Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Spring 2012: Mojave National Preserve Bicycle-Camping and Hiking / Day 7: Black Diamond Spring and Barnett Mine day hike and bicycle ride, Mojave National Preserve 37
Cooler weather today, which is nice. Cima, 1500 feet lower than here, only reports a high of 67F. I wasn't planning on being at Mid Hills campground on this trip, but there's always more to explore out here. I haven't hiked in the Black Diamond Spring area before. 22.3 bicycle miles and 7.5 hiking miles.
Another nice morning at Mid Hills campground, where I didn't expect to stop on this trip; time to plan an outing for the day
Primroses at my Mid Hills Campground campsite
All rides out of Mid Hills Campground start with Wild Horse Canyon Road, and I always enjoy the descent into Round Valley
I ride past a windmill in Round Valley on Black Canyon Road
I spot a Desert four o'clock blooming in Round Valley under a tree on the Black Canyon Cut-off Road
The short Black Canyon cut-off road is always a fun mountain-bike ride
The dead coyote I passed on Cedar Canyon Road a few days ago is still there
The road to the Barnett Mine area, about 1.5 miles long, is rough and slightly uphill
A bit of assorted debris is scattered around at the end of the Barnett Mine Road
Have a seat and relax at the end of the Barnett Mine Road
I start walking up the trail to the old mine site: I see people over there--amazing
I go for a walk past one of the mine shafts at Barnett Mine
More mining remains at the Barnett Mine
Time to explore a little: I climb up a hill behind the Barnett Mine and take a look at the panorama
A row of vertical rocks outcrops above Barnett Mine frame a view of Table Mountain
I decide to walk up to the top of the hill and see if it would be easy to walk down the other side
I walk down a rocky slope and join a brushy drainage that should lead to Black Diamond Spring
A lone juniper in Upper Black Diamond Spring Valley survived the 2005 brush fires here
I like walking through some easy-to-miss chia sages in Upper Black Diamond Spring Valley
A couple of stray boulders sit on this part of Upper Black Diamond Spring Valley
I bet this animal trail leads to Black Diamond Spring!
Follow the animal trail, follow the animal trail!
The animal trail ends at Black Diamond Spring, Mojave National Preserve, just as expected
After a very short break at stinky Black Diamond Spring, I walk through an area full of white buckwheat flowers
Energy-bar break above Watson Wash!
On the way up the fan, I look over to Keckiella Rocks, a small plateau of volcanic-looking rock
I keep hiking up the gentle slope, passing through another patch of burned desert above Black Diamond Spring
The big rock piles here above Watson Wash are even more impressive up close than they are from a distance
Paperbag bush glowing in the sun (Salazaria mexicana) high on the fan above Watson Wash
Nice views eastward across the Lanfair Valley as I reach the top of the fan above Watson Wash
I need to climb up over that ridge to my right to get back to the Barnett Mine area
Hmmm, I'm not making as much progress climbing all these rocks as I would like
Up on the rock-pile hill, it seems that everything is steep going up and steep going down, with neither direction being best
I consider climbing back down to the wash and trying a less rocky route up over the hill, but I might as well continue upward
I make it back to the Barnett Mine area at sunset, pick up the bicycle, and ride the 10 miles back to camp in dusk and dark
Route of Black Diamond Spring-Barnett Mine bike-hike from Mid HIlls campground
Black Diamond Spring hike from Barnett Mine, Mojave National Preserve