Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2008: Bikepacking in Henry Coe State Park / Day 5: Mountain-bike ride up Red Creek Road to Upper San Antonio Valley and back from Paradise Lake 46
Red Creek Road is far away, but offers a bit of everything for the mountain-biker who can make it this far, except single-track: grasslands across Paradise Flat; dry (in summer), rocky creek riding where the trail disappears; a bit of shade around Hatch Spring; and a fire-road climb toward San Antonio Valley with awesome views.
Red Creek Road is a "cherry-stem road" into the Orestimba Wilderness. This means that the road is not in the Wilderness, but that the land on both sides of the road *is* in the Wilderness, where mechanized travel such as bicycles are not allowed.
Despite being on the brink of heat-exhaustion much of the day, today turns out to be a highlight of my trip, despite the heat. 21.3 bicycle miles.
- Another blazing-hot morning at Paradise Lake, Henry Coe State Park
I slept really well last night. The temperature dropped into the low 60s overnight. I drink my strong, hot coffee outside. Yesterday, I insisted on drinking my coffee in the tent to avoid the flies. However, it's so hot this morning that I am willing to tolerate the flies in exchange for the privilege of being outside the tent. Yes, I'm wearing my sweatband because I'm sweating. - I've packed up the bike for a mountain-bike ride up to the top of Red Creek Road
This is the first and only mountain-biking day excursion that I do on this trip without carrying everything, leaving my home-base campsite in place. I think I need to wipe the sunscreen into my facial pores a little better, but I'm already starting to sweat it off. - On my way out of Paradise Lake, I stop by the dam and pump six litres of water for the day
I've been told that Hatch Spring up Red Creek Road will probably have water, but since I haven't been there before, my best bet is to load up here. - I follow the road across the west end of Paradise Flat and then dip down into Red Creek
The big hill in the background should be Mississippi Ridge, with County Line Road more or less following the ridge line up on top. - Red Creek Road turns out to be a lesser road than I was expecting
This part of the road looks like it's underwater during the wet season. Red Creek Road follows Red Creek for over five miles and I'm wondering if most of it will look like this. - It's a slow bumpy ride and it's fun to try to follow old tire tracks in the grass and stay on the "road"
However, you can't really get lost in the narrow canyon, whether you're on the actual road or not. This whole area is part of the Orestimba Wilderness, and thus off-limits to bicycles, with the exception of Red Creek Road itself. - I take a break at the junction of Robison Creek Trail; I'm almost four miles from Paradise Lake now on another hot, sweaty day
If I hiked 5.5 miles up Robison Creek Trail here (it's closed to bicycles), I would reach the spot where I turned around yesterday at the north end of Orestimba Creek Road. That would make an interesting trip one day. - Suddenly, the lost trail in a dry grassy creek bed becomes a well-graded fire road that rises up a hill
I'm guessing that the road got graded during last year's brush fire to facilitate movement of emergency vehicles. - On the way up the hill, I reach a fallen oak that blocks the road
At first, I think I'll just lift the bike over it, until I realize that it will be easier to pick up some of the branches and throw them off to the side of the road. - Looking back at part of the little climb here out of the Red Creek canyon
Red Creek Road gained about 300 feet of elevation on this one-mile stretch. - I stop for a map check to see if I'm getting close to Hatch Spring yet
I don't want to do like I did yesterday again and miss points of interest! - The road drops back down to dry Red Creek
I'm still a half-mile or so from Hatch Spring. - Ooo, a California fuschia in bloom!
This is the first one of these that I've seen today. I have lots of these growing in my garden at home, the perfect late-summer hummingbird attractor. - I reach this muddy area on Red Creek Road and figure that this must be water coming down the hill from Hatch Spring
It's always a bit odd to come across mud and water in dry landscapes like this. I don't need any more water right now, but perhaps I'll stop here for a refill on my way back. - Some very healthy wild roses grow by this moist spot on Red Creek Road
I like the raisin-like taste of rose hips after they ripen and dry out a bit, but these ones aren't at that stage yet. - Just beyond the muddy area, I come to a small puddle and stream on the road
This, it turns out, is from the real Hatch Spring. The trickling water here looks cleaner than that at the muddy area. I'll be back later. The shade here feels great. - A half-mile later, Red Creek Road switchbacks 180 degrees and quits the canyon for good
During the next two miles, Red Creek Road will wind around the hillside and rise up to 2400 feet elevation, from here at 1650 feet. - In no time at all, I find myself looking down at the lower part of Red Creek Road where I came from
This is getting exciting. - The constant incline isn't all that steep
Still, I'm wilting in the 100-degree heat with no shade, so I walk the bike up a few stretches that I would ride in cooler weather. - The views keep getting better as I climb up Red Creek Road
And I keep getting hotter and hotter. A good excuse to stop occasionally and savour the views. - I spot an interesting feature: a little cabin, probably privately owned, on the other side of the canyon
What a secluded location! I haven't seen another person since I entered Henry Coe four days ago... - Finally, hiding in the "shade" of a few chamise bushes, I get enough of a signal to make a call on my cell phone
I call in to change my outgoing message so that callers know where I am, and I send a text message to the boy. I'm burning up in the hot sun, feeling a bit nauseous and out of breath, so my new outgoing phone message sounds like I'm on the verge of death! Maybe I am. My drinking water is hot to drink and my bike is hot to touch. This is my first phone reception in several days, so I hope nobody is worried about my temporary disappearance. Worst of all, my profuse sweating is making my sunscreen run off my face in the most unsightly fashion! - The views and solitude up here on the ridge are so amazing, making the effort to get here worthwhile
It's one ridgetop after another, into the endless distance. The fingers of a faint breeze occasionally touch me, but it's not enough to produce any cooling effect. - The road rolls along the ridgetop for half a mile or so
Up on top, I have great views on both sides of me now. It's impossible for a camera's limited breadth of vision to capture any of the feeling that this produces. You can't tell here that I'm on top of the world. - I get my first view toward the north, above Upper San Antonio Valley
I'll be down there for a brief visit in a few minutes. I like the yellow dry stream (yellow from tarweed flowers) in the middle of the valley and the small pond at the far right. - Red Creek Road now descends a brief downhill into the Upper San Antonio Valley
I haven't been up into this northern part of the Park before, so there are no familiar landmarks. - The road I can see from here is on private property outside the Park, but is a piece of County Line Road
If it were open to the public, that road would connect further south with County Line Road that I rode on the way from Pacheco Camp to Paradise Lake a few days ago. - Red Creek Road merges with a piece of County Line Road, but is then blocked shortly afterward by a private-property gate
I park here and go for a short walk into the field on my right, which is inside Henry Coe Park boundary (even though the road is not). There exists another short piece of County Line Road half a mile north of here that is also part of the Park. I could hike over to it around the private property and then up the trail to San Antone Spring. I'm tempted to do it, but I'm feeling already beyond my limits in today's heat. Why don't all my photos indicate heat radiating off of everything (including me)? - I go for a short walk over to the middle of Upper San Antonio Valley
Coasting down the short hill to get here helped, but I'm still feeling really overheated. - I check out a dry water hole in the middle of Upper San Antonio Valley and then decide to begin the trek back to Paradise Lake
I'm so close to San Antone Spring, which would make a nice three-mile round-trip hike from here. Easy, except that I'm hot and exhausted right now... - I walk back to the road and and begin the short ride back up to the summit of Red Creek Road
What I'm most excited about right now is the big, effortless downhill ahead of me to Red Creek once I get over the summit. - The gentle rollers along the top of the ridge here at about 2400 feet are fun to ride, even in the heat
The small green plants in front of me to the right are mostly regrowth sprouting from the stumps of plants that burned during the big brush fire that started on the last day of my Henry Coe trip last year. - As I begin the big two-mile downhill, I'm reminded why I bother putting so much effort into reaching high places by human power
The feeling of self-sufficiency from travelling distances by one's own energy provides empowerment that exercise machines in a gym can't. A giant vanity pick-up truck doesn't provide this either, even though it would simplify travel across rough terrain. The views from up here are awesome; I almost hate to return to Paradise Lake. - On the way back down to Red Creek, I come across a view of switchbacks that I will coast down in a few minutes
I didn't notice this particular view on the way up. Heading downhill reinvigorates me a little. - OK, I'm almost down at the bottom of the hill and I can see bits of dry Red Creek down in the canyon below
Of course, I don't really want this downhill to end. The hot air blowing past me as I roll downwards feels almost refreshing (or is it a convection oven baking me more quickly?) - After a half-mile in the lower part of Red Creek Road, I pull over when I reach Hatch Spring and go for a short walk
The deep shade here is so refreshing on a 100-degree day. The area is subtly fragrant from the oak-leaf litter and other moisture-loving plants. - I walk a short distance up the stream below Hatch Spring to look for the best place to filter some water
It's amazing to find ferns, humidity-loving plants, in this moist corner of an otherwise unforgivingly hot and dry landscape. I've already drank five of the six litres of water that I brought with me from Paradise Lake, and I could have drank more. - The stream coming down from Hatch Spring is small, but clean
I locate a good spot that is free of poison oak and filter four more litres of water. This water tastes better than the filtered water from Paradise Lake. And it's slightly chilled! True refreshment! - After pumping water at the stream from Hatch Spring, I enjoy the rise of the recently graded road above dry Red Creek
I'm glad to report that the heat of the day is dissipating a little down here in the canyon where the sun doesn't shine so strongly this late in the day. Phew! - Of course, what comes up must come down, and Red Creek Road drops back down to the dry stream bed
More fun ahead trying to figure out where the trail is, and isn't! - It's such a treat to have a bit of shade at the end of a really hot day
But it's still in the 90s... You know it has been a hot day when low 90s feel refreshingly cool. - A half-mile rise out of the canyon, and then a ride across Paradise Flat back to the lake...
Most of the final mile is slightly downhill, which is just what I need right now. - A fire-like reflection in the water greets me as I ride down the hill to Paradise Lake
The sun is behind the hill just enough now that my tent can start to cool down. I'm returning to camp a bit dehydrated, and tired of course, but very pleased with the day's travels. - Back at the tent, the first thing to do is wipe myself down and get rid of some of the salt and sunscreen residue on my skin
As an added bonus, I pour lots of water over my head. That feels great. - And it's definitely time to put on a clean pair of socks
... and pick out the bits of grass and seed that have gotten stuck in the fabric during the day. - Supper tonight is Mountain House Chicken and Rice, a flavourful and oily 800-calorie "meal for two"
I like how the corn oil in this meal extends the chicken flavour. But it's really heavy, so best saved for later days of a trip when the extra energy is needed. Around 21h, I hear a noise outside the tent, which turns out to be a wild boar moseying around. Oddly, he doesn't seem to have any family members with him. He doesn't get too startled when he realizes that I'm there, like boars usually do, but I coax him to move onward. I write notes in my journal, listen to the birds, coyotes and jets outside in the darkness, and eventually go to bed for my third and final night at Paradise Lake.