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- Looking straight down from the saddle, instead of toward Kelso Dunes, reveals a rather steep drop
- I passed the south end of Eagle Rocks while hiking to Chicken Water Spring last year, but didn't have time to explore the rocks
- The big rock outcrop ahead at the top looks insurmountable to non-rock-climbers, but I'll continue upward to see how close I get
- I turn around to take in the views northeast, toward Mid Hills campground on the first ridge, between a couple of rock piles
- I climb up the eroded rock in the upper area of the Eagle Rocks, Mojave National Preserve
- Manzanitas, which are not usually a desert plant, grow here and there in the Eagle Rocks area
- Also in the Eagle Rocks area are occasional patches of Palmer's penstemon
- An elderly pinon pine near my tent at Mid Hills campground drools sticky and waxy
- I ride down to the entrance kiosk of Mid Hills campground to sign up for an extra night of camping and deposit my fees
- I start the short hike from Mid Hills campground over to Eagle Rocks and pass these diminutive flowers near the campground road
- Except for this campsite, Mid Hills campground is almost empty this morning, which is surprising for a Saturday morning
- A few mariposa lilies bloom in a rocky area at Mid Hills campground
- Reaching the turrets of Eagle Rocks from Mid Hills campground requires climbing down into an intervening wide canyon
- I choose to follow a drainage downward into the canyon below Eagle Rocks
- I pass a patch of white thistles on the way down to the canyon below Eagle Rocks
- After crossing the canyon, I climb up the hill toward the Eagle Rocks turrets
- One of several juniper trees around my campsite at Mid Hills campground that has been chopped down by campers for firewood
- Bicycle route elevation profile from Mid Hills campground to Blue Jay Mine via Wild Horse Canyon Road, Mojave National Preserve
- Elevation profile of hiking route in upper forks of Beecher Canyon from Blue Jay Mine
- Hiking route in upper forks of Beecher Canyon from Blue Jay Mine
- As I climb Wild Horse Canyon Road, I pause to look back toward the glowing hills around Macedonia Canyon
- A lone cow darts off into the sunset when he sees me near Wild Horse Canyon Road
- I pull over along Wild Horse Canyon Road to collect a stray balloon for later disposal
- Behind me as I climb Wild Horse Canyon Road is a dramatic view of the peaks of the Providence Mountains
- On the upper stretches of Wild Horse Canyon Road, one can see across Gold Valley to Table Mountain and Twin Buttes
- I approach Mid Hills campground on Wild Horse Canyon Road at sunset
- Just before 20h, I pass by the Mid Hills campground entrance kiosk and ride the final 0.6 miles to my campsite
- Bicycle route (in red) from Mid Hills campground to Blue Jay Mine via Wild Horse Canyon Road, Mojave National Preserve
- The ride up the final six miles back to Mid Hills campground goes really well
- On a fleeting rocky plateau above Beecher Canyon blooms a small garden
- Lots of rock on this plateau above Beecher Canyon
- I consult my GPS and find that the next step in getting back to my bicycle is to climb over the ridglet ahead
- I pass through another field of orange desert mallow flowers on the way over the ridge back to the Blue Jay Mine area
- I've crossed the ridge; Blue Jay Mine and my bicycle are down below
- I pass some purple desert four o'clock flowers and more orange desert mallows on the way down to Blue Jay Mine and my bicycle
- I return to my bicycle by Blue Jay Mine after the hike in Beecher Canyon
- Near Blue Jay Mine are a few ruins of the former Winkler's Cabin that burned during the 2005 brush fires
- Blue Jay Mine Road is slightly downhill during most of its 1.7 miles back to Wild Horse Canyon Road
- At the bottom of Blue Jay Mine Road, near Wild Horse Canyon Road, the road is almost flat
- A few desert four o'clocks bloom near the junction of Wild Horse Canyon Road and the road to Blue Jay Mine
- I'm getting close to the top of Beecher Canyon, check my maps, and decide that it's time to turn left (north)
- Just a few more boulder piles to climb before I'm completely up out of Beecher Canyon
- Near the top of the hill above Beecher Canyon I pass by a few junipers growing in limestone-like soil
- Just when I least expect it, I pass a small pool of water here way above Beecher Canyon
- Now up out of Beecher Canyon, views across the contorted landscape to the distant Providence Mountains peaks unfold behind me
- This dry waterfall in the east fork of Beecher Canyon is steeper than it looked from a distance
- I take a short break after climbing the dry waterfall in Beecher Canyon and look back down at my progress
- When I reach the junction of the north and east forks of Beecher Canyon, I turn left and start walking up the east fork
- As I begin my way up the east fork of Beecher Canyon, I take note of a steep bluff that I circumvented on my way down
- I hear some noise while starting up the east fork of Beecher Canyon and notice a herd of cows in the distance, scurrying away
- Many large rocks are strewn about in the east fork of Beecher Canyon
- To my surprise, I arrive at a small spring and pool of water in the east fork of Beecher Canyon
- Climbing up the steep hillside to get around the spring in Beecher Canyon is challenging but I eventually find myself above it
- It looks like the climb up the east fork of Beecher Canyon above the spring might be relatively obstruction-free
- More rock ahead in the east fork of Beecher Canyon...
- As I walk down into Beecher Canyon, I look up at the hilltops above
- On the way down into Beecher Canyon I find myself approaching a steep rocky drop-off
- At the drop-off into Beecher Canyon, I spot a historic stack of rocks that once shored up a bypass road around the drop-off
- I walk down into Beecher Canyon on what's left of the old raised road that someone carefully constructed perhaps a century ago
- Once down in Beecher Canyon, I look up at distant rock formations in the Providence Mountains in the area around Summit Spring
- Pink cactus flowers and desert dudleya blooms push out of rocks in Beecher Canyon
- Patches of orange desert mallow flowers abound as I drop down into Beecher Canyon
- Also still blooming in the lower north fork of Beecher Canyon are a few phacelias
- I decide to head down the wash to Beecher Canyon
- From my privileged position on Hill 1713, I take a short break to enjoy the vistas on all sides; this view looks southwest
- Southeast from Hill 1713 in the Providence Mountains are great views across nearby Wild Horse Mesa and the Beecher Canyon area
- I decide to hike along the ridge toward nearby Hill 1625 in the Providence Mountains and cross through an old ranch fence
- From Hill 1625 in the Providence Mountains I look down a wash that leads into Beecher Canyon
- I climb up the hill above Blue Jay Mine toward Hill 1713 at 5575 feet elevation
- I enjoy the views across Kelso Valley to Cima Dome as I get closer to Hill 1713 in the Providence Mountains
- At the end of the road, I lock my bike in a ditch, then start hiking up the hill above the Blue Jay Mine tunnel
- A lizard greets me as I step out of my tent for a short walk after breakfast at Mid Hills campground
- Two campsites away in the near-empty Mid Hills campground is a cute and cuddly wooden bear at the fire pit, a tad burnt
- I pack up my bike and ride out of Mid Hills campground on my way to Blue Jay Mine, from where I'll hike into Beecher Canyon
- Wild Horse Canyon Road is always so scenic as it rolls gently downward toward the Providence Mountains
- As I pass Macedonia Canyon Road, I notice that it has a nice new gate and is signed now, with a rather large sign
- I pass a field of orange desert mallow flowers on lower Wild Horse Canyon Road
- I see my first pink cactus bloom of the day, with Wild Horse Mesa in the background
- The 1.5-mile-long road to Blue Jay Mine rapidly deteriorates, but makes for a fun ride on a mountain bike
- Mountain-bike route elevation profile across Gold Valley, Mojave National Preserve, from Mid Hills campground to Woods Wash
- Mountain-bike route across Gold Valley, Mojave National Preserve, from Mid Hills campground to Woods Wash
- At sunset on Black Canyon Road, I pass the Gold Valley Ranch
- Just north of Gold Valley Ranch, Black Canyon Road is signed as a four-wheel drive road
- Bumpy, bumpy, slowly uphill pedaling on the upper part of Black Canyon Road
- My headlight goes on as Black Canyon Road turns black
- After the four short hills on Wild Horse Canyon Road, I reach the entrance kiosk at Mid Hills campground
- I look back regularly while climbing Black Canyon Road to take in the purple haze in the warmer areas south of Mojave Preserve
- Table Mountain and Twin Buttes take on a postcard-photo aura as I ride slowly up Black Canyon Road
- I take one last look at the Gold Valley cabin, with the Woods Mountains in the background
- A half mile further up this unnamed Gold Valley road, I encounter a fence (or is it a locked gate?)
- I ride back down the 1.3 miles of this road in Gold Valley, passing the cabin again on the way
- The sandy part of this road is hard to ride, even in the downhill direction!
- Back on Woods Wash Road and approaching the government-owned residence, I notice a "No-hunting zone" sign
- Back on "the good part" of Woods Wash Road, the final 1.5 miles to Black Canyon Road rides smoothly
- Pink Desert four o'clock flowers and the yellow blooms of Snakeweed(?) pick up the sunset glow nicely
- The stucco exterior on the south exterior wall of the Gold Valley cabin is peeling off
- The shortcut road enters a sandy area, which I eventually forces me to dismount and walk the bike a bit
- The road pops out of the sandy wash briefly, and I arrive at the remains of an old cabin in Gold Valley
- I peek inside the one-room Gold Valley cabin
- The rear (west side) of the Gold Valley cabin has a window
- As the road rolls over the hills, I'm sometimes looking straight at the Woods Mountains
- At other moments, the road heads straight toward the Twin Buttes
- After passing the southern tip of Twin Buttes, I open and close the old gate again
- With Wild Horse Mesa in the backgound, I spot an oversized and eroded old tire along Woods Wash Road
- "For flat base truck rim only"
- I decide to try a possible shortcut road that veers north (the right fork) off Woods Wash Road
- As the road rises slowly out of Woods Wash, it heads toward Table Mountain for a while, then turns left (west)
- Yuccas in Woods Wash near the exposed rock
- I climb down the hill for the hike back up Woods Wash (to my right), but the canyon ahead into the Woods Mtns gets my attention
- As I hike back up Woods Wash to my bicycle, I try my cell phone, and it works
- Back at Woods Wash Road, my backpack goes back into my saddlebags and I start the ride back to Mid Hills campground
- Abandoned cistern in Woods Wash
- Barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and white buckwheat blossoms in Woods Wash
- I walk across to the other side of Woods Wash and note some pink cactus blooms
- It's even hotter on this hill than it was on the hill behind me on the other side of Woods Wash
- Indian paintbrush blooming in Woods Wash
- I reach the lava flows of the historic Woods Wash area
- Yucca spines
- White thistle growing in Woods Wash
- I climb a hill and get a glimpse of Woods Wash northward toward Twin Buttes
- Ah, a gate to pass through!
- I pass an abandoned corral, with the Woods Mountains in the background
- Another fence boundary to pass through as I ride down to Woods Wash
- The last couple of miles toward Woods Wash are a bit sandy in places, but rough enough to provide traction for a mountain bike
- I arrive at the Woods Wash Wilderness boundary, stash my bicycle behind a bush and convert from biker to hiker
- After 1.5 miles on Woods Wash Road is government property, probably a residence for Preserve staff
- Woods Wash Road makes a two-mile U-shaped detour around the government property
- East of the government-owned house, Woods Wash Road passes through gentle hills
- I drop another 400 feet of elevation as I ride down the bottom of Gold Valley Mine Road
- The lower part of Gold Valley Mine Road passes through a sandy area
- Lots of bright yellow flowers near the lower part of Gold Valley Mine Road
- I take a detour and visit the Hole-in-the-Wall Visitor Centre to refill my water bottles from its outdoor tap
- A poster at Hole-in-the-Wall visitor centre warns of possible mountain lions in the Mid Hills area, where I'm camping
- After my break at Hole-in-the-Wall, I make my way over to the dirt road that will take me to Woods Wash after 7 miles or so
- I stand on a small tailings pile at Gold Valley Mine and look down at an old pit
- Close-up of the pit at Gold Valley Mine, Mojave National Preserve
- A full water trough at Gold Valley Mine
- An old sink (pierced by bullets, of course) at Gold Valley Mine, Mojave National Preserve
- The scenic views, hills and rock piles on upper Gold Valley Mine Road would make it a good place to camp
- Views toward Wild Horse Mesa on the way down Gold Valley Mine Road
- I whoosh down Gold Valley Mine Road, toward Gold Valley itself
- I reach the old Gold Valley Mine site and stop for a tourist break
- The windmill at the Gold Valley Mine site is from the American West Windmill Company in Amarillo, Texas
- After a short climb to a crest at about 5440 feet elevation, Gold Valley Mine Road begins heading downhill
- I pass through an old ranch fence and a sign marking the adjacent hiking trail
- A quarter mile down the road from my campsite at Mid Hills campground, I turn right on Wild Horse Canyon Road
- About two miles down Wild Horse Canyon Road, I reach my next turn, an unnamed road that I'll call Gold Valley Mine Road
- Gold Valley Mine Road passes briefly through a patch of juniper and sagebrush that escaped the 2005 brush fires
- Gold Valley Mine Road rolls over a series of natural drainages as it climbs gently up the hill
- I ride up a few unevenly banked segments on Gold Valley Road
- I reach a crest on Gold Valley Mine Road and try my cell phone: it works!
- After sleeping in a bit, and eating breakfast, I pack up and leave the tent for today's ride across Gold Valley to Woods Wash
- Pinto Mountain bike route elevation profile from Mid Hills campground (Day 4)
- Pinto Mountain hike route elevation profile from Cedar Canyon Road area (Day 4)
- Pinto Mountain bike and hike route from Mid Hills campground (Day 4)
- To the north are excellent views down to Cedar Canyon Road, which I rode up yesterday, and far beyond
- I saunter back to my tent past a vacant campsite at Mid Hills campground and wind down for the evening
- The shortcut road up to Black Canyon Road is a good ride (without a heavy load), about 3/4 mile long
- The shortcut road rises up through a patch of desert mallow flowers just before it reaches the Round Valley plateau
- I ride two miles on Black Canyon Road on the way back to Mid Hills campground, Mojave National Preserve
- The two miles and four hills up Wild Horse Canyon Road are much easier than last night when I was carrying a full load
- Happy insects of some kind have made webs in a bush along Wild Horse Canyon Road
- When sunset approaches, I walk up a hill near my site at Mid Hills campground to take in the views
- Awesome sunset view from Mid Hills campground over to the subtle slope of Cima Dome
- I walk back down Cedar Wash toward the road where I left my bicycle
- A few bugs enjoy this white thistle flower in Cedar Wash, Mojave National Preserve
- I reach the old closed road leading out of Cedar Wash, marked by rocks that were perhaps placed there 100 years ago
- Along the old road into Cedar Wash grow a few of these bright-green plants
- I cross the Wilderness boundary (no mechanized travel allowed on this side of it) and turn left to fetch my bicycle nearby
- I reach the trees off the old Mojave Road under which I stashed my bicycle, and voilà, it's still there
- It doesn't take long to reach the bottom of the rock pile where it spills out onto the edge of Cedar Wash
- A bit lower down Pinto Mountain, under a canopy of burned trees, are a few flowers here and there
- I follow a different mini-canyon on the lower part of the return to Cedar Wash and pass under the remains of an old fence
- The dappled shade cast by old pinon pines and junipers makes for a nice walk down this little wash north of Pinto Mountain
- The mini-canyon arrives at a steep drop-off just before reaching Cedar Wash
- Partway down the rock pile leading to Cedar Wash, I turn back to look up at my descent route
- Close-up of the barberry bush on the north side of Pinto Mountain
- I stumble upon what I think is a barberry (berberis) bush on the way down the north side of Pinto Mountain
- Great views eastward from the west end of Pinto Mountain
- From Pinto Mountain, I can see the jagged edges of the Providence Mountains in the distant blue
- Another great view across Round Valley from Pinto Mountain through a slot in the rocks
- After an hour on Pinto Mountain, I start my way back down to the valley on the easy north side through a boulder patch
- It's really windy up here on Pinto Mountain, so I often find myself holding my hat straps to help keep the hat on my head
- As I walk along a hillside on the north side of Pinto Mountain, I almost step on this low cactus which camouflages nicely
- Close-up of Purdy Peak, Pinto Mountain, Mojave National Preserve
- I take a break on a hill on Pinto Mountain at about 5870 feet elevation, munch on an energy bar and enjoy the views
- Orange desert mallow blooms splash some colour on the view toward Mid Hills campground and Eagle Rocks, Mojave National Preserve
- Northeast of Pinto Mountain are views across Pinto Valley to the New York Mountains
- At the crest of Pinto Mountain, the southward views of Round Valley are excellent, as one would expect
- It's a steep drop down the front of Pinto Mountain to Round Valley
- I look over to Purdy Peak, the highest point in the Pinto Mountain formation
- A glance to the west shows how the slope up the back of Pinto Mountain ends abruptly at the steep escarpment
- Bright red hummingbird flowers growing in the gravelly drainage west of Pinto Mountain
- I climb past a few junipers on the way up the drainage area to Pinto Mountain
- Steep uphills are always satisfying when one turns around to see how much one has risen in such a short time
- A few patches of verbena are still flowering in the semi-shady drainage as I rise up the back of Pinto Mountain
- Also still blooming on the north side of Pinto Mountain are a few tufts of phlox
- I'll keep hiking up to the top of the semi-barren slope, and then I should be at the top of Pinto Mountain
- White thistle in Cedar Wash on the way to Pinto Mountain, Mojave National Preserve
- Still in Cedar Wash, to my right is one of two locations I marked on my GPS unit as a possible route up Pinto Mountain