Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007, Christmas: Mojave National Preserve Mountain-Bike Camping / Day 3: Indian Springs to Devil's Playground via Jackass Canyon, Mojave National Preserve 32
Upon leaving Indian Springs, I climb Kelbaker Road for a few miles, then descend into Jackass Canyon to reach the Devil's Playground. There will be no water at today's destination, so I need to carry all that I need. 21.9 bicycle miles.
There will be no water at today's destination, so I need to carry in all that I need.
Ice in my water bottles this morning at Indian Springs!
Looking back down to my campsite from my outhouse with a view
Bladderpod (Isomeris arborea) flowering and fruiting on the hillside behind my tent near Indian Springs
Unidentified alyssum-like plant
Before packing up, I head back up to Indian Springs 1/2 mile up the road to refill my drinking-water supply
Pumping water at Indian Springs
Dismantling the tent; time to move on and continue my bikepacking trip
Around 13h, I ride down Indian Springs wash, away from my quiet campsite of the past two nights
A mile or so down Indian Springs Road, I stop to look at some stone ruins in a hillside on the north side of the road
At the stone ruins off Indian Springs Road
Whatever this was, there's practically no mortar left at all between the stones
Near those crumbling rock walls is a hole in the hillside
I take a look into the hole that goes into the hillside
The 10-ton bike waits for me back on Indian Springs Road
Back on the pavement of Kelbaker Road, I begin the slow, easy climb up toward Jackass Canyon Road
2.5 miles up Kelbaker Road, I make a brief stop at Black Tank Wash to remove my scarf and winter jacket
About 30 minutes later, and another 2.5 miles up the road, I stop at Rainy Day Mine Road to put on a windbreaker
I complete my seven-mile climb up Kelbaker Road and reach the junction of Aiken Mine Road and Jackass Canyon Road
The start of Jackass Canyon Road
Small ruts on the uppermost part of Jackass Canyon Road
Fire ring at a roadside campsite on Jackass Canyon Road about 1.75 miles in from Kelbaker Road
Heading down Jackass Canyon Road, it's not as nearly as steep as I was expecting, at least not yet
Bigger sandy drainages cross Jackass Canyon Road on the way down
The impending sunset illuminates the distant power lines
This four-wheel drive sign is the first sign I've seen on Jackass Canyon Road
Uh oh, a fork in the power-line road; I have to make a choice that I didn't realize I'd have to make
Hmmm... it's extremely sandy on this part of Jackass Canyon Road
Bla, I can't ride through this deep kitty litter, it's getting dark, and I'm not down at Devil's Playground yet
I climb up the high road, but it dead-ends at a transmission tower
Back down in the Jackass Canyon Road wash, I resign myself to walking the bike through the kitty litter for a while
After a mile or so, the road rises out of the wash and I have just enough traction to resume riding
Returning to the main road, I decide to call it a day and set up camp by the power lines around 18h30