Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007: Henry Coe State Park Mountain-Bike Camping / Day 9: China Hole to Park Headquarters, followed by the ride home to downtown San José 22
After a pleasant climb out of the canyon from China Hole, I'm almost back at Park Headquarters to mark the end of my trip when firefighters begin arriving to fight a brush fire that has broken out in a remote area on the northeast edge of the Park.
Departing Park visitors like me aren't allowed to leave the Park for an hour or so because the narrow, winding access road is closed to allow fire crews to bring in their equipment.
Eventually, I begin the ride down Dunne Avenue to Morgan Hill, followed by the 22-mile ride up Monterey Road to home in downtown San José.
- China Hole campsite this morning.
- The tent, as seen from the China Hole Trail rising up the northwest side of the canyon.
- Stepping out onto a rock that rises above water level in the China Hole pool.
- Close-up of the pool at China Hole.
- OK, I'm leaving China Hole. Crap, this is my last day in Coe Park and now I'm leaving and going back home.
- China Hole Trail rises quickly out of the canyon.
- I've just turned around and am looking back down into the canyon.
- China Hole Trail winds across a meadow on its way up.
- A little higher up China Hole Trail, the trail rides along a steep slope. More great views!
- A switchback as China Hole Trail climbs through an area of thick chamise chapparal.
- Beyond the carpet of chamise, manzanitas start appearing along China Hole Trail.
- China Hole Trail levels out a bit and is easier riding for a while.
- China Hole Trail enters into a tunnel of manzanitas.
- Inside the manzanita tunnel, there's more sunlight than I was expecting.
- Still inside the manzanita tunnel.
- Exiting the manzanita tunnel.
- China Hole Trail ends when it reaches Manzanita Point Road.
- Rising up Manzanita Point Road toward Park Headquarters. A small low-flying airplane passes overhead.
- Coming up one of the last hills on Manzanita Point Road on the way back to Park Headquarters.
- I reach a flat area on Manzanita Point Road and see smoke not far away; looks like a brush fire in Henry Coe State Park.
- The Henry Coe brush fire has grown a lot since my last photo four hours ago.
- Cotton-candy smoke from the Henry Coe brush fire at sunset in central San José.