Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Fall 2010: Route 66 and Kelso Dunes Wilderness Bicycle Camping / Day 2: Ludlow to Bristol Mountains foothills by bicycle 38
I don't get as far as planned due to the sandy road, but I have a nice campsite in the Bristol Mountains foothills and catch a soothing sunset. The temperature only reaches the mid 50s. 10.6 bicycle miles and 600 feet of elevation gain, some of it walked.
- I'm up early (for me) and walk over to the Ludlow Café next door to the motel for breakfast
I've been told that breakfast here is good (thanks Eric), so I'm looking forward to it! - I'm not disappointed by my leisurely breakfast at the Ludlow Café
The home-fried potatoes are excellent (potato skins left on for extra flavor) and the homemade biscuit is delicious, simultaneously dense and fluffy, and not greasy like at some restaurants. I'm tempted to order a second biscuit, but I'm full enough. - After I shower and repack my saddlebags, I quit the Ludlow Motel
I've enjoyed the comfort here, but am looking forward to some camping away from freeway traffic. - Before leaving Ludlow, I go for a short ride around the old Ludlow ghost town just south of the freeway
The crumbling Murray Brothers building in old Ludlow was quite well-built, of reinforced concrete. Sagging rebar hangs out where the concrete no longer exists. - This old car is parked permanently in old Ludlow, California
In the background are the Bristol Mountains, my destination today, and Broadwell Dry Lake, that sandy patch at the distant left. - I stop at the corner of Elliot and Main in old Ludlow to take in views of what's left of this town
Not much stands here, so I'll ride down Elliot Street back to old Route 66. - This old house along Ludlow's Route 66 still stands, but for how much longer?
I've seen many photos on the Internet of this house, so it's interesting to see it in person. - Almost all of the buildings on old Route 66 east of the Ludlow Café are abandoned
Judging by its modest neoclassical style, this house is probably 80-100 years old. The hipped roof and exposed rafter ends are reminiscent of my own circa-1900 house in San José. - Old Ludlow's commercial strip consists of three buildings today, all abandoned
The building at the right is the former Ludlow Café. - This old house in old Ludlow on Route 66 is almost hidden by the surrounding athel trees, presumably planted as a wind break
Here's another 1900-1920's house with hipped roof and front porch of the simple neoclassical style that was popular then. The vertical board-and-batten exterior was also common during that era. - After my brief tour around old Ludlow, I stop at the gas station store to pick up a couple more bottles of water
Now that I'm stocked up on water, I just need to slip under that freeway undercrossing there before heading out into the unpaved desert. - After riding under the freeway at Ludlow, I pass "the other gas station," which also houses the Dairy Queen
That's it, that's all. My pavement will end 100 feet or so ahead. - No more pavement for me today, nor tomorrow!
The San Bernardino County sign warns me that Crucero Road is unmaintained. Thank you. I've seen these signs before out here in the Mojave Desert. - I pass a "Limited Use Area" sign on Crucero Road shortly after leaving pavement
This sign is a bit misleading in its over-generalization of the area. Much of the area behind it in this view is federally designated Wilderness where my bicycle and other mechanized forms of travel are prohibited. - After a mile or so on Crucero Road, I notice a turn-out and decide to check it out
There's a campsite here with a fire ring. Nice Bristol Mountains backdrop, but far too close to the freeway for me. I continue onward. At any rate, I'm not carrying any wood to burn. - After two miles on the unpaved Crucero Road, I arrive at a billboard advertising the Kelso Dunes Wilderness Area
I'm heading slightly downhill here, yet some of the road has been gravelly enough that I have to walk the 10-ton bike. My road heads up into the Bristol Mountains, visible in the distance here, so I turn and ride eastward. - Something doesn't feel quite right on the 10-ton bike, so I pull over on the sandy power-line road for a moment
I'm not imagining things... I notice that couple of the screws attaching the robust Old Man Mountain rack to my bike are very loose and need to be tightened. - I plow ahead on the powerline-pipeline road that separates the Kelso Dunes Wilderness from the Bristol Mountains Wilderness
The road is a bit rough, and a bit slippery here and there, but I've managed to ride most of it so far, walking just a few short segments where I couldn't get enough traction. - I look behind me to check my progress as I slowly ride up the Bristol Mountains powerline road into the foothills
I'm just coming up out of a dip in the road. - Ugh, the Bristol Mountains powerline road is getting rather sandy!
Hopefully, this stretch of the road won't last for too long! - The Bristol Mountains powerline road splits here into a high road and low road, which rejoin each other beyond the hill
I decide to try the low road, hoping that it will be easier than the steeper high road, even though it's longer. - I knew I'd find a happy-birthday balloon sooner or later out here in the wilderness...
I find these in the most remote places... - The Bristol Mountains low road has a nice coating of kitty litter on the surface in many places
Sometimes I can get traction along here, when the kitty litter layer is thin enough, but sometimes I end up walking the 10-ton bike a little. - A wave of optimism strikes when I reach this rather smooth, and very ridable, stretch of the Bristol Mountains powerline road
Maybe I'll cover a bit of distance today after all. These desert backroads can be quite fickle, often worse than expected, but they often turn better than expected too. - As I enter the Bristol Mountains foothills, I've been noticing swaths of a small brick-red plant
The rich red reminds me of the colour of certain buckwheat blossoms at the end of the flowering season, but this seems to be some kind of small grass. - It's time for an energy-bar break to power up for whatever might be ahead of me
The wind has pretty much died down and it's nice to just stand here and listen to the silence of the Mojave Desert again. This chocolate Clif Builder Bar is pretty good! - The Bristol Mounatins powerline road is looking good again, with a just bit of kitty litter on its surface
I'm excited, and start riding again, a little further toward the Bristol Mountains. - Uh oh, another sandy area on the Bristol Mountains powerline road, and the sand looks deeper than anything I've seen today
I'm obviously entering a sandy wash area here, which is visible on my GPS. I park the bike and go for a short walk to see how long it continues. Is it worth pushing the bike through this sand trap? - Well, it looks like almost a mile of this sand lies ahead of me, and it would take some time to push the bike through it all
If I continue, I won't get much further up into the Bristol Mountains before dark. Also, I'll have to push through this sand again on the way back to Broadwell Dry Lake the day after tomorrow. I decide to look for a campsite in the immediate area. - I start backtracking a little, looking for a good campsite here in the Bristol Mountains foothills
I like a campsite with a view, but not so exposed on an open ridge that my tent will be whipped to death should strong desert winds pick up again. After half a mile, I think I've found a spot that suits me, so I park the 10-ton bike. - I choose a spot about 150 feet in from the road; I don't like to be too close to the road in case visitors should pass by
I haven't seen anyone since I left pavement at Ludlow earlier today. However, there are plenty of tire tracks on the road, and this is the Thanksgiving holiday week, when there will probably be a few more explorers poking around than usual. - I go for a short walk around my campsite in the Bristol Mountains foothills to enjoy the glowing end-of-day light
There's nothing like the orange-pink light at the end of a day in the Mojave Desert! Tonight's project is to plan tomorrow's hike. I haven't made it far enough into the Bristol Mountains to do the hike I originally planned for tomorrow. - The end of sunset in the Bristol Mountains makes the creosote bushes appear in a darker, lusher green than usual
Or is it just the pink glow of the mountain backdrop that makes the creosote bushes look so green? - The sun is setting here in the Bristol Mountains foothills, quickly
After returning to my tent, I take a look outside and see a fluffy-tailed fox approaching. By the time I grab my camera, hoping to photograph him, he's gone. - After dark, the moon rises in the background and I boil water for tonight's add-water-to-bag meal
The desert is bright tonight with the full moon, with that peace and quiet that is particular to the desert on a wind-free evening. Still, I can hear the trains passing along old Route 66 and occasional booming sounds that I presume are coming from the military base beyond. Supper, Mountain House instant Chicken Teriyaki with Rice, is tasty as always. Besides writing a few notes in my journal, I spend some time preparing a hiking route from here for tomorrow, into Kelso Dunes Wilderness. The temperature drops into the mid 30s tonight, but I'm so happy to be here that I barely notice the cold. I sleep well. - While walking around, I notice a lot of these small animal burrows around my campsite
I'm guessing it might be the small Mojave squirrels that live in these holes; I don't know, and I haven't seen any yet. I was careful not to set up my tent on top of any of these holes! Maybe kit foxes use these holes. - Bicycle route from Ludlow to Bristol Mountains campsite
10.6 miles and 600 feet of elevation gain, some of it walked. - Elevation profile of bicycle route from Ludlow to Bristol Mountains campsite
10.6 miles and 600 feet of elevation gain, some of it walked.