Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Fall 2010: Route 66 and Kelso Dunes Wilderness Bicycle Camping / Day 8: Newberry Mountains to Barstow by bicycle on Route 66 52
Last night's wind storm continues today at full speed, so I begrudgingly decide to end the trip a day early and ride back to Barstow instead of staying here for the Newberry Mountains hike that I was looking forward to. 16.6 bicycle miles.
Last night's wind storm, which is still alive, blew a dusting of sand into my tent overnight, and kept me from sleeping well
I step outside to take care of morning business and it's just as windy as I thought here in the Newberry Mountains foothills
This desert wind storm seems to be getting a kick out of playing with my flexible tent, just to see what shapes it can make
I've been up for an hour and a half now, and spent much of that pacing around outside, hoping that the wind will die down a bit
Coffee time, I hope: I try heating some water and shelter the burner a little by placing it behind the tent
The problem now is that if the tent does fail and blow over, it will surely land on the flame of my propane burner
Every time I think the wind is lessening, and that the day will progress nicely after all, another big gust pummels my tent
After more than 30 minutes, my lukewarm water makes a good cup of Starbuck's instant coffee, the only instant I find acceptable
I stand in the wind on the Newberry Mountains foothills, thinking (wishing) that the wind is dropping to an acceptable level
I retreat to the tent and consider packing up and skipping today's Newberry Mountains hike as the tent walls blow down at me
I hate my decision: I'm going to pack up and cancel my hike into the Newberry Mountains, even though I'm camped at my trailhead
The Mojave Desert is a dry place, but I see a lot of green sprouts, happier than me about last night's rain storm
While packing up, the tent wants to be a kite; I discover that one of my tent poles has been bent by the wind
OK, I'm leaving my Newberry Mountains campsite, but maybe I shouldn't wimp out like this
I start riding down the Newberry Mountains wash road that I came up last night
It's a winding, gravelly road; no wonder I had to walk the 10-ton bike up this hill last night in the dark
On my way down this Newberry Mountains wash, I stop at a joining side wash that I saw last night on the way here
Hmm... If I had camped along this road in the Newberry Mountains foothills, I would have been more sheltered from the wind
This little wash road in the Newberry Mountains foothills seems to end at the carcass of an old car used for target practice
Wow, this must be the most shot-up thing I've ever come across!
If there were ever a quintessential metaphor for the Amercian desert, this is it
Apparently, this old car was once burned; the steering wheel looks quite melted and limp
I return to the 10-ton bike and coast down the gravel road past a recently built fence
I make it back to the pavement of Hidden Springs Road and roll happily down the hill under the I-40 freeway toward old Route 66
The headwind is so strong as I ride Route 66 that I can barely maintain 7 miles per hour
I stop several times along this stretch of Route 66 to take short breaks from the headwind and look to the Newberry Mountains
As I arrive in the area of the town of Daggett, I pass an old sign for a defunct service station
While passing a trailer park along Route 66 near Daggett, my eyes notice an unusual mobile home
I reach the official "Welcome to Daggett" sign and decide to pull in for a quick tour of the small, historic town
Daggett's old town is an interesting place with many modest older houses
A small grocery store is the dominant living feature on Daggett's main street
These two old commercial buildings in Daggett have been fenced off, perhaps with the hope of preserving them
Nice antique tin paneling above the stone wall on the façade of the Daggett Stone Hotel
An old metal-clad garage-type building sits just down the street from the Daggett Stone Hotel
At the rear of the old wooden building is an addition that looks like residential quarters
The siding of the old wooden building is peeling away as the structure sags
Before leaving Daggett, I stop at a forlorn park bench to change the batteries in my GPS
I've seen several of these low-growing pink-budded plants during this trip
After my side trip into historic Daggett, I get back on Route 66 and head toward the I-40 freeway and tonight's motel in Barstow
While riding the I-40 freeway past the military base on the way back to Barstow, my GPS mysteriously crashes
Off the freeway after a couple of miles, I know I've landed in central Barstow when I pass a liquor store
I remember passing the dead Barstow Mall at the beginning of this trip; I'm still intrigued by it
I ride through Barstow's motel district on my way to the old-school Route 66 Motel where I'll stay again tonight
I have a delicious supper at Rosita's on Barstow's Main Street
On my sink at the Route 66 Motel is a bar of "Rain Breeze" soap
I spend the evening on the round bed in my cabin room at Barstow's Route 66 Motel, watching TV
Tomorrow morning, the trip over, I see a bit of ice in the gutter as I ride Barstow's Main Street to the Amtrak Station
Barstow Station: I enjoy an early lunch in one of the refurbished train cars while waiting for the Amtrak bus
The 10-ton bike waits patiently for the Amtrak bus outside Barstow Station
I see a dusting of snow as my Amtrak bus passes through the Tehachapi Mountains and its wind turbines; this was a good trip
Day 8: Elevation profile of bicycle route from Newberry Mountains to Barstow by on Route 66
Day 8: Bicycle route from Newberry Mountains to Barstow by on Route 66