Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2009, Fall: Mojave National Preserve / Day 7: Bull Canyon hike, Granite Mountains, Mojave National Preserve 74
My first time hiking into a canyon in the Granite Mountains. I approach it from the Kelso Dunes area. Great rocky scenery worth another visit. 11.5 hiking miles, 2140 feet elevation gain.
Temperatures recorded in Baker, CA: high of 54F, low 41F.
A brisk sunny morning on my camping mound with a view of Kelso Dunes
On the other side of my tent are the Granite Mountains, with the mouth of Bull Canyon, today's hike, in front of the hill
The hike begins with a 1.3 mile walk on the power-line road west of Kelso Dunes, which soon becomes quite sandy
This road also serves as access to a gas pipeline, as evidenced by "marker 64" here
The power-line road heads straight up a really steep grade ahead, but a detour to the left offers an easier way over the hill
The short, sandy hill on the power-line road is really steep, rising at about 15% grade, with poor traction
Looking back down the power-line road hill that I just walked up, toward the Providence Mountains
Heading down the other side of the power-line road is almost as steep as it was coming up
A GPS check tells me that I can turn left anywhere here and start hiking up the fan to the mouth of Bull Canyon
Looks like I may have a rocky hike ahead me up into Bull Canyon, the gap in the middle of the two big hills
Now that I'm about 1.25 miles up the rocky fan and 300 feet higher, the Kelso Dunes create a contrasty backdrop behind me
Approaching Bull Canyon, I'm happy when I stumble upon an animal trail like this one, to help me navigate the rocky terrain
Burned desert willow (chilopsis linearis) in Bull Canyon wash, Mojave National Preserve
Seasonal streams have done a good job of polishing this rock bed in lower Bull Canyon, Mojave National Preserve
I finally start to enter the foot of the Granite Mountains in Bull Canyon
An interesting discovery!
Skull close-up
My, what big teeth you have!
The teeth obviously outlast the supporting bone matter when subjected to decomposition
A horn fragment nearby
Another jaw fragment rests nearby
Another burned chilopsis linearis (desert willow) in Bull Canyon
Looks like a bit of bushwhacking will be needed to get through this segment of Bull Canyon
Coyote melon in Bull Canyon, Mojave National Preserve
Walking up Bull Canyon, I pass through a short narrows
A tuft of grass grows in a tinaja (rock water basin) in the narrows in Bull Canyon
Bull Canyon widens a little after passing through the narrows
I step up another slick rock to the next level in Bull Canyon
Water remains in this tinaja in Bull Canyon from the last rains
Bull Canyon winds around another interesting bend
Another tiny dry waterfall and tinaja in Bull Canyon
I stumble upon a big patch of fairly fresh scat in Bull Canyon
At this time of year when so many plants are going dormant, it's surprising to come across a lone yellow flower in Bull Canyon
Gnarled root or trunk, probably from chilopsis linearis (desert willow), which seems to be the only tree in Bull Canyon
Even way out here in Bull Canyon, I again come across an old balloon; I doubt someone had a birthday party right here
I climb over a granite platform as I head further up Bull Canyon
There is rabbitbrush to push through, and rocks to climb over, in this section of Bull Canyon
I like the exposed rock areas in Bull Canyon that allow me to get out of the brush for a few minutes
A few dried red buckwheat flowers from this past summer remain in Bull Canyon
At times, an imaginary corridor along the canyon wall provides a best way to squeeze past heavy brush
Ah, more rabbitbrush to get past in Bull Canyon!
I'll get past this patch of rabbitbrush by walking up the rock steps at the base of the canyon wall
Walking through an open area in middle Bull Canyon
More rock ahead to climb over in middle Bull Canyon...
How cool, a little dry waterfall in middle Bull Canyon; it must be 15-20 feet tall
I take an energy-bar break up on a rock pile overlooking the Bull Canyon dry waterfall, at about 3450 feet elevation
OK, time to start walking back down Bull Canyon, between a couple of boulders
The lines and textures in Bull Canyon change constantly
It's nice to be hiking Bull Canyon in the downhill direction now, instead of uphill
I bushwhacked through some of this brush on the way up Bull Canyon, so I'll do it again on the way back down
More rocks to avoid in Bull Canyon
I'll try climbing a bit up the rocky ledge at my right to avoid another brushy area ahead in Bull Canyon
The rock ledge keeps me above the thick brush of Bull Canyon for a few minutes
Dried cattails in Bull Canyon, Mojave National Preserve
Another discovery in Bull Canyon!
Skull close-up
Horn-and-skull close-up
Ribs close-up
Nearby lays that second horn that somehow got detached from the skull
I take another detour to avoid a brushy area in Bull Canyon and now need to climb back down to the wash
Heading downhill in Bull Canyon, Mojave National Preserve
Up above me in the rock wall at my left is a protruding rock structure
Time to pass through the Bull Canyon narrows again on the way back down
At the end of the Bull Canyon narrows, coming down
These yellow-leafed trees in lower Bull Canyon...
As lower Bull Canyon winds about, the "seam" of Kelso Dunes comes into view briefly, which I can also see from my camp
The last downhill-hiking mile or two on the fan above the dunes is an ankle-breaker with all the small rocks scattered about
The open space at the bottom of Bull Canyon is easy to hike after all the dense brush and large rock in the upper canyon
Thick clouds over the Kelso Dunes are picking up any yellow late-afternoon light that manages to get through the clouds
Almost back at the Kelso Dunes power-line road, with about 30 minutes of daylight left
I catch the last vestiges of sunlight as I walk the final 1.3 miles down the power-line road back to camp
Full moon over Kelso Dunes power-line road at almost 17h; I'm back at camp by 17h20
Bull Canyon hike route from campsite on Kelso Dunes power-line road
Elevation profile of Bull Canyon hike route from campsite on Kelso Dunes power-line road