Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Fall 2011: Route 66 bicycle-camping—Cady Mountains, Sleeping Beauty and Kelso Dunes Wilderness / Day 5: Bicycle ride the length of Broadwell Dry Lake on the way back to Ludlow, Thanksgiving Day 15
A pleasant lazy day, just 14.7 miles across Broadwell Dry Lake to get back to Ludlow for a meal and motel room. High 60s this afternoon and almost hot while pedaling in the sunshine, despite the cool breeze.
There's a bit of a wind this morning as I pack up to leave Kelso Dunes Wilderness; my now-empty tent blows over
First, I ride down the bumpy powerline road 1.7 miles back to Crucero Road
It gets slippery here and there on Crucero Road due to powdery surface sand
I stop just before starting the ride across Broadwell Dry Lake to check out a couple of big mushrooms
Wheee, here we go riding straight ahead the 4.5-mile length of Broadwell Dry Lake!
There's nobody else out here on Broadwell Dry Lake today, so it's very peaceful
I take a break out in the middle of Broadwell Dry Lake to walk around and enjoy the expanse without the noise of my bicycle
20 minutes later, I stop for another break further out on Broadwell Dry Lake
On the south end of Broadwell Dry Lake are scattered many small rocks which look like they may be volcanic in origin
After Broadwell Dry Lake, I crawl up Crucero Road toward Ludlow, which is about 2 miles beyond the transmission tower
I stop briefly on Crucero Road as I pass the powerline road leading toward the Bristol Mountains Wilderness
A cactus thorn punctures my tire and some Slime spurts out to fill the wound
The dirt of Crucero Road comes to an end as I reach pavement at Ludlow and the I-40 freeway
I've arrived early enough to have supper at the Ludlow Café.
Big rigs park at the Ludlow gas station with the Sleeping Beauty mountains as a sunset backdrop