Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2008: Mojave National Preserve Mountain-Bike Camping and Hike / Day 5: Afternoon hike to an old mine site in the Bighorn Basin hills, Mojave National Preserve 49
I won't see any people today. It's not a long hike, but it's dramatic due to the steep terrain, with no relatively flat land except for the the half mile closest to my campsite.
Total elevation gain (and loss) of 1425 feet as I follow the switchbacks of a steep, grown-in road up a hill, into the secluded gorge of Devil's Playground Wash, then up a mountainside in the Bighorn Basin area of the Granite Mountains.
From my campsite at North Coyote Springs at 3150 feet, the hike climbs to the first summit at 3600 feet, drops quickly to the bottom of Devil's Playground Wash at 3275 feet, then climbs to the second summit above the upper mine at 3875 feet, 5.25 miles round-trip.
- OK, here we go; I've been looking forward to this hike over the hill into the Bighorn Basin area of the Granite Mountains
The old road to the mine is in a Wilderness area, so motor vehicles and bicycles are prohibited. Where they exist, these closed roads serve as excellent hiking trails. - A few desert dudleya grow in the rocks along the old road
I like these subtly colorful succulents and have a few in my garden of other species. - The old road crosses the dry creek here in the grasses and then begins its ascent up the hillside
Vegetation is now growing in the old road, which is still visible in the centre-left if you look closely. - Today, some moisture, mud and algae remain in the otherwise-dry creek at North Coyote Springs
When I was here during my Xmas 2007 trip, this stream was flowing with fresh water. I thought that this was Coyote Springs, unaware that the real Coyote Springs is a little further up the road. - The road rises steeply up from the North Coyote Springs creek; I look behind me to see how much I've risen in such a short time
A little bit of heart-pounding after hiking up this steep incline... The lower part of the road on the other side of the creek that leads back to my campsite is visible down at the centre-left in the photo. Today's destination is somewhere to the right of the front of the mountains in the background. - After another steep switchback and a bit more climbing, the views get even better
My campsite is down at the bottom of this view, somewhere to the left of my hat. - The steepest part of the climb is over for now and the old road switchbacks gently around the crest of the hill on a ledge
It's a steep drop off the ledge on the left side here. - Flowers growing in the middle of the old road
Orange desert mallow and blue Mojave aster. - I reach the summit of the old road at "Hill 1114"
The road that I just ascended from North Coyote Springs arrives from the left, while the road leaving at the right drops down into Devil's Playground Wash, the next segment of today's hike. All routes lead downward from here, so I take a short break up here to absorb the wonderful views. - From Hill 1114, I get my last glimpse of the Providence Mountains before I head down into Devil's Playground Wash
My campsite is down there somewhere in front of that boulder pile in the centre of the photo. - Hill 1114 also offers an excellent view of the Kelso Dunes from above
I haven't seen Kelso Dunes from this vantage point before. - I get my first view down into the gorge of Devil's Playground Wash and the old mining road that rises up the other side
I feel like I'm entering a secret world where nobody goes as I begin the steep hike down the switchbacks to the bottom of Devil's Playground Wash. The road drops 375 feet in just over 1/3 mile. Part of the old descending road is visible on the left. - On the way down, but still up high, I pass a mine tunnel that's not indicated on my map
Painted on the rock near the tunnel entrance is a word that looks like "Hen." - I continue walking down the middle of the old road, which is almost invisible in places
Devil's Playground Wash below drains into the area of the Kelso Dunes beyond. - I arrive at the bottom of the hill in Devil's Playground Wash and look for the road rising up the other side
For a few hundred feet, the old road apparently went down the wash before rising up the other side, but there's no longer any trace of it here. - One very small pool of water remains between some rocks in Devil's Playground Wash right now; it's otherwise dry down here
Apparently, a lot of water (and rocks) from the mountains runs down this wash during the wetter months. This must have hindered access to the old mine up on the mountainside. - Apparently, a lot of water (and rocks) from the mountains runs down this wash during the wetter months. This must have hindered access to the old mine up on the mountainside.
The lower part of the road here is quite steep, but it was presumably the best route the miners could carve out of such rugged surroundings. - As I climb up the other side, I look over to the hill that I just descended
The old road passing over the tailings pile and then zigzagging down the hill is very difficult to discern from here because it's so eroded and grown-in. - Splashes of color begin to appear as I get a little higher
Pink cactus, orange desert mallow and yellow encelia are fairly common in this area. - The highly eroded road gets confusing to follow in a few spots
Here, the road rises and winds to the right part way up the hill. - I stop for a break and a Clif bar on a small flat area to take in the view of the Kelso Dunes that has been behind me
It's so peaceful and quiet here. It doesn't appear that this area gets visited often. - I notice a scattering of scat just behind me
Even though I don't see many signs of humans up here, someone obviously comes here often. - Other splashes of color are provided by the fairly abundant phacelia flowers in the area
One could have fun here photographing the various flower colours in the area alongside each other in different combinations. All the colours of the rainbow are represented up here. - I come around a bend and it looks like the road will end at the mine tunnel and tailings pile ahead
Then I notice that the road seems to go beyond and switchback up to a higher ledge straight ahead. - Approaching the tunnel at the Bighorn Basin Mine
It seems that they used the tailings from the mine to construct this flat area that I'm standing on. - An old track leads into the Bighorn Mine tunnel
I'm not going in any further than this... - A rock at the entrance to the mine is painted with "Merle Young 74"
I know nothing about this mine, when it was last used (1974?), nor its name (maybe I should be calling it the Merle Young Mine?) - Outside the tunnel entrance on the flat area composed of tailings sits a big tank of some kind
The site is high enough to have views over the ridgetops beyond Devil's Playground Wash with Providence Mountains in the background. - I see the remains of something up on the hill above the tunnel, perhaps an old roof
It's time to go for a short walk up that hill. - The views were already great, but now I'm way above the main mine road below as I climb the switchback to the upper area
Gee, I can almost see to where my tent is at the base of the other side of the near hills, I think. - Debris from an old collapsed cabin, including its refrigerator, sits at the top of the road at Bighorn Basin Mine
As is the case with many old desert mines, getting supplies and equipment to a location as isolated as this must have been a lot of work! - Near the collapsed cabin is a platform in front of another tunnel, which happens to be right above the lower one
An old rusty bed frame sits on the platform. - Entrance to the upper tunnel at the Bighorn Basin mine
The timbers look to be in pretty good condition. - Just inside the upper mine tunnel is another signature from "Merle Young 74"
Perhaps this is just graffiti and has nothing to do with the mine... - The upper tunnel isn't carved very deeply into the hillside
It leads to a shaft with a ladder that presumably drops down to the lower tunnel; I didn't check to see where it goes. - One of the support beams in the ceiling of the upper tunnel has cracked
Most of the surrounding wood framing looks fairly stable at first glance, however. - I sit down for a break on a boulder just beyond the upper Bighorn Basin mine and take in the visuals at about 3875 feet
I feel like I could sit here for hours and just stare out into the silent openness around me. But what I'd really like to do is continue exploring this area beyond road's end here. - While sitting here, I ponder the view to my right further up Devil's Playground Wash in Bighorn Basin
A spring on my map (possibly dry right now) a couple of miles up the wash in the left fork would make a good target for further hiking through these appealing hills if I had more time today. - Alas, all good things must come to an end, so I begin my hike back toward camp at the end of my short break
I do prefer to get back to my tent before sunset, even though I'm carrying a flashlight in my backpack in case I should need it. I'll drop down to the bottom of the wash, and then over to the other side of the next set of hills. - The return hike down into Devil's Playground Wash allows me to walk toward some great views that were behind me on the way up
In general, I prefer loop hikes instead of routes that require turning back and retracing my steps at the end. However, this hike is an exception due to the excellent views all around. - On the steeper, more eroded parts of the road, it's a bit slippery going downhill and almost like hiking cross-country
Of course, there's always the occasional cholla cactus to avoid as well! - I'm not getting tired of the flowers, rocks and cacti as I walk back down to Devil's Playground Wash
The downhill hike is going faster than I expected, but return hikes are always like that. - I arrive back down at Devil's Playground Wash in what feels like no time at all
Actually, close to an hour has elapsed since I started hiking briskly down from the upper Bighorn Basin mine, but it hardly seems like it. - Climbing out of Devil's Playground Wash, I'm starting to feel the heat of the day with the sun shining on my back
It has been a fairly warm day in the mid-80s again, but breezes up here in the exposed areas have kept me from overheating in the hot sun. - The climb up the old road over the tailings pile is steep
The vertical line of shrubs grows in the middle of the former road. Extinct tire tracks line the shrubs on each side. - After crossing the summit again at Hill 1114, I take a short break in the first shade of the day before hiking down to my tent
Gee, it only took me 15 minutes to climb up that hill (375 feet)? While relaxing here just below the summit, a hummingbird comes over to me and hovers for a while, checking me out from various different angles. He must be attracted to the blue of my backpack since I'm not wearing any other bright colors. I'm always intrigued by the hummingbirds that I see in the desert because it seems that there might not be enough flowers of the correct sort for them to survive out here. - Back at my tent well before sunset, I rest and eat a little, then take a few photos before the sun fades away
Well, I drank all of the 3.5 litres of water that I carried with me on today's hike. As soon as I arrive at the tent, I eat the pouch of Trader Joe's Vegetable Jambalaya that I left outside to heat up in the hot sun. I'm surprised it's not very hot, but its still tasty at room temperature. Once the sun goes down, the temperature drops almost instantly and it's clear that I'll want to wear clothes inside my sleeping bag tonight. What a shock to the system after an almost-hot day! The cool air seems to be discouraging to the bugs that were flitting on my tent last night; not many of them have returned to revisit me. It's a dark, peaceful Sunday evening with no moon, and I write in my journal, review photos and sip brandy to a background of singing crickets again. Toward the end of the evening, I prepare a pouch of Mountain House Beef Stew: yum. - Bighorn Basin Mine hike as viewed in Google Earth (5.25 miles)
- Mojave National Preserve map, Day 5: Bighorn Basin Mine day hike from Coyote Springs