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- The road fizzles out and comes to an end at two big tailings piles at about 5400 feet elevation
I guess this is the main part of the Copper World Mine site. - A bright blue streak in the rock at bottom right, presumably copper
I could keep walking beyond the tailings, but I really want to go take a closer look at that cabin I passed a while ago. - On the half-mile walk up the old road to Copper World Mine, I notice a lonely old cabin nearby
I'll visit the cabin on my way back down the road. - A bit further up the Copper World Mine road, down in a gulley, is an old headframe
I keep walking up the road. - On the saddle halfway down to Copper World Mine Road, someone has built a rock cairn
It feels as though I'm the only person who has ever walked down this remote hill, but that's obviously not true. - As I approach the bottom of the hill, I look up the road that leads to the old Copper World Mine site
I'm not quite down in the canyon yet, but the most challenging part of the downhill is behind me now. - There's a lot of interesting rock to look at on the way down the hill
... when I'm not busy keeping myself from slipping and falling, or watching for cactus thorns. - I reach the bottom of the hill and start walking up the road toward the Copper World Mine site
I pass by a tailings pile and other signs of civilization, such as fence posts. - 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
The upper part of this route is particularly slippery and I occasionally grab onto a creosote bush for balance while I gingerly zigzag down the 20-55% slope. - Looking south from the unnamed ridge above Copper World Mine toward Cima Dome on the horizon
Cima Dome is the gentle hump on the horizon. Teutonia Peak is the smaller outcrop just left of the hump's high point, while Kessler Peak, near which I camped two nights ago, is the larger rock structure further to the left. - I reach a steep slippery area on the ridge with a gnarled juniper while attempting to begin a descent toward Copper World Mine
I stop. Too slippery to descend. Great place for a break, but not a great place to break a leg. I munch on a Clif bar and consult my maps and GPS. I decide to turn back and instead try descending the slope that I pre-recorded on my GPS as a possible route down. It looks slightly less steep. - 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
Now the question is how I will get down there. I plotted a route and recorded it in my Delorme GPS, but it looks pretty steep. - From the ridge, I look down into the steep canyon that descends from Clark Mountain
Prior to this trip, I plotted a route partway up that canyon in case I decided to do a hike toward the summit of Clark Mountain. - Up on the ridge, I find myself staring straight at Clark Mountain
I probably wouldn't have enough time to hike to Clark Mountain today, but the route along the ridge from here looks like it might be feasible for a cautious hiker (I'm not a mountain climber). - I've reached the top of the hill and Pachalka Spring's green spot is still in view at the centre-right
It has been a slow, careful climb, slippery with quite a bit of loose rock in places. I don't feel like I have much energy today, but I've made it this far with no real problems, so I guess I'm OK. - My route up the hill is as steep as anticipated and has great views back down toward the wash
One of the rewards of climbing steep hills in open terrain is that the views change and improve quickly, reinforcing your sense of accomplishment. - A little higher up the hill, looking west toward Valley Wells, where I stopped at the store yesterday
Valley Wells should be that small spot in the valley in the distance, the one with the vertical line (a dirt road) sprouting out of it, about 5.5 miles away. The Sawtooth is visible in the distance just right of centre. - A northwest view beyond three agave stems toward Pachalka Spring, with Kingston Range in the distance at the right
Pachalka Spring is the larger of the two small green patches on the rippled plateau at the centre-right. - Just as my route leaves the wash, I notice a bone fragment on the ground
I haven't seen any large mammals in the area yet, but it seems like the kind of place where bighorn sheep would live. I would expect to find deer and coyotes, and perhaps wild burros too. - I start the one-mile climb up the hills ahead on the way to Copper World Mine
I'll gain 800 feet elevation during that mile, so it's fairly steep, especially at the top. If it's too slippery for me up there, I may have to turn around and walk the long way to Copper World Mine, around the hills instead of straight over them. - 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
It was quite windy overnight and I had strange dreams before finally getting up around 10h. The wind has been keeping the tent cool inside despite the morning sun trying to heat it up. I have my usual breakfast of granola, nuts, dried fruit, a small pot of tea, and an electrolyte-replacer drink. - I've learned my lesson and walk around looking for large rocks to put inside my tent
It's ironic that it actually takes some time in such rocky surroundings to find rocks of just the right size to go in the tent: not too big, not too small. - 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
I bring 4.5 litres of water, three energy bars, a bag of almonds, a sweater, a flashlight, batteries, my GPS, a couple of maps, and EpiPens in case of yellowjacket sting. - Pachalka Spring Road drops down into a gravelly wash that drains from the Clark Mountain area in the background
I'm not going all the way up to the Clark Mountain summit; I would need to start that hike earlier in the day than this. I passed through this wash yesterday on the way here. - Bicycle route from Cima Dome (Sunrise Rock) to Pachalka Spring, Mojave National Preserve (Day 12)
19.2 bicycle miles with 1370 feet of elevation gain. - Elevation profile of bicycle route from Cima Dome (Sunrise Rock) to Pachalka Spring, Mojave National Preserve (Day 12)
19.2 bicycle miles with 1370 feet of elevation gain. - The blossoms on this tree look almost like the flowers of a Palmer's penstemon; hummingbirds probably love these
However, the large heart-shaped leaves remind me more of a cottonwood than anything else. - Most of the day's clouds have lifted in the south and I can see that it's getting close to full moon
This view looks southeast from my tent up Pachalka Spring Road. The moonlight turns out to be spectacular later in the evening when I don't even need a flashlight to go outside to urinate. - The view northwest from my Pachalka Spring campsite provides no colourful sunset this evening due to cloud cover
The wind picks up later in the evening. I see the Kingston Range from here toward the right and a few flashes of light make me wonder if there is lightning somewhere, or perhaps just a few happy campers down by the power-line road. Supper tonight is Mountain House Sweet and Sour Pork (tasty again), some Trader Joe's teriyaki beef jerky, and those two bottles of Newcastle beer that I bought earlier at the Valley Wells store (and which are still somewhat cool). I feel like I really need all those calories. There were a lot of flies around when I first got here, but they dissipate with the setting sun. In addition to the strong late-evening winds, I listen to quail clucking around sunset, crickets throughout the evening, a bit of airplane noise from Las Vegas, and some distant freeway traffic rumbling from Interstate 15 a few miles away. After writing a journal entry for the day, I read some of Edward Abbey's "Desert Solitaire" and finally get to sleep around 1h30. The moonlight is beautiful tonight. - Before sundown, I go for another short walk over to Pachalka Spring
I walk through thick grass looking for signs of water. I have plenty of water for tonight and most of tomorrow, but I want to ascertain if there is water here that I will be able to filter later. - There it is, Pachalka Spring, bubbling up from a pipe in the middle of the yerba mansa patch
I feel reassured knowing I can get water here tomorrow if needed. The cool, clean water drops into a metal tub and the overflow creates a small downward stream under much brush and grass. - I hear a trickle of water somewhere nearby, so I walk past the yellow mesquite blooms into the patch of yerba mansa flowers
I keep watching for snakes, as this seems like a perfect place for them to loiter inconspicuously. I've seen several huge black bees in the area, but no snakes yet. - A tree that I've never seen before is blooming profusely in the moist area just below Pachalka Spring
The twisted trunk of the tree is vaguely manzanita- or madrone-like, but the leaves don't look like either of those trees. - With Pachalka Spring's greenery behind me, I walk back to my bike and look for a spot to set up my tent
I notice an elderberry tree down in the wash, which I didn't know grows in the Mojave Desert (I have one in my backyard). Then I scare a bunch of quail and two small black-throated black-tailed birds on the way up the hill. I set up my tent in a decent clearing along Pachalka Spring Road, presuming that there won't be any significant traffic passing by while I camp here for a couple of days. - A campfire ring by the trees adjacent to Pachalka Spring makes for an enticing place to set up camp
I haven't seen the water at Pachalka Spring yet, if there is any, but this is closer to the spring than I want to camp, running water or not. - Down in the wash below Pachalka Spring are more ruins
Remnants also exist of a low rock retaining wall and a faint road passes by at the right. - Only a small piece of the stone walls remains of the house that once stood near Pachalka Spring, Mojave National Preserve
The remainder looks like a cold-storage room due to its concrete walls and ceiling. - Pachalka Spring Road just west of the ruins doesn't look like it gets much traffic
I ride in the more spacious left-tire track. - 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
I probably don't want to camp out too close to Pachalka Spring itself. I don't want to disturb the animals that visit the spring, and I don't want to be disturbed by them either. - After passing through an extensive gravelly area in the wash south of Pachalka Spring, the road abruptly rises a short distance
Sharp, shiny rocks here look like a great place to get a flat tire. Some short stretches of the road along here register at 10-15 percent grade. - In the area above Pachalka Spring, I find the ruins of an old house
A bush is growing through the concrete floor of what was perhaps once the living room. In the foreground, one sees modern concrete slabs superimposed on an earlier rock foundation. - Pachalka Spring Road has slowly made its way up onto a low ridge
Prior to this trip, I studied this area extensively using Google Earth and it's interesting to finally see it live. The road needs to dip down into and out of a wash before it can reach Pachalka Spring. - Looking to my left (north), I see a patch of green trees, which must be Pachalka Spring
It's not apparent in this photo, but a steep gulley divides the area where I'm standing and Pachalka Spring. The road makes a gradual detour around this obstacle. - 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
This little downhill only lasts a quarter-mile, and descends less than 100 feet, but is a nice break. Clark Mountain is the peak ahead, Mojave National Preserve's highest point. - As always, I look behind me frequently to see how much I've risen, to reassure myself that my work is creating progress
One feature that I keep noticing behind me on the way up this grade is the Sawtooth, that distinct little notch in the distant mountains in the centre of this photo. I haven't visited that part of Mojave National Preserve. - Pachalka Spring Road was climbing slowly at 3-5 percent grade for a while, but now the grade is 5-10 percent
I hike the bike slowly, but steadfastly, taking many short pauses. I keep on rolling. I'm sweating a lot, but the semi-overcast day has helped a lot in keeping me from seriously overheating like I did down at the hotter Cornfield Springs area. - An hour later, Pachalka Spring Road climbs up through a wash
I've been walking the bike off and on, but the gravel here has me in walking-only mode. I don't mind, as I was counting on a road that is absent from my GPS maps to be rough, or perhaps even impassable to some motor vehicles. - My road splits, and I follow the right fork leading toward the Clark Mountain Range and Pachalka Spring
This road to my right doesn't appear in the maps in my GPS, so I had to record it in advance of my trip as an off-road route. - I start riding up the fan on the road to Pachalka Spring, Mojave National Preserve, straight toward the Clark Mountain Range
The road has been mostly rideable so far, but it's deteriorating, so I'm expecting to do a bit of bike-hiking soon. But maybe not, who knows. - A big tree, partly broken, near the old Valley Wells town site
There's even a bit of small green grass around this tree, probably due to the spring nearby. Native vegetation is absent right here, so perhaps it was once somebody's lawn. - Re-entering Mojave National Preserve, this time in the smaller part of the Preserve that's north of Interstate 15
This northern piece of the Mojave National Preserve consists mostly of the Clark Mountain Range. - Looking over to the Clark Mountain Range from the Cima Road bridge over I-15, I try to discern the location of Pachalka Spring
I haven't been to Pachalka Spring before, but it should be at the base of one the mountains in the distance. The woman working at the Kelso Depot visitor centre last week didn't know if Pachalka Spring would have water or not. - 1.5 miles beyond Interstate 15, I reach the dirt road that will take me to Pachalka Spring and bear right
There are several minor roads in this area, so I've loaded my route into my Delorme GPS and am careful to make sure I take the correct road. - I stop at the old Valley Wells town site to check out the final remnants of the wall of a mud-brick building
Of course, one wonders how long ago there was an actual building here and how long it took to deteriorate this much. Was the deterioration due to weather or vandalism, or both? - Nearby is the metal skeleton of an old counter or stove
In true desert fashion, it has been shot up many times. - The washroom sink at the Valley Wells gas station matches the urinal in its unique epoxy tackiness
So much for privacy; the huge mirror at the sink affords a big view of the urinal behind you, the hand-washer. - Replenished with lots of water in case there is none at Pachalka Spring, I ride over the bridge above Interstate 15
After not seeing all that many cars during the past week and a half in Mojave National Preserve, these vehicles speeding down the I-15 freeway are quite the spectacle. - The urinal in the washroom at the Valley Wells gas station is truly unique
This epoxy festival is unlike anything I've ever urinated into. - The Valley Wells urinal is so unique that an adjacent handwritten sign tells you that, "yes, this IS a urinal!"
They even sell postcards at the store here with photos of this urinal. - I buy three gallons of water at the Valley Wells gas station store at I-15 and take a nice long break
I pour the water into my bottles, Camelbak and water bag. I also buy a can of Coke (which I rarely do) and El Sombroso salsa corn chips that are so good that I go back for seconds. A couple of big bottles of Newcastle beer max out my carrying capacity. It's a treat to find good beer out here in the desert, which is often a sea of pissy commercial beer. I buy a pack of napkins too, and bungee my water bag onto the top of my front rack, which will make steering nice and heavy. - 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
A large grader, or something like that, is coming down off the bridge. - The bottom of Cima Road exits Mojave National Preserve; I take a break by the monument that folks see upon entering the Preserve
There is a disconnected piece of Mojave National Preserve on the other side of Interstate 15, the Clark Mountain Range area, which I'll enter in a while. - I continue whooshing down Cima Road and can now see trucks on Interstate 15 in the distance
The lower part of Cima Road is paved with that brick-red material that one finds here and there in the Mojave. I'm guessing that it's a material native to the area, but I don't know what it is. - Well, the cistern in this old corral along Cima Road is dry, so I presume the big water tank nearby is empty too
The cistern would still collect water when it rains, hence its rusty bottom, but the corral doesn't look like it's being used any more. The dirt road by the corral leads east to mining areas that I haven't visited yet. - I zoom down the 12 miles of gentle Cima Road grade to Valley Wells at Interstate 15
With the wind behind me, I hit 30 miles per hour while descending from 5000 feet elevation down to 3730 feet. - On the way down the Cima Road hill, I stop at an old corral and water tank
Since there are a few ranches in the area, I'm curious as to whether these facilities are still being used. - Nearby is Kessler Peak and an old mining to the north, which might make a nice hike
I toy with the idea of spending another night here. I started the day with about 5.5 litres of water, but I would probably need more to stay overnight. I could ride down to the Cima store to buy some, but there's no guarantee that it will be open. - I decide to head to Pachalka Spring as originally planned; my campsite slowly morphs into a well-packed 10-ton bike
On a future trip, I hope to do another hike in the Cima Dome area like I did last year. With only a few more days left on this trip, my goal is to make it to Pachalka Spring in the Clark Mountain Range, which I haven't visited yet. While packing up, an SUV passes by my campsite on the dirt road, the only motor vehicle I've seen back here since arriving yesterday evening. - I ride the half-mile up the dirt road from my Cima Dome campsite and reach the pavement of Cima Road at noon sharp
I hiked to Teutonia Peak ahead, and beyond over the summit of Cima Dome to Deer Spring during last year's trip. An excellent hike worth repeating some day. - Along Cima Road is a large patch of exposed rock
Somehow, a couple of juniper trees manage to grow in cracks in the rock here. - It's a pleasant, breezy morning up here on Cima Dome, about 70 degrees, and a bit overcast
Some early sun heated up the tent a little, then clouds blew in to let me sleep in until around 8h45. After two mornings of Bill's cooked breakfasts at Nipton's Whistle Stop Café, it's back to lots of granola and dried fruit today (pears, plums and nectarines). As usual, I also eat tamari almonds, and drink a small pot of hot tea, in addition to a cup of electrolyte-replacing drink. - Nipton to Sunrise Rock (Cima Dome) elevation profile (Day 11)
32 bicycle miles, 2630 feet elevation gain. - Nipton to Sunrise Rock (Cima Dome) bicycle route (Day 11)
32 bicycle miles, 2630 feet elevation gain. - Sunset glows around the distant Clark Mountain range tonight
I'll visit that area tomorrow; Pachalka Spring to be exact. I finally cook my add-boiling-water-to-bag supper, Mountain House Beef Stew. Delicious as usual. I hear a noise outside my tent, can't decipher it at first, but it proves to be a kangaroo rat playing hide-and-seek with me. This has happened previously while camping in this area, so I bring my Camelbak inside my tent, knowing that they are attracted to the moisture on the drinking nib. For dessert I listen to a pack of yipping coyotes a few miles away very busy with something. I also hear an occasional car speed by on Cima Road a half mile away. A few moths flit against my tent, but there are almost no flies tonight. The moon is bright tonight, illuminates the land, and rocks me to sleep, and it's not even a full moon yet. - When I think of the Cima Dome area, I think of gorgeous sunsets, and tonight is no exception
Whenever the wind dies down for a moment, I hear crickets singing. A bird whistles so perfectly a few times that it sounds like a human nearby. Aren't I the only human around here right now, except for the occasional passing car on Cima Road? It is a bit chilly tonight. Chilly in the Mojave Desert in June? Yes, because I'm in the desert mountains. I would need to put on my long pants and sweater if I were spending a significant amount of time outside tonight. Spring evenings are beautiful up here at 5000 feet, but it can snow sometimes during the winter months. - I hop around the rocks that surround my Cima Dome campsite and catch the pre-dusk orange desert glow
Gusty winds up here make a lot of noise, but occasionally they stop for a few moments, and then everything is quiet and peaceful. I can even hear a train six miles away passing through Cima down below. - At the summit of Cima Road, I pull in at Sunrise Rock and go about selecting a campsite
The "blank sign" atop the rock here has been the subject of much controversy. It's actually a cross that's temporarily covered by a wooden box because religious promotion (the cross) is not permitted on national park lands. - I ride down the sandy road by Sunrise Rock to choose a campsite
There are a number of campsites to choose from in this scenic area, the main disadvantage being that a couple of them are close to the paved road. Sunrise Rock is easy to drive to, so it's probably not the best place to camp on a weekend. - 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
I guess this is my favourite campsite here since I've returned to it without intending to do so. Nobody else seems to be camping in the area on this Tuesday evening, which is fine with me. - Cool winds up here on Cima Dome at 5000 feet have dried my sweat; crunchy salt stains remain
Though expensive, these lightweight merino-wool T-shirts are excellent and don't get nearly as smelly as my cotton shirts after a day or three of hot and sweaty activity. - From my tent on Cima Dome, I watch a jackrabbit hop around a lot, digging small holes along the way
The jackrabbit doesn't notice me at first. I'm not sure what he was looking for, but it doesn't look like he found it. - 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
Though I'm not quite on the summit of Cima Dome itself here (I'd have to hike a couple of miles west to get there), this site offers excellent views of the setting sun in the west. - I turn around for a view back down to Cima while climbing up Cima Road
Panoramic views of the Mid Hills from here. Eagle Rocks, where I hiked last week, is the small pointy, light-grey outcrop on top of the hills. This photo makes the Cima area below look like a valley, when it's really a pass. To the left, the terrain drops slowly down to Ivanpah Valley (I just came up that way). To the right, the land slopes down into the Kelso Valley, where I spent the first two nights of this trip. - A little further up Cima Road is the Kessler Springs Ranch property, which is inhabited and off-limits to Preserve visitors
The ranch does contain water from Kessler Springs, but it's unfortunately not made available to bikepackers or backpackers passing by. A beautiful location for a ranch. - Across Cima Road from Kessler Springs Ranch is a dirt road that leads to Cut Spring
Cut Spring may, or may not, have water. It's just under two miles down the road and I'm tempted to check it out. However, the road could be slow, and I want to camp near the Cima Road summit tonight to facilitate tomorrow's ride to Pachalka Spring. - The front exterior of the collapsing house at Cima
The house has three front doors, an unusual arrangement (one of the doors is hidden by the post in the photo). - I get back on the 10-ton bike and start riding up to the top of the Cima Dome hill
Teutonia Peak, the small mountain ahead, sits on Cima Dome off to the left of the summit of the road, while larger Kessler Peak lies to the right. - On my way out of "town," I'll check out these collapsing old houses just up the road from the Cima store
I've passed by these structures a few times during previous Mojave National Preserve trips, but never bothered to stop and explore them. - An old stove is crushed beneath the collapsed roof of this house at Cima, Mojave National Preserve
Though abandoned and collapsed today, someone once, perhaps 80 years ago, meticulously nailed all these boards together. - Old hardwood-flooring slats peer out from beneath the debris of this abandoned house at Cima, Mojave National Preserve
From this view of the corner of the old house, it looks like it had no foundation. - It always amazes me that houses like this one at Cima can be left to decay literally to the point of collapsing
I guess I've lived too long in expensive urban areas where even modest houses are usually still worth maintaining in a livable state. - Old refigerator in the back porch of an abandoned house at Cima, Mojave National Preserve
The back porch doesn't have exterior walls anymore. - Inside one of the rooms of the collapsing house at Cima
There's no plaster left on the walls at all; maybe there never was any. - I divert my attention away from the climb by staring off into the distance at the Butcher Knife Canyon area of the Mid Hills
I camped two nights near Butcher Knife Canyon during last year's Mojave National Preserve trip and really enjoyed that area. Howe Spring, which I visited last week, is on the other side of Butcher Knife Canyon. - Finally I've made it to the top of Morning Star Mine Road
The road bears left here at the summit, then I'll have 3.5 miles of almost-flat downhill before I reach the Cima store. I've never been up the dirt roads that depart here to my right, one of which leads to the old Billy Boy Mine site. - Two miles before the Cima store, Morning Star Road passes under one of the big power lines that cross the Mojave Desert
I could shave a few miles off my trip by taking the shortcut road that follows the power lines up to Cima Road, like I did during my 2006 Mojave National Preserve trip, but I want to see if the Cima store is open. - Oh well, Cima store is closed, but I wasn't really expecting it to be open
Cima store isn't supposed to be open after 16h, but when I passed by here last year one day around 17h, it was open. One never knows what to expect here, so I'm carrying enough water such that I won't die of thirst if the store is closed. - The 10-ton bike takes a short rest by the Cima store before the final six-mile ride up Cima Road to Cima Dome
I'll rise 800 feet over six miles on Cima Road to Sunrise Rock on Cima Dome, but it will be easy because I'll have the wind pushing me from behind now. - Onward and upward on the final three miles of climbing of Morning Star Mine Road
I'm ready to tackle this hill, this headwind, this heartburn. Intermittent crosswinds are mildly destabilizing, but still better than the headwind. The grade is a tad steeper here, mostly three-to-four percent, and occasionally five. - After almost two hours of climbing, I reach the corral, my favourite landmark (one of the only ones) on Morning Star Mine Road
I took a short break earlier, and now it's time for another. I'm having some heartburn (maybe I shouldn't have put so much hot sauce on my omelet this morning), but I eat half a chocolate-mint Clif bar anyway because I need the sugar and caffeine. While taking a break here during my 2006 Mojave National Preserve trip, I met a generous pipe-smoking man who was camping here and gave me my first Camelbak (and even filled it with ice and water from his RV). - Behind the Morning Star Mine Road corral is a dirt road that crosses the fan to the base of the New York Mountains
This road might be a good route earlier in the year when there's still a chance of getting some water over there at Garvanza Spring at 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 940 feet of elevation gain and 8.5 miles of slow uphill, I'm about 2/3 up the hill. The faint coolness in the wind at this elevation feels great and efficiently converts my generous sweat into salt residue. But my water is hot. - 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 hang out at the store a bit before leaving, chatting with the clerk and a customer. I'll ride seven miles across Ivanpah Valley, slightly downhill, then turn left on Ivanpah Road just before I reach the mountains ahead. Today I'm carrying 12-13 litres of water: my four 1.5-litre water bottles and two-litre camelbak are full, and my 10-litre water bag is about half full. Nipton Road is not in Mojave National Preserve, but all the land to my left is. - I turn south on Ivanpah Road and am welcomed by this flash-flood warning sign
I have just over three miles of almost-flat road ahead of me, so I had better enjoy it while I have it! - Also near the beginning of Ivanpah Road is one of those "entering Mojave National Preserve" monuments
Crap, I have a really strong headwind, which I have had in this area on previous Mojave National Preserve trips. It feels uphill already, even though I haven't even started the day's climb yet! - I reach the junction of Morning Star Mine Road and turn right
Great views from here across Ivanpah Valley to the New York Mountains, which I need to revisit one day. - OK, the long, slow, dreaded climb up Morning Star Mine Road is officially on
I've been at it for about half an hour now. It's not steep at a grade of one-to-two percent, but the relentless headwind and the heavy bike make for slow meditation as I move upward against gravity. - Morning Star Mine Road rises over 11.5 miles from 2750 feet elevation to about 4285 feet
Morning Star Mine Road is a lot of fun to ride down, but is somewhat boring in the uphill direction. With a speed limit of 55 miles per hour, traffic on this road is fast and demands that a bicyclist remain attentive. It's not a really busy road, but it is probably the busiest in Mojave National Preserve. It's best ridden during the week when traffic is lighter. - I'm up early this morning to have breakfast at the Nipton café and pack up the tent
I slept well last night, except for the feeling that I was about to be run over by a train that passed through Nipton at 1h. The odour of the leach field under the boards by tent tent is fairly strong this morning. - I walk over to the Nipton café and Bill cooks me another tasty omelet with Asian vegetables and shrimp
Breakfast is long and relaxing and I have two cups of decent, but not espresso, coffee. Bill and I chat a lot. I'm the only diner on this quiet Tuesday morning. - In front of the Nipton store is a Mojave National Preserve information kiosk; the Preserve begins just beyond the train tracks
The pass straight ahead in the distance is the top of Morning Star Mine Road near Cima, my route today out of Ivanpah Valley, and it's also the way I came here two days ago. - I take a another shower before leaving Nipton (probably my last one for a week) and brush my teeth
The Nipton shower building is baking hot inside and today's sweat has already begun. It's already 83 degrees, but this is actually a reasonable temperature for the Ivanpah Valley in June. It was hotter here a couple of weeks ago. - Nipton to Black Palisades hike elevation profile (Day 10)
6.5 miles and 700 feet elevation gain (and loss). - Nipton to Black Palisades hike route (Day 10)
6.5 miles and 700 feet elevation gain (and loss). - The Nipton hot tub was repaired today, so I try it out later in the evening
Unfortunately, the repair man left the heat on, and I decide after a few minutes that it's too hot for me tonight. The short soak is pleasant anyway. Just as I'm falling asleep in the tent, I hear loud yipping over by the train tracks, like a dog in pain, which lasts at least half a minute. A coyote? I fall asleep anyway. - This area on the fan just south of Nipton is clearly subject to occasional flooding during heavy rains
Probably not a great place to set up a tent if there is any possibility of rain during the coming hours... - 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
I wonder if maybe this delineates the Nipton town property (my understanding is that most of the town is one parcel of land belonging to one owner). - 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
I also buy a copy of Edward Abbey's "Desert Solitaire" novel at the Nipton store. Depending on the direction of the wind, the septic field by my tent is quite smelly at times. I probably shouldn't have set up my tent so close to it, but it's the corner of the tent-camping area that gets the deepest shade. Supper is a big tasty pork chop (Bill's last one) with fries and salad from the Nipton café. I chat again with two women who were also here during my trip last year (on biology projects), one of whom brings a delicious cherry pie for Bill's birthday! - Later in the evening, I rinse off in Nipton's dirt-floor semi-outdoor showers and wash some clothes in the two-washer laundromat
There are a lot of water bugs around my tent, apparently living in the adjacent septic field. A few of them get into the shower building, which more squeamish campers might not like. - Crossing the power-line road on the way back to Nipton
The 90-degree heat today in the Ivanpah Valley is moderating my energy level, but, with plenty of water, that's fine for a leisurely hike like this. - I stop to touch the rocky ground beneath me on the way back to Nipton
The ground is quite a bit hotter than the air. My hiking boots are doing a good job at insulating my feet from the heat of the rocky terrain. - The outer shell of a coyote gourd near Nipton
It looks like someone had a feast eating the gourd's contents. - I think this is a pencil cholla cactus, near Nipton, Mojave National Preserve
I haven't noticed many of these on this trip. - I walk up the low mound just south of Black Palisades
This non-volcanic mound is just 50 feet or so above the surrounding terrain, so it barely registers on my topo maps. - The mound is just high enough to provide nice views of Black Palisades and the surroundings
Well, I guess I'll start the three-mile walk back to Nipton. - I walk down the mound to an adjacent wash and start heading back toward the power lines on the Nipton return hike
This is the first time that I've hiked in the Nipton area and, though not as dramatic as the mountainous areas that I seem to prefer, I feel like there's more for me to explore on foot around here. - There's a lot more to explore here, but I'm lazy today and walk back down the slope of Black Palisades
I want to walk over to a nearby mound to catch the views from there. - Nice view from here at Black Palisades toward Cima
Tomorrow I'll ride up Morning Star Mine Road and over that pass; I rode down that way yesterday to get to Nipton. - Nearby, I discover some bones in a nest huddled in the rocks
Do I smell a rat? - OK, I'll climb a little higher up Black Palisades, just a little further
Though I'm feeling quite lazy today, I could easily be coaxed into exploring the nooks and crannies of this area for an hour or two. - More volcanic-looking rock on Black Palisades, Mojave National Preserve
Even though this area is so close to Nipton, it doesn't appear that many people venture out this way. - Looking down toward Nipton, I see a dust devil making its way across the fan
Indeed, the wind has picked up this afternoon, and it keeps trying to blow the hat off my head. - I rest here on the west side of Black Palisades for a few minutes
With Castle Peaks behind me, I drink warm water and eat a Clif bar; I need more energy. - I discover a dry tinaja (Spanish for "water jar") at Black Palisades with fairly fresh scat adjacent
This tinaja probably holds water during much of the year, a relief to the wildlife in this otherwise dry area with no natural springs. - A nearby alcove in the rocks at Black Palisades harbours nesting materials rather than a tinaja
I'll guess that this is a rat nest, but I really don't know. I would be very surprised to learn that it's a bird nest. - I stumble across a faint trace of an old road that passes by the west edge of Black Palisades
I wonder when this road was last used by a motor vehicle. Black Palisades itself is just to my left. - I walk up toward the closest turret of Black Palisades
I'm not feeling too ambitious in today's 90-degree heat, so I probably won't attempt to walk across the entire ridge of Black Palisades. - Here it is, Black Palisades, about a quarter mile in front of me
I'm about 400 feet above Nipton here. This isn't very high up, but it is 90 degrees this afternoon and there's no shade to be had anywhere, so hiking needs to be done at a leisurely pace. - I reach the power lines about a half mile before Black Palisades
The spires of the Castle Peaks in the northern Mid Hills poke up in the background. I haven't made it to Castle Peaks on any of my Mojave National Preserve trips yet. - I cross the power-line road and stare at its thread leading up the hill into the distance, toward Cima
I took a similar photo of these Mojave power lines during last year's Mojave National Preserve trip. - I leave the primitive road and start walking cross-country toward Black Palisades
I pass my first barrel cactus of the day; these don't grow in lower valley elevations such as Nipton. - Here's an old rusty lid from a tobacco tin, perhaps Copenhagen snuff
The inscription reads "United States Tobacco." Seeing a Copenhagen lid always makes me happy. - A substantial can dump on the outskirts of Nipton
I spend a few minutes walking around the piles of hundreds, if not thousands, of rusty tin cans, looking to see if there's anything I can identify here. - At the junction of two old roads, I take the one that heads off to my left, toward the Mid Hills
This road will eventually cross the power-line road in the distance. It is on my maps, but I didn't notice passing it when I rode down the power-line road during last year's Mojave National Preserve trip. Black Palisades is visible at the left edge of this photo. - The old road out of Nipton is marginal at best and is a bit washed out in places, but it makes a great trail
This road is not in a Wilderness area, and while it doesn't seem to get much automobile use, tracks indicate that some dirt bikers enjoy this route occasionally. - 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
At the Nipton store, I drink an Arizona iced tea for an additional sugar-and-caffeine boost, then I'm on my way. - One last thing: I stop at the outdoor sink at Nipton to refill my water bottles before heading out
I bring six litres of water with me today, but will only drink about two of those. - Today I'm hiking over to "Black Palisades" (it has no official name): that dark rocky mound in the distance
It's already 90 degrees, so an easy hike is a perfect way to take a "day off," while still exploring the area a little. I noticed Black Palisades while riding down the nearby powerline road during last year's Mojave National Preserve trip and thought it would be a good destination for an easy hike some day. - A concrete stairwell and heavy steel door lead into the basement
Whatever this was, a lot of time and effort was spent on building it. In the distance is the pass near Crescent Spring on Highway 164, just inside the Nevada State line. - Just southeast of Nipton lies this bunker-like concrete foundation
I don't know what this was, but it looks like there may have been a structure built on top of it. - Further beyond, I stumble across what appears to be part of an old automobile dashboard
I don't see an old abandoned car nearby, however. - Last night's light rain never became heavy; now I enjoy the shade of the eucalyptus trees during the warm morning at Nipton
After the big meal and beer last night, I fell asleep easily around 22h45 and even the trains passing by during the night barely woke me up. Around 3h, however, I woke up to the sound and feel of light rain. After mounting the outer shell on my tent to keep the rain from coming in, I listened to the crickets singing until I finally got back to sleep around 4h30. A bird started whistling at about that hour, which at first sounded human (why would someone be walking around Nipton at this early hour whistling; in the downtown San José ghetto where I live, this kind of insanity would be normal). Next thing I know, I'm rolling over to check the time and it's 8h45. I rush over to the café, hoping that I didn't miss breakfast, and Bill cooks me a tasty omelet with shrimp and Asian vegetables. And I drink two cups of coffee to wake up. On the way over to the café I chat with Federico, from Italy, who stayed at the bed-and-breakfast last night. - After breakfast, I take a shower and explore the rustic garden in front of the bed-and-breakfast
What a luxury it is to take a morning shower after more than a week of tent camping! The steering wheel on a post is a memorial for a guy named Ken Trongo: "let's see where this road goes." - In the middle of the Nipton garden is an area built of coloured rocks
Trains still pass on the tracks just behind the garden, like they've done for the past 100 years, but they don't stop here any more. - Bicycle route from Mid Hills campground to Nipton via Cima and Morning Star Mine Road (Day 9)
42 bicycle miles. - Elevation profile of bicycle ride from Mid Hills campground to Nipton via Cima and Morning Star Mine Road (Day 9)
42 bicycle miles. To my surprise, I actually rode up, mostly on very gentle grade, 988 feet on the way down to Nipton at 3000 feet from Mid Hills campground at about 5600 feet. - At Nipton's Whistle Stop Café, Bill cooks me a delicious New York steak, salad and fries
I'm not usually a huge meat eater. However, Bill's hamburgers are really good, and that's what I was intending to eat. Today I've decided to splurge and order a steak, for the first time ever. - Bill's dog keeps me company while he prepares our meals
Two other tables at the café arrived before me, so it takes a while to get my meal, since everything is cooked to order by Bill. Excellent meal, and it's worth eating here even if you are just passing through and not staying at Nipton. Satiated after the big meal and the evening's beer fest, I fall asleep in my tent around 22h45. - Next door to the Nipton store is the Whistle Stop Café, which is what I'm really looking forward to
The café at Nipton closes for a couple of hours at the end of the afternoon and then reopens at 18h for folks like me looking for a home-cooked evening meal. I'll be back then. - While setting up my tent under the eucalyptus trees just south of the Nipton store, a train rushes past
Nipton was once a train stop on an important cross-desert route. The extreme noise of an occasional train passing a few hundred feet from one's tent is both charming and annoying. But I like it here. - In the heat of the late afternoon, I drink lots of cold beer, which goes down like water after a hot bicycle ride
Tom, at the Nipton store, made a makeshift refrigerator for my beer out from a big plastic bag and lots of ice. It works really well! I was hoping for Sierra Nevada beer, but they don't sell that anymore because the guy who used to buy it left town. - Behind my tent at Nipton lays a series of old railroad ties concealing a stinky septic leach field, and a few tent cabins beyond
Not visible, just to the left, is the quonset hut which houses Nipton's bathrooms and showers. I cool down in the shade here with beer and have a good buzz going by the time the café opens at 18h! The tent cabins are unoccupied tonight. - After three miles on Ivanpah Road, I head east on Nipton Road for the final seven miles across Ivanpah Valley
Nipton is the cluster of buildings at centre-left. The last five miles to Nipton are a slow one-percent grade from about 2625 feet to 3000 feet elevation. It's hotter down here in the valley, in the mid 80s. - Crossing the floor of the Ivanpah Valley on Nipton Road, I stop for a very short break to take in the scenery
I should do a hike in the expansive flats here some day. The pale green appearance of the land here is quite different from most of the flats in Mojave National Preserve which are studded with olive-green creosote bush. - 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
Hot and sweaty from riding across Ivanpah Valley, I step inside for refreshments (including beer) and to pay for an expensive campsite. - The amazing 11.5-mile downhill on Morning Star Mine Road abruptly ends at a T-intersection and stop sign at Ivanpah Road
I'll turn left at the intersection here onto Ivanpah Road to partially circumvent and then cross Ivanpah Valley on the way to Nipton. - Downhill on Morning Star Mine Road is not steep, but it is long: about 11.5 miles on a 2 percent grade
It's a lot of fun going down, but quite time-consuming and tiring to ride in the uphill direction. The 11.5-mile-long hill drops from about 4285 feet elevation down to 2750 feet. - It's down, down, down on Morning Star Mine Road, Mojave National Preserve
Due to a fairly strong headwind today, I'm only reaching 25 miles per hour as my maximum speed. Sometimes I'll approach 35 miles per hour on my way down this hill. - Still rolling quickly downward on Morning Star Mine Road, Ivanpah Valley comes clearer into view
Nipton, my destination today, is on the other side of Ivanpah Valley. Best of all, there hasn't been all that much traffic on Morning Star Mine Road today, which makes bicycling less stressful. - I reach the point on Morning Star Mine Road that I call "the big curve," after which the serious downhill begins
I've ridden this fast road quite a few times on past Mojave National Preserve trips. One day I may try the slower, more remote, dirt-road route to Nipton along the train tracks (Nipton-Brant Road) instead of Morning Star Mine Road. - I depart Cima and ride down Morning Star Mine Road, one of Mojave National Preserve's main, high-speed, paved roads
It will be fast downhill soon enough, but the first three miles are are ever-so-slightly uphill: I gain about 100 feet in elevation. - Two very crooked old sheds rest on the property behind the Cima store
I bet these sheds are full of no-longer-used items! - Behind the Cima store is an old house, presumably the residence of the store owner and postmistress
The house's board-and-batten exterior matches that of the Cima Store out front. The six-over-six window at the far left may date back to the early 1900s, while the wider windows to the right look like later additions, perhaps from the 1950s. - The Cima Store property also serves as a graveyard for many expired motor vehicles
An old toilet sits out here too. If the area weren't still occupied, it would be interesting to walk behind the fence and explore this chaotic outdoor museum. - Faded paint on this old truck behind the Cima Store labels it as a possession of Providence Land and Cattle
A Google search for "Providence Land and Cattle" turns up nothing. Best to ask some locals about the history of this truck; someone will know. - More old motor vehicles, and another crooked shed, behind the Cima Store, Mojave National Preserve
A few daturas have grown next to the truck and are showing off pretty, poisonous, white blossoms. - The interior mail slot taped shut, I follow the instructions and drop my mortgage payment in the mailbox outside
Another sign in the Cima post-office lobby mentions attempts to minimize disruption of service during some work that will be done here soon. - Inside the lobby of the Cima post office
During open hours, the flake-board panels open up to expose the postal service counter. - The heavily weathered board-and-batten exterior of the Cima store is in need of restoration work
Hopefully this building won't be allowed to return to nature like many old houses around Cima. The historic Cima post office has been at this site for almost a century; the current postmistress and store operator has been here since the early 1960s. - Predictably unpredictable, the Cima store is closed, even though it should be open according to the posted hours
On a bikepacking trip, one needs to treat this store like a spring that might not have water: carry enough water so that you don't have to rely on the store, but if the store is open, you may may be able to fill up and dry-camp somewhere unplanned. - The real gem of the Cima post office is its set of antique postal boxes, apparently still in service
I wonder if these postal boxes are about to be retired some day soon. New weatherproof postal boxes now sit outside in front of the post office. - At the bottom of Cima Road, I cross the train tracks, arrive on pavement, and ride over to the Cima Store
It feels so modern to be on a paved road again. - A mile up Death Valley Mine Road, I stop at Thomas Place for a Clif-bar-and-water break like I did yesterday
I watch the passing train along Kelso-Cima Road down in the valley as I make another cell-phone call to change my outgoing message to let people know where I am. This is one of the areas around here where my cell phone works. - After my break at Thomas Place, I get back on Death Valley Mine Road and ride north through the joshua tree forest
I have about four miles to ride on this road, some of which is slightly uphill, some slightly downhill. - I've ridden Death Valley Mine Road a couple of times on previous Mojave National Preserve trips, and I always enjoy this one
This less-used route to Cima removes several hundred feet of downhill and uphill, and is much more tranquil. Tire tracks show that this road does get used, but I haven't encountered a motor vehicle here yet. - I make a mistake and turn down a well-travelled road that I think at first is Cima Road
After a quarter-mile, I check my maps and GPS and realize that the road is not indicated and I'm not on Cima Road. I turn back to rejoin Death Valley Mine Road and discover the real Cima Road a short distance further. - 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
Two more miles on dirt road with a gentle elevation drop of about 175 feet before. The collection of buildings known as Cima is visible in the distance at centre-left. - Almost everything I brought with me ends up on the picnic table, and then squeezed into my saddlebags
This is definitely not lightweight bikepacking here, and I should make an effort to carry a bit less stuff with me. - It will be almost all downhill riding today in Mojave National Preserve
Starting at 5600 feet elevation, I ride the 3/4 mile out of Mid Hills campground then head down Wild Horse Canyon for two miles on a stretch of road that is always challenging in the uphill direction with the 10-ton bike. - Next, I ride two miles down the washboarded Black Canyon Road, which ends at a T-intersection in Cedar Canyon
At the intersection of Black Canyon Road and Cedar Canyon Road, I'm already 600 feet below Mid Hills campground. - I follow Cedar Canyon Road westward for a few miles, which is also mostly downhill
Cedar Canyon Road is also very washboarded, so I don't ride very fast. This would be an awesome downhill if the road were paved, but please keep it wild and don't pave it! - The road rises out of Cedar Canyon to look out over Kelso Valley and I turn right here on Death Valley Mine Road
I crossed Cedar Canyon Road here yesterday and walked up Death Valley Mine Road. About a mile of today's bicycle ride overlaps yesterday's hiking route to Live Oak Spring. I can see the old Mojave Road rising up in the distance toward the Marl Mountains. - OK, I really am leaving Mid Hills campground this morning; to go to Nipton
After spending the last six nights here at Mid Hills, it's feeling more like home than ever. I get up early because I know it will take me a while to pack up at my usual leisurely pace. - Elevation of round-trip hike from Mid Hills campground to Thomas Place, Live Oak Spring and "Seep Canyon" (Day 8)
14.1 hiking miles and 2585 feet of elevation gain (and loss). - Round-trip hiking route from Mid Hills campground to Thomas Place, Live Oak Spring and "Seep Canyon" (Day 8)
14.1 hiking miles and 2585 feet of elevation gain (and loss). Follow the route in the clockwise direction. - 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
Tomorrow I'm headed down to Nipton in the hotter valley below, whether I like it or not. I need a shower. Badly. And I also need to do a laundry. And drop the mortgage payment in the mail at the Cima mail box. Supper tonight is Mountain House Chicken Teriyaki with Rice, which is delicious. I eat it a little too quickly. Being Saturday night, I have neighbours again at Mid Hills campground, but they are more pleasant than last night's, and they go to bed early. Sleep comes easily tonight. - Back at Mid Hills campground, 7.5 hours after starting today's hike, I settle in for my sixth and last night here
What a great day it has been. It's still 73 degrees, absolutely perfect weather! I have a lot of stickers to remove from my socks tonight. - I walk up the drainage to the campground and almost resurface at the back of the wrong campsite at Mid Hills
Approaching the campsite, which I can't see due to the trees, I hear voices, realize where I am, and make a quick detour over to my own campsite. The campers probably hear me and think I'm an animal in the brush. Maybe I am. - Despite my plan, I end up dipping back down into a drainage wash a bit north of my Mid Hills campsite
I resign myself to one last short steep down and up for the day. After 14 miles, and 2400 feet of elevation gain, a little more won't hurt me! - The challenge right now is to hike to my left and get over to that middle ridge without descending down into Eagle Rocks wash
Great view from here across Kelso Valley and over to Cima Dome.