Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2008: Bikepacking in Henry Coe State Park / Day 7: Pacheco Camp to China Hole by bicycle, Henry Coe State Park 42
I followed this route along Coit Road, Mahoney Meadows Road, and China Hole Trail for the first time on last year's bicycle-camping trip here, and liked it. The day ends with a scary yellowjacket sting.
To my relief, today is less hot than the past few days. I travel 12.2 bicycle miles from 1689 feet at Pacheco Camp to 1100 feet at China Hole, with about 1600 feet of elevation gain along the way.
After a good long sleep, I make two cups of strong coffee as usual to get the day going
I fetch the clothes that I left overnight hanging near the Pacheco Camp sink
I leave Pacheco Camp around 12h30 and within 30 minutes I'm on the ridge above riding through a semi-shady stand of burned pines
Hot and sweaty already, I park the 10-ton bike at the top of Coit Road and walk up the short hill to "Radio-tower Peak"
Great views from up here
I try making a cell-phone call here, and it works!
After a short descent (about a mile), I pass the Fish and Game Pond
Despite the standard-issue sign on the outhouse at Coit Lake, there is in fact a trash can here
Apparently, this outhouse at the south end of Coit Lake is closed for repairs right now
The ramada and picnic table at the south end of Coit Lake
I go for a brief walk up the trail along the shore of Coit Lake
Next is the short climb (1/3 mile, 150 feet elevation gain) up Coit Road to the next crest on the way to Kelly Lake
On the way down the 3/4 mile hill to Kelly Lake
I park the 10-ton bike on the shady side of the Kelly Lake outhouse and go for a short walk toward the lake
As I walk up the Kelly Lake dam, I see a tent near the lake in the distance
Back on the 10-ton bike, I begin the ride up out of Kelly Canyon on Coit Road
I rise out of the shady section and back into the hot sun at a tight switchback on Coit Road
Nice view back down into the canyon and Kelly Lake
A lush mountain mahogany shows off its creamy-white post-bloom seed heads, which are just as nice as flowers
Coit Road rises along a ledge through chamise chaparral toward the Wasno Ridge area
Along here are numerous "California everlasting" plants with their dry flowers
A little more pedalling and I cross the high point of Coit Road with its grove of buckeye trees sporting reddish leaves
I get the faintest glimpse possible across Silicon Valley while riding down Coit Road toward Mahoney Meadows
Now that I've passed the 2470-foot summit of Coit Road, it's downhill to China Hole, tonight's campsite at 1150 feet
Beyond the chamise chapparal, Coit Road crosses grassland and eventually becomes Mahoney Meadows Road
A few short uphills await me on the way down to China Hole
Expansive views across to the Willow Ridge area on the right and far beyond as Mahoney Meadows Road descends
Oh, an outhouse ahead!
I leave Mahoney Meadows Road and take the left trail fork toward China Hole
China Hole Trail drops down 700 feet into the canyon over two miles of nice single-track
China Hole Trail exits the oak woodland on the crest and begins winding its way downhill across grassland
One of many tight switchbacks on the way down China Hole Trail
Nice views across the canyon from the parts of China Hole Trail that cross open grassland
Now I'm on my favourite part of this side of China Hole Trail, where it passes through a manzanita grove
Getting closer to the bottom of the canyon, which is almost visible through the trees
Another switchback near the bottom of China Hole Trail
And here's China Hole, the gravel area to the left, which is actually a fork of Coyote Creek covered by water in the wet season
Before setting up camp, I check out the water situation at China Hole
The larger pool at China Hole still has a decent supply of water
A dead fish rests in the large pool at China Hole
I set up camp on the flat gravelly spot next to the China Hole Trail crossing of the dry creek
I go outside the tent for a moment barefoot (which I usually never do) and step on a yellowjacket: instant sting