Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Fall 2012: Mojave National Preserve bicycle-camping and hiking, Lanfair Valley loop / Day 2: Slaughterhouse Spring hills and old Ivanpah railway bed hike 59
My energy is low again today, but the Slaughterhouse Spring canyon makes for an inspiring day hike. I had hoped to hike this canyon during my May 2012 trip. 13.8 hiking miles and about 1500 feet of elevation gain (and loss). I see no other people today.
Nice, almost warm morning near Slaughterhouse Spring; I wake up baking in my tent around 8h30
My first stop of the day is to see see what's at Slaughterhouse Spring
Slaughterhouse Spring, Mojave National Preserve
It was fun checking out Slaughterhouse Spring; time to continue up the old road on today's hike
I pass a few buckwheat blossoms along the old road near Slaughterhouse Spring
Looking back behind me, I have a view of the old Goldome mine buildings off in the distance on the other side of Ivanpah Rd
The old road here that serves as part of today's hiking route rolls up and down, and is rocky in places
Nice views down to Ivanpah Valley behind me as I hike up the old road
I run across some ruins on the way toward the canyon
I think these old flowerheads in the wash are from last season's Cliff roses
Rock piles along the wash attract my attention
At the bottom of this pile of rocks is what I call the flat-foot rock toes
I enter the canyon, and some of it is really narrow, at least at first
I encounter a small dry waterfall in the canyon
A narrow spot in the canyon, with willows growing in the canyon floor
I like this canyon so far: a few more boulders to climb over ahead
Willows and mini dry waterfalls in the canyon
Dry waterfall: a bigger one this time!
Before I start climb up the adjacent hillside, I notice what I think is a young Palmer's penstemon sprouting in the canyon floor
It's a short steep climb out of the canyon, but I'm not experiencing any vertigo yet, which is good!
While climbing up the rocky hillside, I plow through a spider web by accident and have to brush this unusual spider off me
On top of this hill above the canyon, I now have a clear vista across Ivanpah Valley
I like being up on my hill here, but there's more canyon down there for me to hike up
After 20 minutes of hiking near the ridge line, I still have nice views down into the canyon
Once the canyon rises higher into a less rugged area, I decide to try continuing my hike in the canyon again
Oh, a balloon in a remote location where people never go!
I'm now near my high point for the day (5000 feet elevation); Lecyr Spring should be not too far ahead
I arrive at Lecyr Spring
Upon leaving the Lecyr Spring area, I can see across the upper part of Lanfair Valley to the Castle Mountains
I hike down Lecyr Spring Road, which is quite eroded in places
I check out this guzzler not too far away, curious as to whether it contains water or not
I hike cross-country a while across rolling Joshua-tree-and-juniper forest in the Trio Mine area
Hmmm, a skull
I'm getting hungry; time for an energy bar while hiking across the rolling highlands here
Old rusty cans: That means I've arrived in the area of a former settlement!
I wonder if this collapsed structure was once a house
Ah, there's an old-style water heater
And there's the old stove...
Once in a while, one stumbles across old abandoned vehicles in remote desert locations, like this one
Not sure what model of old car this is; it's van-like
Merle Norman: I take a look at the partially buried carpet waste nearby
A family of small birds (probably Cactus wrens) flies away as I hike up the grown-in remains of an old desert road
My short hike up the invisible road ends and I begin hiking down a gently sloping wash toward Ivanpah Road
I encounter no other human footprints as I hike down this wash toward Ivanpah Road (and I haven't seen any other humans today)
Salvia dorrii: I thought I detected the distinctive smell of desert sage earlier, and here's some
Just before arriving at Ivanpah Road, I walk past a low rock wall with lichen growing on it
The wash I've been following arrives at Ivanpah Road, so I cross it, and begin hiking the old railway grade
Oh, another stray balloon, but this one is different!
I hike the 1.5-mile-long stretch of the old Ivanpah railway grade northbound to the Bathtub Spring area
A lot of fill was used to build up the Ivanpah railway bed across low-lying drainage areas like this one
Today's Ivanpah Road, an important north-south corridor in the Mojave National Preserve, is visible behind me
Here's another slot blasted through the hill for the old Ivanpah railway
This stretch of the old Ivanpah railway bed is really returning to nature
Sunset approaches as I hike the old railway bed toward Bathtub Spring
I'll hike through this one last blasted slot through the rock before reaching the Bathtub Spring area
Imagine a train passing through here 100 years ago!
I arrive at Bathtub Spring shortly after sunset and finally figure out how to get through the fence that protects the spring
I finish filtering water at Bathtub Spring just as it gets dark; I close the gate and hike the 3.5 miles back to camp
Slaughterhouse Spring hills hike, elevation profile