Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007: Death Valley National Park bikepacking / Day 6, afternoon: Bicycle trip up Chloride Cliff Road from Monarch Canyon 13
Leaving my Monarch Canyon camp site at around 3300 feet elevation intact, I go for a ride up Chloride Cliff Road to about 4600 feet.
I don't pass any other vehicles during this ride and haven't seen anyone since leaving pavement yesterday afternoon. It's so nice to ride without the weight of all my gear!
I don't go quite all the way to the old Chloride City site, opting to park the bike and walk up a hill to take in the views of Death Valley down below. I also take a short walk in the area of the old trail to Keane Spring on the way back down to my camp site in Monarch Canyon.
10 round-trip bike miles (walked up the steeper sections).
- Interesting patch of reddish soil on the way up Chloride Cliff Road away from Monarch Canyon
- Looking back down toward Monarch Canyon to see how much I've risen
- Switchbacks on the way up Chloride Cliff Road
- An off-camber section of Chloride Cliff Road on the way up
- Higher up after more switchbacks on Chloride Cliff Road
- Near the top of this set of switchbacks on Chloride Cliff Road
- I park the bike and go for a walk up the big hill to my right to take in the views of Death Valley below
- Up at the summit of the hill that I just walked up, with Death Valley about 4500 feet down below
- Me, up at the summit of the big hill I just walked up
- On my way back down Chloride Cliff Road
- Further down Chloride Cliff Road on the way back to Monarch Canyon
- Back down near Monarch Canyon, an old water tank sits near Chloride Cliff Road
- I lock my bike to a wilderness sign along Chloride Cliff Road and go for a short walk toward the old Keane Spring