Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Spring 2012: Mojave National Preserve Bicycle-Camping and Hiking / Day 3: Lecyr Spring and Keystone Spring day hike, New York Mountains 53
More hot weather, with high temperatures recorded as 96F at Lanfair and 103F down at Nipton. I don't see any other humans today, like yesterday. 9.7 hiking miles and about 1200 feet of elevation gain.
- A good day of backcountry camping usually begins with a roll of toilet paper and a 'sanitation trowel'
Another hot morning and I'm forced awake early by the sun shining on my tent, just as I fall into a deep sleep. Not enough sleep, I feel like I have a hangover! - I leave the tent on today's Lecyr Spring and Keystone Spring hike before 10h30
I can't stay in the tent any longer because it has become too hot inside. I had a couple of cups of "cold" coffee and a cup of vitamin C drink, plus some granola and almonds. But I can't eat much due to the heat. - I start the hike by walking down Mail Spring Road, seeing the road that I rode two nights ago by headlight
I get to see my tire tracks along sandy stretches. - I think I remember pushing my bike up this little rocky hill a couple of nights ago, dazed in the dark
There's the Castle Peaks again off in the distance... - Straight ahead across the plain, halfway up the distant hill, is the old Trio Mine, today's first destination
I could walk cross-country, like I did yesterday, for a more direct route, but I feel like following the old road for a while. - While walking down Mail Spring Road, I recall good memories of last year's hikes in the distant hills
The high hills at center-left are the Bathtub Spring Peaks and the jagged hills at right are the Castle Peaks. - I walk past a rusty metal object on Mail Spring Road
I have no idea what this is. - When I reach the road to Lecyr Spring, I turn and hike up that way, with the New York Mountains peaks in the background
I haven't been up this road since my second Mojave National Preserve trip back in year 2000. - I arrive at the dry Lecyr Well site, with low-growing daturas in the foreground, Mojave National Preserve
A big mahonia (berberis) is covered with yellow flowers, I walk over to it. - These flowering mahonia (berberis) bushes are noisy at this time of year, attracting lots of buzzing bees
Great scent! These were growing at Mail Spring also. - It's not just bees making noise: these mahonia (berberis) flowers also attract many large orange wasp-like insects
(tarantula hawk?) - A windmill, a defunct wilderness camera and a dry cistern all sit at the old Lecyr Well site, Mojave National Preserve
- Next stop on today's hike is the old Trio Mine site
... that tailings pile on the hillside ahead - I get closer to the tailings pile at the old Trio Mine site
- I follow an old road briefly beyond the Trio Mine site to another old tailings pile
- I take a peek at some excavations before walking over to the main Trio Mine area
There's a hole in the ground here in front of me, so I don't get too close! - Here's the old road leading up to the main Trio Mine tailings pile
The little rock wall shoring up the road is still in fairly good condition. - From the Trio Mine site, a look across the valley sees a few houses over on the other side of the valley
That's the 'desert metropolis' of Barnwell, California, population close to zero. - Some debris from a former building at Trio Mine tumbles down the hill
A bit below is the road I walked up to get here. - I take a look at one of the major shafts at the Trio Mine site
- A few Joshua trees are starting to grow atop the tailings pile at Trio Mine
- A few grey Range ratany bushes on the Trio Mine tailings pile still sport a few magenta flowers
... and there's a Joshua tree coming up behind it. - I climb up the hill a little further to get a better view of the main Trio Mine tailings pile
- Turquoise veins in rock at Trio Mine, Mojave National Preserve: copper, presumably
- Turquoise-coloured bits in tailings at Trio Mine, Mojave National Preserve
- I start hiking down the hill from Trio Mine toward my next stop and come across an old balloon
It seems to have gotten stuck in this Desert trumpet buckwheat. - A barren patch of earth catches my interest as I walk past
I wonder why nothing grows right here. Do animals sleep here each night? - A former alignment of the old road has turned into a drainage gulley over the years, so a new road was built to the right of it
- I arrive at a spot I'll call the Lecyr Overlook; my original plan was to hike down the canyon ahead
Hiking down that way, I'd eventually arrive at the dry Slaughterhouse Spring area. However, due to the hot weather, I have to get more water today, and Keystone Spring, in the opposite direction, is my only sure source. - The views down Lecyr Canyon toward Ivanpah Valley are quite nice, with the Ivanpah and Clark Mountains in the background
A hot wind is blowing here. I take a short break to enjoy the views and send a couple of text messages, since I have a (weak) cell-phone signal here. - Pinon pines, low banana yuccas and junipers grow in this area overlooking the Ivanpah Valley
I wish I could keep walking down this canyon, but water needs come first! I must turn back and hike to Keystone Spring. There may be some water down below at Bathtub Spring today, but I don't know for sure. - I turn around to start my hike over to check out Lecyr Spring, and zoom in on the New York Mountains
High up on the hill above the mouth of Keystone Canyon is an old open-pit mine that I haven't visited yet. - An old road rises slowly toward Lecyr Spring
I'm following it, perfect hiking trail. Mojave National Preserve is full of these. - I'm just high enough now to have an expansive view across upper Lanfair Valley to the Castle Mountains
The Trio Mine tailings pile, where I was a little while ago, is prominent in the middleground. - From here, I can also see beyond the hills to Ivanpah Dry Lake
Primm, where I started this trip, is at the far end of that "lake." One of the great things about travelling by human power is getting views of the distances covered. - Lecyr Spring should be just down there in that little canyon
The "man and woman" rock pile on the hillside is an interesting visual. - I push through a few baccharis bushes, enjoying the shade of a pinyon pine, on my way to Lecyr Spring
Of course, I'm also watching for snakes in this shady area on a hot day! Many quail flutter off noisily when they hear me coming. - Lecyr Spring, Mojave National Preserve
Hardly any water here, and it doesn't appear to be flowing right now, even though it looks fairly clean. If I were to filter water here, there wouldn't be any left afterwards! Onward I go to Keystone Spring. - An old rock wall sits above Lecyr Spring
What did this wall once enclose, long ago? - If you don't look closely while walking by, you might not even notice the old rock wall above Lecyr Spring
- Despite today's hot weather in the 90s (F), the Lecyr Spring canyon looks rather green
I should come back here some time during the wet season to see how much water is here. - Lots of hiking possibilities on steep, scenic hillsides around Lecyr Spring
This area is on my list for a future visit. - While walking across the plain between Lecyr Spring and Keystone Canyon, I take a break under one of the big juniper trees
In today's midday heat in the 90s (F), I feel like I'm starting to fade already. Every short break in the shade helps! - Pineapple cacti on the New York Mountains foothills, Mojave National Preserve
My brand-new Canon camera is malfunctioning, and will now usually only record videos rather than still photos, so I'm experimenting with shooting video on the camera. - Taking a break in the shade in Keystone Canyon, Mojave National Preserve.
I stopped for a break here during yesterday's hike too. Nice camping spot with a little shade just before the road gets so rough that most of us would consider it to end here. - Hiking up the hill toward Keystone Spring, Mojave National Preserve
I walk up Keystone Canyon and up the hill to the spring, slowly and relaxed, to keep from overheating in the hot afternoon (90+F). - Arriving Keystone Spring, Mojave National Preserve: water!
A bird (hawk?) flies away as I arrive, just like yesterday. Same bird? - I filter water again at Keystone Spring, Mojave National Preserve
It's hot in the sun, but nice to sit down and listen to the quiet and sounds at the spring. I haven't seen another person for a couple of days. - On the way back down Keystone Canyon, I notice a few Scarlet gilias blooming
Stopping to look at them is a good excuse to profit from a bit of shade and put down "the baby" (the full 10-litre water bag in my arms) for a few minutes. - I hike across the New York Mountains foothills back to my tent, slowly, to preserve energy, Mojave National Preserve
I'm taking a lot of short breaks, due to the heat, and enjoy occasional gusts of hot wind. I startle a few jackrabbits and birds on my way back to the tent. I can't drink as much water as I need because of heatsickness, but I'll recover after sunset. - Beautiful silence: sunset near Mail Spring, another hot day comes to an end
Beautiful silence: sunset near Mail Spring, another hot day comes to an end I make supper after dark, instant Mountain House Rice with Chicken, yum. A pleasant, warm evening, but my drinking water stays warm too, blech. Sometimes I can hear distant passing trains miles way on the Kelso line. I spend some time staring at the thousands of stars in the moonless sky and get to bed around midnight, but don't sleep really well, again. - Hiking route: Mail Spring, Lecyr Spring and Keystone Spring, Mojave National Preserve
9.7 hiking miles and about 1200 feet of elevation gain. - Elevation profile of hiking route: Mail Spring, Lecyr Spring and Keystone Spring, Mojave National Preserve
9.7 hiking miles and about 1200 feet of elevation gain.