Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2009, Spring: Mojave National Preserve / Day 15: Pachalka Spring to Button Mountain, Mojave National Preserve via Aiken Mine Road 49
Today's goal is to ride part of Aiken Mine Road and camp somewhere west of Cima Dome. Aiken Mine Road has been on my to-ride list for years, but I never managed to fit it in.
This wasn't part of my original trip plan, so I didn't study the road well before the trip. I also considered riding the freeway from Valley Wells to Baker, but decide against it in favor of one final night of peace before going back to San José.
22 bicycle miles, parts of it walked, from 4875 feet at Pachalka Spring down to 3400 feet, up to 4235 feet, then down to 4150 feet.
In addition to refreshments purchased at the Valley Wells store, I drink four liters of water.
I'm up early, around 5h30 (practically unheard of for me), to slowly pack up and leave Pachalka Spring today
One last look at the Pachalka Spring campsite at about 4875 feet before dismantling the tent
OK, everything out of the tent! (including those big rocks inside that keep it from blowing away)
The 10-ton bike is all packed up; after a few final sips of water, I'm ready to head down Pachalka Spring Road
I find myself walking the bike on parts of the first mile down the north side of Pachalka Spring Road because it's so rough
At the bottom of the hill (about 4500 feet), Pachalka Spring Road turns left at the Wilderness barriers and heads down the wash
The next mile in the unnamed wash is really scenic as it winds downward between low rocky hills
Pachalka Spring Road drops down a hill at the bottom of the small wash canyon
As I exit the mini-canyon on the way down Pachalka Spring Road, I stop to take a photo back toward the Clark Mountain Range
The two-mile ride across the fan on Pachalka Spring Road is pleasant, with good views of the distant Kingston Range
Still on Pachalka Spring Road, but getting close to the pavement of Excelsior Mine Road, I stop for a Clif-bar break
Close to the bottom of the northern road to Pachalka Spring, I stop to take a final look back toward the Clark Mountain Range
I reach Excelsior Mine Road and pull over after a short distance to check out a water tank and cistern near the road
I haven't seen pavement in a few days, so the six miles on asphalt from Pachalka Spring Road to Valley Wells is a smooth change
Two miles before reaching Valley Wells, the paved road curves away from a dirt road leading off to my right
A power-line access road and a petroleum pipeline cross Excelsior Mine Road just north of the Cima Road exit on Interstate 15
Coyote melon growing along the side of Excelsior Mine Road
Closer to I-15, a fence along Excelsior Mine Road traps a lot of windblown garbage from freeway drivers
Excelsior Mine Road rises up a short hill to cross a bridge over the I-15 freeway
Standing on the Cima Road bridge, I look west down Interstate 15, the source of the garbage trapped on the fence I just passed
I ride down the bridge over I-15 and take a long break at the busy (it's Saturday) Valley Wells gas station store
After my break at the Valley Wells store, I'm recharged and begin my way up Aiken Mine Road
Aiken Mine Road has suddenly become quite sandy, so I walk the 10-ton bike along this part of the road
I stop briefly to take in the views of the Clark Mountain Range behind me, where I camped the last three nights
Aiken Mine Road was getting better for a while, but I've reached more deep sand
Four miles up the sandy Aiken Mine Road from the Valley Wells store, I reach the abandoned settlement at Rock Tank
Buildings at Rock Tank, Aiken Mine Road, Mojave National Preserve
A closer view of the dugout reveals that its front wall is not concrete after all, but built of timbers covered in stucco
Inside the dirt-floor Rock Tank dugout, sturdy old shelves remain
A relatively modern two-unit building sits at Rock Tank
The two studio apartments here at Rock Tank had carpeted floors and small closets
The cistern at Rock Tank has two layers: a brick inner layer and a stone outer layer
After exploring a bit of the Rock Tank area, I get back on the 10-ton bike and ride further up Aiken Mine Road
Of course, there are many more sandy sections ahead on Aiken Mine Road, such as at this intersection
There's just a bit too much sand on this stretch of Aiken Mine Road for me to ride the bike
I pop out from under the dark clouds to bright sunshine and a smoother part of Aiken Mine Road, so I'm back on the bike
Aiken Mine Road continues to rise at about a 1% grade, with the Cow Cove area to the right and Button Mountain straight ahead
Further up Aiken Mine Road I reach the old road to the Cow Cove rock-art area, now a hiking trail closed to mechanized travel
Two miles past the Cow Cove turnout, I pass a second trail to Cow Cove, then a mile later, I spot this road to Button Mountain
At the high point of Aiken Mine Road, I still haven't chosen a place where I'd like to camp my last night of this Mojave trip
Volcanic ash is scattered around here and I can see the cinder cones that I'm used to seeing when riding up Kelbaker Road
Not wanting to descend any further toward the cinder cones, I make a sharp left on a second road to Button Mountain
My campsite near Button Mountain is a perfectly sized clearing between two joshua trees
Cool winds set in and I put on my sweater and take a lot of photos around sunset with its red-orange glow
With the Button Mountain road 100 feet from my tent, I watch a nice sunset through the joshua trees toward the Cow Cove area
Red-yellow light is cast across the lower western flank of Cima Dome at sunset near Button Mountain, Mojave National Preserve
The sun goes down, the moon rises, and everything is perfect tonight near Button Mountain, Mojave National Preserve
Bicycle route from Pachalka Spring to Button Mountain, via Aiken Mine Road, Mojave National Preserve (Day 15)
Profile of bicycle route from Pachalka Spring to Button Mountain, via Aiken Mine Road, Mojave National Preserve (Day 15)