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- The road fizzles out and comes to an end at two big tailings piles at about 5400 feet elevation
- A bright blue streak in the rock at bottom right, presumably copper
- On the half-mile walk up the old road to Copper World Mine, I notice a lonely old cabin nearby
- A bit further up the Copper World Mine road, down in a gulley, is an old headframe
- On the saddle halfway down to Copper World Mine Road, someone has built a rock cairn
- As I approach the bottom of the hill, I look up the road that leads to the old Copper World Mine site
- There's a lot of interesting rock to look at on the way down the hill
- I reach the bottom of the hill and start walking up the road toward the Copper World Mine site
- This downhill to Copper World Mine Road is also pretty steep, but it has a bit of a saddle on the way to ease the descent
- Looking south from the unnamed ridge above Copper World Mine toward Cima Dome on the horizon
- I reach a steep slippery area on the ridge with a gnarled juniper while attempting to begin a descent toward Copper World Mine
- From the ridge, I'm now looking down the other side into the canyon and see the road that leads up to Copper World Mine
- From the ridge, I look down into the steep canyon that descends from Clark Mountain
- Up on the ridge, I find myself staring straight at Clark Mountain
- I've reached the top of the hill and Pachalka Spring's green spot is still in view at the centre-right
- My route up the hill is as steep as anticipated and has great views back down toward the wash
- A little higher up the hill, looking west toward Valley Wells, where I stopped at the store yesterday
- A northwest view beyond three agave stems toward Pachalka Spring, with Kingston Range in the distance at the right
- Just as my route leaves the wash, I notice a bone fragment on the ground
- I start the one-mile climb up the hills ahead on the way to Copper World Mine
- Strong winds roll my tent over at Pachalka Spring just as I'm thinking perhaps I should put some rocks inside to weight it down
- I've learned my lesson and walk around looking for large rocks to put inside my tent
- My backpack is prepared for the day and waits for me to take it on a hike over the hills to the old Copper World Mine area
- Pachalka Spring Road drops down into a gravelly wash that drains from the Clark Mountain area in the background
- Bicycle route from Cima Dome (Sunrise Rock) to Pachalka Spring, Mojave National Preserve (Day 12)
- Elevation profile of bicycle route from Cima Dome (Sunrise Rock) to Pachalka Spring, Mojave National Preserve (Day 12)
- The blossoms on this tree look almost like the flowers of a Palmer's penstemon; hummingbirds probably love these
- Most of the day's clouds have lifted in the south and I can see that it's getting close to full moon
- The view northwest from my Pachalka Spring campsite provides no colourful sunset this evening due to cloud cover
- Before sundown, I go for another short walk over to Pachalka Spring
- There it is, Pachalka Spring, bubbling up from a pipe in the middle of the yerba mansa patch
- I hear a trickle of water somewhere nearby, so I walk past the yellow mesquite blooms into the patch of yerba mansa flowers
- A tree that I've never seen before is blooming profusely in the moist area just below Pachalka Spring
- With Pachalka Spring's greenery behind me, I walk back to my bike and look for a spot to set up my tent
- A campfire ring by the trees adjacent to Pachalka Spring makes for an enticing place to set up camp
- Down in the wash below Pachalka Spring are more ruins
- Only a small piece of the stone walls remains of the house that once stood near Pachalka Spring, Mojave National Preserve
- Pachalka Spring Road just west of the ruins doesn't look like it gets much traffic
- Im not sure yet where I'll set up my tent; I park my bike and walk down the short road toward the green trees at Pachalka Spring
- After passing through an extensive gravelly area in the wash south of Pachalka Spring, the road abruptly rises a short distance
- In the area above Pachalka Spring, I find the ruins of an old house
- Pachalka Spring Road has slowly made its way up onto a low ridge
- Looking to my left (north), I see a patch of green trees, which must be Pachalka Spring
- After a couple hours of hike-a-biking, it's a pleasure to remount the bike and ride down into the wash south of Pachalka Spring
- As always, I look behind me frequently to see how much I've risen, to reassure myself that my work is creating progress
- Pachalka Spring Road was climbing slowly at 3-5 percent grade for a while, but now the grade is 5-10 percent
- An hour later, Pachalka Spring Road climbs up through a wash
- My road splits, and I follow the right fork leading toward the Clark Mountain Range and Pachalka Spring
- I start riding up the fan on the road to Pachalka Spring, Mojave National Preserve, straight toward the Clark Mountain Range
- A big tree, partly broken, near the old Valley Wells town site
- Re-entering Mojave National Preserve, this time in the smaller part of the Preserve that's north of Interstate 15
- Looking over to the Clark Mountain Range from the Cima Road bridge over I-15, I try to discern the location of Pachalka Spring
- 1.5 miles beyond Interstate 15, I reach the dirt road that will take me to Pachalka Spring and bear right
- I stop at the old Valley Wells town site to check out the final remnants of the wall of a mud-brick building
- Nearby is the metal skeleton of an old counter or stove
- The washroom sink at the Valley Wells gas station matches the urinal in its unique epoxy tackiness
- Replenished with lots of water in case there is none at Pachalka Spring, I ride over the bridge above Interstate 15
- The urinal in the washroom at the Valley Wells gas station is truly unique
- The Valley Wells urinal is so unique that an adjacent handwritten sign tells you that, "yes, this IS a urinal!"
- I buy three gallons of water at the Valley Wells gas station store at I-15 and take a nice long break
- Cima Road rises up to a bridge that crosses over Interstate 15 and I stop at the gas station store here to fuel up on supplies
- The bottom of Cima Road exits Mojave National Preserve; I take a break by the monument that folks see upon entering the Preserve
- I continue whooshing down Cima Road and can now see trucks on Interstate 15 in the distance
- Well, the cistern in this old corral along Cima Road is dry, so I presume the big water tank nearby is empty too
- I zoom down the 12 miles of gentle Cima Road grade to Valley Wells at Interstate 15
- On the way down the Cima Road hill, I stop at an old corral and water tank
- Nearby is Kessler Peak and an old mining to the north, which might make a nice hike
- I decide to head to Pachalka Spring as originally planned; my campsite slowly morphs into a well-packed 10-ton bike
- I ride the half-mile up the dirt road from my Cima Dome campsite and reach the pavement of Cima Road at noon sharp
- Along Cima Road is a large patch of exposed rock
- It's a pleasant, breezy morning up here on Cima Dome, about 70 degrees, and a bit overcast
- Nipton to Sunrise Rock (Cima Dome) elevation profile (Day 11)
- Nipton to Sunrise Rock (Cima Dome) bicycle route (Day 11)
- Sunset glows around the distant Clark Mountain range tonight
- When I think of the Cima Dome area, I think of gorgeous sunsets, and tonight is no exception
- I hop around the rocks that surround my Cima Dome campsite and catch the pre-dusk orange desert glow
- At the summit of Cima Road, I pull in at Sunrise Rock and go about selecting a campsite
- I ride down the sandy road by Sunrise Rock to choose a campsite
- A half a mile beyond Sunrise Rock, I choose a campsite next to a rock pile where I camped last year and set up my tent
- Cool winds up here on Cima Dome at 5000 feet have dried my sweat; crunchy salt stains remain
- From my tent on Cima Dome, I watch a jackrabbit hop around a lot, digging small holes along the way
- I'm really hungry, so I get out my pot and propane burner, but decide to take sunset photos instead of cooking supper right away
- I turn around for a view back down to Cima while climbing up Cima Road
- A little further up Cima Road is the Kessler Springs Ranch property, which is inhabited and off-limits to Preserve visitors
- Across Cima Road from Kessler Springs Ranch is a dirt road that leads to Cut Spring
- The front exterior of the collapsing house at Cima
- I get back on the 10-ton bike and start riding up to the top of the Cima Dome hill
- On my way out of "town," I'll check out these collapsing old houses just up the road from the Cima store
- An old stove is crushed beneath the collapsed roof of this house at Cima, Mojave National Preserve
- Old hardwood-flooring slats peer out from beneath the debris of this abandoned house at Cima, Mojave National Preserve
- It always amazes me that houses like this one at Cima can be left to decay literally to the point of collapsing
- Old refigerator in the back porch of an abandoned house at Cima, Mojave National Preserve
- Inside one of the rooms of the collapsing house at Cima
- I divert my attention away from the climb by staring off into the distance at the Butcher Knife Canyon area of the Mid Hills
- Finally I've made it to the top of Morning Star Mine Road
- Two miles before the Cima store, Morning Star Road passes under one of the big power lines that cross the Mojave Desert
- Oh well, Cima store is closed, but I wasn't really expecting it to be open
- The 10-ton bike takes a short rest by the Cima store before the final six-mile ride up Cima Road to Cima Dome
- Onward and upward on the final three miles of climbing of Morning Star Mine Road
- After almost two hours of climbing, I reach the corral, my favourite landmark (one of the only ones) on Morning Star Mine Road
- Behind the Morning Star Mine Road corral is a dirt road that crosses the fan to the base of the New York Mountains
- I go for a walk around the Morning Star Mine Road corral to cool down a little
- After filling up my water supply and stopping at the store for a cold iced tea, I'm on my way down Nipton Road just after noon
- I turn south on Ivanpah Road and am welcomed by this flash-flood warning sign
- Also near the beginning of Ivanpah Road is one of those "entering Mojave National Preserve" monuments
- I reach the junction of Morning Star Mine Road and turn right
- OK, the long, slow, dreaded climb up Morning Star Mine Road is officially on
- Morning Star Mine Road rises over 11.5 miles from 2750 feet elevation to about 4285 feet
- I'm up early this morning to have breakfast at the Nipton café and pack up the tent
- I walk over to the Nipton café and Bill cooks me another tasty omelet with Asian vegetables and shrimp
- In front of the Nipton store is a Mojave National Preserve information kiosk; the Preserve begins just beyond the train tracks
- I take a another shower before leaving Nipton (probably my last one for a week) and brush my teeth
- Nipton to Black Palisades hike elevation profile (Day 10)
- Nipton to Black Palisades hike route (Day 10)
- The Nipton hot tub was repaired today, so I try it out later in the evening
- This area on the fan just south of Nipton is clearly subject to occasional flooding during heavy rains
- I'm almost back at Nipton when my direct route is foiled by this weak barbed-wire fence, but it's easy to get past
- Back in the shade of the tent, I settle in for beer from the Nipton store and a makeshift cooler of ice plus plastic bag
- Later in the evening, I rinse off in Nipton's dirt-floor semi-outdoor showers and wash some clothes in the two-washer laundromat
- Crossing the power-line road on the way back to Nipton
- I stop to touch the rocky ground beneath me on the way back to Nipton
- The outer shell of a coyote gourd near Nipton
- I think this is a pencil cholla cactus, near Nipton, Mojave National Preserve
- I walk up the low mound just south of Black Palisades
- The mound is just high enough to provide nice views of Black Palisades and the surroundings
- I walk down the mound to an adjacent wash and start heading back toward the power lines on the Nipton return hike
- There's a lot more to explore here, but I'm lazy today and walk back down the slope of Black Palisades
- Nice view from here at Black Palisades toward Cima
- Nearby, I discover some bones in a nest huddled in the rocks
- OK, I'll climb a little higher up Black Palisades, just a little further
- More volcanic-looking rock on Black Palisades, Mojave National Preserve
- Looking down toward Nipton, I see a dust devil making its way across the fan
- I rest here on the west side of Black Palisades for a few minutes
- I discover a dry tinaja (Spanish for "water jar") at Black Palisades with fairly fresh scat adjacent
- A nearby alcove in the rocks at Black Palisades harbours nesting materials rather than a tinaja
- I stumble across a faint trace of an old road that passes by the west edge of Black Palisades
- I walk up toward the closest turret of Black Palisades
- Here it is, Black Palisades, about a quarter mile in front of me
- I reach the power lines about a half mile before Black Palisades
- I cross the power-line road and stare at its thread leading up the hill into the distance, toward Cima
- I leave the primitive road and start walking cross-country toward Black Palisades
- Here's an old rusty lid from a tobacco tin, perhaps Copenhagen snuff
- A substantial can dump on the outskirts of Nipton
- At the junction of two old roads, I take the one that heads off to my left, toward the Mid Hills
- The old road out of Nipton is marginal at best and is a bit washed out in places, but it makes a great trail
- I stop in at the Nipton store to pay for another night of camping before walking past the tent cabins to start today's hike
- One last thing: I stop at the outdoor sink at Nipton to refill my water bottles before heading out
- Today I'm hiking over to "Black Palisades" (it has no official name): that dark rocky mound in the distance
- A concrete stairwell and heavy steel door lead into the basement
- Just southeast of Nipton lies this bunker-like concrete foundation
- Further beyond, I stumble across what appears to be part of an old automobile dashboard
- Last night's light rain never became heavy; now I enjoy the shade of the eucalyptus trees during the warm morning at Nipton
- After breakfast, I take a shower and explore the rustic garden in front of the bed-and-breakfast
- In the middle of the Nipton garden is an area built of coloured rocks
- Bicycle route from Mid Hills campground to Nipton via Cima and Morning Star Mine Road (Day 9)
- Elevation profile of bicycle ride from Mid Hills campground to Nipton via Cima and Morning Star Mine Road (Day 9)
- At Nipton's Whistle Stop Café, Bill cooks me a delicious New York steak, salad and fries
- Bill's dog keeps me company while he prepares our meals
- Next door to the Nipton store is the Whistle Stop Café, which is what I'm really looking forward to
- While setting up my tent under the eucalyptus trees just south of the Nipton store, a train rushes past
- In the heat of the late afternoon, I drink lots of cold beer, which goes down like water after a hot bicycle ride
- Behind my tent at Nipton lays a series of old railroad ties concealing a stinky septic leach field, and a few tent cabins beyond
- After three miles on Ivanpah Road, I head east on Nipton Road for the final seven miles across Ivanpah Valley
- Crossing the floor of the Ivanpah Valley on Nipton Road, I stop for a very short break to take in the scenery
- After the slow rise out of Ivanpah Valley, I pull up at the Nipton store at 3000 feet elevation, the end of today's bicycling
- The amazing 11.5-mile downhill on Morning Star Mine Road abruptly ends at a T-intersection and stop sign at Ivanpah Road
- Downhill on Morning Star Mine Road is not steep, but it is long: about 11.5 miles on a 2 percent grade
- It's down, down, down on Morning Star Mine Road, Mojave National Preserve
- Still rolling quickly downward on Morning Star Mine Road, Ivanpah Valley comes clearer into view
- I reach the point on Morning Star Mine Road that I call "the big curve," after which the serious downhill begins
- I depart Cima and ride down Morning Star Mine Road, one of Mojave National Preserve's main, high-speed, paved roads
- Two very crooked old sheds rest on the property behind the Cima store
- Behind the Cima store is an old house, presumably the residence of the store owner and postmistress
- The Cima Store property also serves as a graveyard for many expired motor vehicles
- Faded paint on this old truck behind the Cima Store labels it as a possession of Providence Land and Cattle
- More old motor vehicles, and another crooked shed, behind the Cima Store, Mojave National Preserve
- The interior mail slot taped shut, I follow the instructions and drop my mortgage payment in the mailbox outside
- Inside the lobby of the Cima post office
- The heavily weathered board-and-batten exterior of the Cima store is in need of restoration work
- Predictably unpredictable, the Cima store is closed, even though it should be open according to the posted hours
- The real gem of the Cima post office is its set of antique postal boxes, apparently still in service
- At the bottom of Cima Road, I cross the train tracks, arrive on pavement, and ride over to the Cima Store
- A mile up Death Valley Mine Road, I stop at Thomas Place for a Clif-bar-and-water break like I did yesterday
- After my break at Thomas Place, I get back on Death Valley Mine Road and ride north through the joshua tree forest
- I've ridden Death Valley Mine Road a couple of times on previous Mojave National Preserve trips, and I always enjoy this one
- I make a mistake and turn down a well-travelled road that I think at first is Cima Road
- After a pleasant five miles on Death Valley Road, it ends, and I turn west on Cima Road, with Cima Dome and Kessler Peak ahead
- Almost everything I brought with me ends up on the picnic table, and then squeezed into my saddlebags
- It will be almost all downhill riding today in Mojave National Preserve
- Next, I ride two miles down the washboarded Black Canyon Road, which ends at a T-intersection in Cedar Canyon
- I follow Cedar Canyon Road westward for a few miles, which is also mostly downhill
- The road rises out of Cedar Canyon to look out over Kelso Valley and I turn right here on Death Valley Mine Road
- OK, I really am leaving Mid Hills campground this morning; to go to Nipton
- Elevation of round-trip hike from Mid Hills campground to Thomas Place, Live Oak Spring and "Seep Canyon" (Day 8)
- Round-trip hiking route from Mid Hills campground to Thomas Place, Live Oak Spring and "Seep Canyon" (Day 8)
- I take in my final sunset from Mid Hills campground toward the Clark Mountains the distance, where I hope to be in a few days
- Back at Mid Hills campground, 7.5 hours after starting today's hike, I settle in for my sixth and last night here
- I walk up the drainage to the campground and almost resurface at the back of the wrong campsite at Mid Hills
- Despite my plan, I end up dipping back down into a drainage wash a bit north of my Mid Hills campsite
- The challenge right now is to hike to my left and get over to that middle ridge without descending down into Eagle Rocks wash