out from the wall of Malpais Spring wash like an arrowhead
- I get excited when I discover this little stream; I'm close to the source of Malpais Spring
- Near the source of Malpais Spring is a moist, grassy area that's probably underwater during wetter periods
- The stream from Malpais Spring is very shallow, so I try digging a hole deep enough to accommodate the end of my water filter
- Just above Malpais Spring is another thicket area with lots of willows, and these upright bushes that I don't recognize
- I climb up the canyon wall a bit to get an overview of the Malpais Spring area
- I follow the pipe up the wash toward Malpais Spring
- I walk up a wide slot in the Malpais Spring canyon, still following the pipe
- As I climb down into the canyon leading to Malpais Spring, I'm greeted by pink cactus and range ratany flowers
- A few steep rock outcrops edge the Malpais Spring canyon
- Here's an old pipe, presumably leading to the source of Malpais Spring
- After a short distance, I climb up out of the canyon to circumvent a thicket of willow, desert willow and catclaw
- Once past the big thicket, I climb back down into the Malpais Spring wash past a patch of orange desert mallows
- A peaceful morning of solitude at the top of Malpais Spring Road
- After coffee and the usual breakfast of granola, nuts and dried fruit, it's time to dig a cat hole
- Before starting the hike to nearby Malpais Spring, I lock my bike to a joshua tree, for what it's worth
- Elevation profile of Nipton to Malpais Spring bicycle route via Walking Box Ranch Road
- Nipton to Malpais Spring bicycle route via Walking Box Ranch Road
- Looking toward the Castle Peaks, the buckwheat flowers pick up the sunset light differently
- The nearby Castle Mountains and Hart Peak radiate in the sunset near Malpais Spring
- Pink-orange haze sets in over Nevada, east of my campsite near Malpais Spring
- The sun sets, little by little, minute by minute, on the Castle Mountains and Hart Peak
- The upper turrets of the Castle Mountains and Hart Peak soak up the very last rays of the day
- The moon is full enough tonight to cast shadows here near Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
- Fluffy white stuff on a small barrel cactus at the top of Malpais Spring Road
- A close-up of the white fluff on the barrel cactus
- The pale buckwheat flowers look pinker in the blush of sunset near Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
- Malpais Spring Road tops out on a plateau at about 4600 feet elevation, so I park the bicycle and start looking for a campsite
- I go for a short walk to check out the area at the top of Malpais Spring Road; this will be home for a night or two
- I look westward up the gorge toward Malpais Spring and get excited about tomorrow's hike up into that area
- OK, so where do I set up the tent here on Malpais Spring Road?
- I put on my sweater and long pants and decide to set up camp in the turn-out at the top of Malpais Spring Road
- The plateau at the top of Malpais Spring Road and a few old stretches of range fence receive the orange glow of end-of-day sun
- I pass one of those small "Entering Mojave National Preserve" signs on my approach to Malpais Spring
- I pass an old corral on Walking Box Ranch Road and check my GPS for directions here
- I approach the sole motor vehicle that I've seen today on Walking Box Ranch Road
- I pass an extremely modest post on Walking Box Ranch Road which marks my re-entry into California from Nevada
- I almost missed the old road to Malpais Spring, here it is; I've been watching for it and checking my pre-recorded GPS points
- Stagecoach Well sits in the wash along the road to Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
- Rising out of the wash just past Stagecoach Well, the road is really rough, with loose rock on the surface
- Fields of pinkish-white buckwheat flowers bloom along Walking Box Ranch Road, with Nevada's McCullough Mountains in the distance
- The pinkish-white buckwheat flowers dominate the Walking Box Ranch Road area, but they are not the only showy plants
- Walking Box Ranch Road is mostly straight and slightly uphill, but occasional humps over desert topography add interest
- Views down to the town of Searchlight, Nevada open up occasionally along Walking Box Ranch Road
- Fragments of old pavement on Walking Box Ranch Road
- I pass the six-mile marker on Walking Box Ranch Road
- The historic Walking Box Ranch is being restored, but is not yet open to the public
- A sign warns of mining traffic near the start of Walking Box Ranch Road
- One lane only on Walking Box Ranch Road: for a Mojave Desert dirt road, it's actually pretty good
- Riding east toward Crescent Pass on Nevada 164, I pass under the power lines that cross Mojave National Preserve
- I notice some tiny purple flowers growing in the gravel on the shoulder of Nevada 164
- I approach Crescent Pass on Nevada 164, whose high point is at about 4870 feet elevation
- Near Crescent Pass, I stop to look at a dirt road that leads toward the McCullough Mountains
- After crossing Crescent Pass on Nevada 164, I'm coasting downhill when I see this huge joshua tree by the highway
- Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness: I take a short energy-bar and water break at the turnout along Nevada 164
- Purple desert sages dominate the foreground as I go for a short walk in the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness Area
- I've just coasted blissfully down 6 miles of Nevada 164 and reach unpaved Walking Box Ranch Road, where I'll turn off
- Across the road from the Nipton General Store is a rock-display yard
- I head east up Nipton Road toward Crescent Pass, Nevada, up in the hills at centre-left
- At the Nevada border, I notice that my 10-litre MSR water bag is dripping a bit from the nozzle
- After half an hour, I stop for a few minutes on the way up the hill: I'm in Nevada now
- From the Nevada-California border on Nipton Road/Nevada 164, I look back down the hill to the tiny town of Nipton
- Just beyond the "Welcome to Nevada" sign is an "Area of Critical Environmental Concern" sign
- I'm up reasonably early and walk over to the Nipton store for some breakfast snacks and coffee
- I enjoy the morning shade of the eucalyptus trees at Nipton campground on this cool morning
- Time to brush my teeth and pack up for the ride from Nipton to Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
- A datura blooms at Nipton campground while a long freight train squeals by
- The outdoor sink at Nipton is decomposing after many years of service in the hot Mojave sun
- From Nipton campground, I look across the train tracks and up Ivanpah Valley toward Cima
- The cactus garden in front of the Hotel Nipton is artfully built of multi-coloured rock
- The 10-ton bike awaits departure at Nipton's outdoor sink after the final, heavy addition of my water supply
- The 10-ton bike and I wobble up Nipton Road away from the campground and pass a few antique buildings while leaving town
- Elevation profile of bicycle route from Mid Hills campground to Nipton via Cima and Morning Star Mine Road
- Bicycle route from Mid Hills campground to Nipton via Cima and Morning Star Mine Road
- The washrooms in the fibreglass-clad quonset hut at Nipton are aging, but doing reasonably well
- One of the shower stalls for campers at Nipton
- The quonset hut at the Nipton campground houses toilets, sinks and showers; an outdoor hot tub is nearby, to the right
- I ride 3 miles on Ivanpah Rd, then 7 miles across Ivanpah Valley on Nipton Road, and arrive at Nipton, population 20
- I pull up at the Nipton store and sign up for a campsite for the night
- The tent camping area at Nipton is right along the tracks, which provides stimulating late-night noise when freight trains pass
- Adjacent to the tent-camping area is the Nipton Bed-and-Breakfast and the café
- Beyond the Nipton campground, I see storm clouds over the Castle Peaks, those pointy distant mountains
- I set up my tent in the shade of some eucalyptus trees and buy some cold beer at the Nipton store
- From Nipton, I see rain clouds over the area of Morning Star Mine Road, site of my nice downhill ride a couple of hours ago
- It looks like there might be rain over in the New York Mountains as well, in the area of Garvanza Spring
- From the upper stretch of Morning Star Mine Road, I enjoy the views across miles of joshua-tree forest to the New York Mountains
- I stop briefly off Morning Star Mine Road where the power lines cross
- Looking across Ivanpah Valley from upper Morning Star Mine Road, I wonder if maybe I will experience rain after all
- I begin the stimulating descent down Morning Star Mine Road into Ivanpah Valley, and I don't stop until I reach the bottom
- Near the bottom of Morning Star Mine Road, signs and cars pop up through the creosote-bush scrub
- I reach that stop sign in the middle of nowhere at the bottom of Morning Star Mine Road, at the junction of Ivanpah Road
- I pause at the end of Morning Star Mine Road to look east up Ivanpah Road into the New York Mountains
- I cross a cattleguard, then the train tracks, then turn right (north) on Kelso-Cima Road at the stop sign
- I ride almost five miles up the gentle grade of Kelso-Cima Road to the Cima Store, gaining about 450 feet in elevation
- Outside the Cima Store is a pay phone and a very worn sign telling us to preserve our desert (good message)
- Also by the Cima Store sits an old boxcar or trailer
- Cima Store is open today, so I stop for a bag of chips and a bottle of blogger Morongo Bill's esteemed Sioux City Sarsaparilla
- I finish my snacks from the Cima Store and start riding Morning Star Mine Road, which is flat at first
- I'm now in the small area of Cedar Canyon Road where I can usually get cell-phone reception
- I turn down the little road off Cedar Canyon Road for a short break and watch the rain clouds approach
- I shove my cell phone up to my mouth and enjoy the reception here, as well as the view of Cima Dome in the distance
- The moist clouds blow past; what first looks like a bit of pollen in the breeze are a few snowflakes
- After my cell-phone break, I speed down the final 2.75 miles of Cedar Canyon Road at about 20 mph; pavement begins just ahead
- Riding west on Cedar Canyon Road, I get views of the Eagle Rocks area from down below
- Riding through Cedar Canyon is scenic, but my fingers are getting cold!
- The road pops out of Cedar canyon and begins its way down the foothills toward Kelso-Cima Road
- Beyond the purple sage, it looks like the area around Death Valley Mine might be getting a shower right now
- Many fallen joshua trees are seen along Cedar Canyon Road where the 2005 brush fires burned
- I head east, downhill, a couple of miles on Wild Horse Canyon Road until it reaches Black Canyon Road beyond the pinnacle ahead
- I ride through the shade of a dark cloud as I descend Black Canyon Road toward Cedar Canyon Road
- The north end of Black Canyon Road is a nice straight downhill to the "T" intersection at Cedar Canyon Road
- I watch a small RV rattle its way up, at about 5 miles per hour, the washboarded hill of Black Canyon Road that I just descended
- I'm up early this morning, enjoying the warm morning sun on my very cold tent; it must have dropped down into the 30s last night
- I walk up the hill near my campsite to take in the views from around 5600 ft elevation before leaving Mid Hills campground
- After spending five nights at Mid Hills campground, the contents of my tent have become quite disorganized
- The 10-ton bike is ready to leave Mid Hills campground for Nipton
- One last look at Eagle Rocks before I leave Mid Hills campground
- Goodbye Mid Hills campground for this year
- As I exit Mid Hills campground, I notice what looks like rain clouds over in the area of the Providence Mountains
- Eagle Rocks hike from Mid Hills campground elevation profile
- Eagle Rocks hiking route from Mid Hills campground
- Brrr! It's really cold up here at Mid Hills campground tonight
- Instead of climbing straight up the hills back to Mid Hills campground, I head south briefly on an old road
- The old road that heads south from Eagle Rocks passes through an area that escaped the 2005 brush fires
- When I reach a patch of mature, unburned sagebrush, I turn east (left) and begin hiking cross-country to Mid Hills campground
- On the way back to Mid Hills campground, I reach an open area with views spanning all the way down to Wild Horse Mesa
- Hiking cross-country back to Mid Hills campground, I exit the boundary of the unburned area
- Five years after the 2005 brush fires here, many of the burned trees are finally falling down
- A mound cactus and a desert four o'clock grow in the burned area near Mid Hills campground, Mojave National Preserve
- Hurray, this might be a pinon pine seedling growing in the burned area of Mid Hills campground
- I walk up the hill near my tent to catch another great sunset from Mid Hills campground
- Eagle Rocks pinnacles at sunset, from Mid Hills campground, Mojave National Preserve
- Close-up of sunset behind Eagle Rocks
- I take a final look up at the Eagle Rocks before starting the hike back to Mid Hills campground
- Just east of the south end of Eagle Rocks, I head east (right) across the broad canyon
- It's amazing how a few trees manage to grow in the cracks between rocks in the steep slopes of Eagle Rocks
- I look up through another burned-tree canopy toward rock towers at Eagle Rocks
- Peering between boulders at Eagle Rocks, Mojave National Preserve
- I back up a few feet under a big boulder, still looking at the slot between the rocks in front of me
- I haven't seen any large animals here today, but this scat shows that some are indeed here somewhere
- A completely burned mound cactus at Eagle Rocks, Mojave National Preserve
- I walk across this flat area, between cholla cactus skeletons, to the next pile of rocks
- This rock has teeth!
- At the south end of Eagle Rocks sits a patch of blooming desert mallows
- Desert mallow close-up at Eagle Rocks, Mojave National Preserve
- I'm at the south end of the Eagle Rocks now, looking southwest toward the pointy hills around Wildcat and Chicken Water Springs
- What's that red speck poking out of that boulder?
- Somehow, a Claret cup cactus is managing to eke out an existence in that crack in the boulder
- I'm constantly fascinated by the ability of some trees to grow in the upper reaches of the boulders, where soil is almost absent
- Under boulders at Eagle Rocks, I peer out toward the sunshine
- I run across a patch of young Palmer's penstemons in the burned area on the way back to Mid Hills campground
- A boulder crowns other boulders at Eagle Rocks, Mojave National Preserve
- Rock-scrambling at Mojave National Preserve's Eagle Rocks can include scrambling under boulders, not just over them
- A manzanita grows out of a crack in the boulders at Eagle Rocks
- Well, here's a rock summit at Eagle Rocks that I don't think I can climb
- A Claret cup cactus blooms in a shady area of Eagle Rocks where I wouldn't expect to find one
- I might be able to climb this Eagle Rocks pinnacle from the right side
- I reach a somewhat open area in the Eagle Rocks on the way to the next pinnacles
- In the shade of some big rocks, I look up through the canopy of a couple of burned trees
- A substantial rock overhang at Eagle Rocks, Mojave National Preserve
- This area of Eagle Rocks is a lot of fun
- More burned trees at Eagle Rocks, Mojave National Preserve
- It looks like there's a saddle on each side of the Eagle Rocks pinnacle above
- From this saddle in the Eagle Rocks, I look into the haze southwest across Mojave National Preserve