Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007, Christmas: Mojave National Preserve Mountain-Bike Camping / Day 7: New Year's Eve ride from Kelso Dunes to Baker via Kelbaker Road to conclude the trip (and 2007), Mojave National Preserve 36
I've enjoyed this classic Mojave National Preserve ride several times over the years. This won't be a day of exploration, but the scenery is great and I may have a few good desert chats along the way. The trip isn't over yet! 49.1 bicycle miles.
Kelso Dunes Road rises slightly over four miles from 2500 feet to about 2800 feet at Kelbaker Road, which I will ride all the way to Baker.
The first eight miles of Kelbaker Road are downhill to Kelso Depot at about 2100 feet, followed by a 12-mile climb up to 3800 feet and the final 23-mile descent into Baker at 925 feet.
- Frost on my bicycle this morning near Kelso Dunes
I did not sleep much last night due to the cold; the frost on my bicycle tells me that it was damp last night as well. I fell asleep easily enough last night, but kept waking up. I woke up restless and cold at 2h45. By 3h15, I still hadn't fallen back asleep, so I heated a pouch of boil-in-bag lentil biriyani from Trader Joe's to get something warm in my tummy. While waiting for my late-night snack to heat up, I stepped out into the chill to enjoy a few minutes of star-studded sky on my last night here. The sky was so dark that I was seeing the gentle wisps of galaxies in the sky, in addition to thousands of stars. The hot meal did the trick and I finally fell asleep. It's unlike me to get up just after sunrise like this morning, especially after so little sleep, but I have almost 50 miles of riding today to get back to Baker and I hope to make it before dark. I intend to take the morning slow and leisurely, as usual. - All bundled up, I go for a short walk around the campsite in the cold sun to warm up a little
I wish I were a morning person because I love the light at this time of day. However, the late-evening hours have always been my best time of day. - It's time to make some coffee using a toilet-paper filter and get started
I really, really need coffee this morning, or on any morning that I get up so early. The strong coffee tastes great and I make a second cup immediately afterwards. - While sipping my coffee, I notice that the water bottles which I left outside last night have quite a bit of ice in them
I guess it was colder last night than I thought. I'll save this bottle of water for later. During my usual hotter weather trips, it would be mighty refreshing, but not right now thanks! The water bottles in my tent had no ice in them this morning. I've been trying to make sure that my water bottles are never completely full at night, just in case the water freezes and expands. - Breaking camp on the final morning of a trip produces mixed emotions
I feel like I'm just getting into this trip, and don't want it to end so soon. On the other hand, I'm glad that I won't find myself sleeping uncomfortably outside in the cold tonight. - The 10-ton bike has been rebuilt and is ready to leave Kelso Dunes
I take one final walk around the campsite to see if perhaps there's an item on the ground that I forgot to pack. - I ride away from the campsite up Kelso Dunes Road toward the Providence Mountains
Good-bye! Until next time! I stop briefly at the Kelso Dunes outhouse to use the facilities and dump a couple of pounds of garbage in the trash bins. One isn't aware of just how much garbage one produces, and the weight of it, until it's necessary to carry it around to the next garbage can. - At the end of Kelso Dunes Road, I rejoin the pavement of Kelbaker Road
I always like how stop signs in the desert stand out in their stark environment. I'll be on pavement for the rest of the day. The almost-four-mile ride up Kelso Dunes Road was pleasantly uneventful. A few cars heading to or from the dunes passed me on the way, and a couple of them politely slowed to a crawl while passing so as to produce as little dust as possible. - A car passes while I descend Kelbaker Road toward Kelso Depot
A strong headwind has kicked in on this eight-mile gentle downhill from about 2800 feet to 2100 feet. - The further I descend this hill toward Kelso Depot, the stronger the headwind
Even though I'm supposedly going downhill, wind is much stronger than gravity right here right now, and I'm pedalling a lot just to maintain 12 miles per hour! - The little town of Kelso is now visible down in the valley below, as are the low mountains beyond that I will ride over later
The wind intensity seems to be increasing and I'm pedalling pretty hard just to stay moving. - On the last few miles before Kelso Depot, the wind is so strong that I can barely maintain 7 miles per hour
I'm a little concerned about all this wind because I have 35 miles more ahead of me today. But high winds are a fact of life out here in the Mojave Desert, and I've been lucky this past week to not have too much of it to deal with. The old three-way stop sign in front of Kelso Depot has apparently been removed and replaced by "slow" signs instead. The former "stop ahead" paint on Kelbaker Road here has been removed. - The strong wind pushes my empty sardine can around while I eat lunch outside Kelso Depot
I'm eating two cans of sardines for lunch. I hold the empty first can while I devour the contents of the second one, to keep the wind from blowing it away and splattering me with stinky fish juice. I carry tinned sardines on most of my trips because they don't require cooking and thus provide an excellent emergency high-protein meal should my propane burner run out of gas or malfunction. However, I rarely eat them unless I'm near a trash bin, and I often end up bringing them back home with me. They make for stinky, leaky garbage that one doesn't want to be carrying around a few days until reaching the next trash bin! - National Parks Service did an excellent job restoring Kelso Depot
Desert-chat time! I always enjoy this. I end up talking with a Park Volunteer doing landscape maintenance at Kelso Depot who moved out here from the east so he could live in this environment. - The 10-ton bike waits outside the doors to the Kelso Depot visitor centre
I step inside Kelso Depot to buy a souvenir T-shirt from the gift shop, which I always forget to do. The woman at the entrance counter says, "You're back," remembering me from my Spring 2006 Mojave National Preserve trip. I'm a bit surprised that she remembers me, since that was 18 months ago, but I do sometimes stand out in a crowd. I chuckle and tell her that I won't be asking her this time to unlock the downstairs closet with the water tap, since I filled up at Coyote Springs yesterday. - Enough chatting; it's time to get on with the day's business of riding up out of Kelso Valley to Baker
It's just after 13h, so I should have enough time to get there by dark, unless a heavy headwind gets in the way. - After 45 minutes of slow uphill, I see someone ahead in the road. Stranded? No, he's taking photos of the area, and of me
Photographer Joerg Boetel and his wife flag me down as I approach and offer me hot tea from their thermos, as well as granola bars. I'm not sure I have enough time to stop and chat, but I do anyway. This is one of the photos that Joerg Boetel took of me coming up Kelbaker Road with Providence Mountains in the background. - Joerg and Elke and I have a fun desert chat for a good half hour; they visit Death Valley frequently and are on their way home
Elke mentions that she rides her bicycle to work often because it's practical, while coworkers sometimes wonder if perhaps there's a problem that's preventing her from driving her car to work (a California attitude that I face daily as well). I would hang around and chat much longer if time weren't running out... Joerg snaps this photo of me as I depart and head onward up the hill. The heavy wind puffs up my windbreaker, but it seems that the wind is mostly coming from behind me now, which I welcome, of course! - Photographer [url=http://www.joergboetel.com/]Joerg Boetel[/url] snaps one last photo of me as I ride away up Kelbaker Road
I'm so used to my cheap camera that I often forget how much difference it makes when a professional like Joerg Boetel with professional equipment gets behind the camera. - A discarded Bud Light beer can at roadside is a sign that I've re-entered "civilization"
Garbage equals life. - Climbing up the sometimes-rough pavement of Kelbaker Road; those who have ridden it know it
At many spots along here, a bicyclist must ride out in the middle of the lane to avoid dangerous texture problems near the edge of the road. - Ah, my 12-mile climb up to the Kelbaker Road summit ends just ahead at the power lines...
As I arrive at the summit at 3800 feet, a vehicle passes slowly and the driver asks out the window if I need a ride the rest of the way into Baker; it turns out to be the Park Volunteer with whom I spoke to earlier down at Kelso Depot. I'd like to say "yes" for the companionship (I enjoyed our chat earlier), but there should be just enough daylight left for me to reach Baker before dark, or just after. The slow 23-mile downhill ride from the Kelbaker Road summit here at 3800 feet down to Baker at 925 feet is one that I always enjoy and I would hate to pass it up, though I really appreciate the offer of a free ride. My headlight battery doesn't have much power left, but it should be enough if I need to use it the last few miles before I reach town (unless strong headwinds cause a delay). - I take a quick break at the Kelbaker Road summit to put on my winter jacket and scarf in preparation for the downhill ahead
No bees are buzzing around at this location today, as I have occasionally encountered during previous trips. My cotton T-shirt is a bit moist from the uphill sweating, but doesn't require changing. However, I packed an extra T-shirt in the top of my saddlebags in case I needed to put on a dry one after the climb. - Baker, California: 23 miles and 2900 feet below the Kelbaker Road summit
The fun starts now! It's 16h and unlikely that I'll reach Baker by 17h when it gets dark. But I should get close. - Pedalling down past those famous Mojave National Preserve cinder cones
Switching to my high gears, I pedal moderately and reach speeds above 25 miles per hour while coasting downward. The wind up here isn't as strong it was down by Kelso Depot, and it's coming from the side now. - About eight miles down from the summit, I fly around the curve near the Kelbaker Road lava flows
This curve reminds me that I'm about to leave the cinder-cone area behind until my next Mojave National Preserve trip. - My focus cuts across the slanted world of motion to the hills behind the Indian Springs area, where I camped the first two night
I'll be passing the dirt road up to Indian Springs in a few minutes; perhaps I should turn there and start the trip all over. - Rounding "the big curve" on Kelbaker Road, I begin the 10-mile home stretch toward Baker
I've exited the hilly areas into the glory of open-desert sunset light. Baker is over in front of those mountains ahead. Even though this road drops another 1000 feet between here and there, it looks pretty flat as it rolls out across the desert floor. - To my surprise, a strong tailwind has kicked in and is pushing me across the valley
I'm happily maintaining 15-20 miles per hour on this sometimes slow stretch of road. - The road belongs to me; I've only seen two cars since starting down from the summit
I pedal steadfastly. I'm making good time, but am still several miles away from Baker and can tell that it will definitely be dark by then. - The deep glow of sunset intensifies with the passing of each minute
... while, paradoxically, the light fades - Today's Mojave National Preserve festival of pink, purple and orange is probably the best I've experienced on this trip
Desolate expanses like this valley may seem unimpressive at mid-day, but provide a great end-of-day destination, with no encroaching mountains to obstruct the setting sun. - The Kelbaker Hills behind me are busy absorbing every last bit of colour they can get before calling it a day
I accept the verdict, put my camera away and turn on my headlight for the final few miles into Baker. Baker is abuzz with people pulling in off the freeway, even on New Year's Eve. I check in at the Royal Hawaiian Motel for an exciting New Year's Eve, a warm sleep, and a shower before taking the Amtrak bus and train back to San José tomorrow. After I settle in, I walk up the road to Los Dos Toritos for a filling home-cooked Mexican meal. There I meet the Park Service guy who was working at Kelso Depot a few days ago when I arrived there to buy batteries, fill up on water and get campsite suggestions. Small world! We have an interesting chat while he waits for his take-out order. - The pretty ceiling above the shower stall in tonight's room at the Royal Hawaiian invites me to step inside and get clean
I haven't had a shower since Xmas eve, a week ago. Due to the cold weather, I'm not nearly as salty, sticky and stinky as I would expect, even though I've sweated plenty. Best of all, with just one shower, I'm clean. During hotter-weather trips with more intense sweating, it can take more than that. - I've settled in with a full tummy and celebrate by catching up on my travelogue notes, drinking beer, and watching some TV
I'm watching one of those over-hyped countdown-to-New-Year's shows from Times Square that I haven't seen in years. It's amusing to watch TV once in a while to see how little some things change. - At midnight, as I prepare to go to bed, I notice that "Royal Hawaiian" is written on my pillow--happy 2008!
Subliminal advertising? Maybe, and maybe it's working. I keep coming back to this place, and to Mojave National Preserve.