Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007: Henry Coe State Park Mountain-Bike Camping / Day 2: Sierra View camp to Mississippi Lake 24
The 12-mile trip from Sierra View to Mississippi Lake is tough due to the Willow Ridge Trail, which is steep enough to require that the 10-ton bike be dragged up most of the hill, a few feet at a time.
The day's travel is a big roller coaster going from 2800 feet elevation at Sierra View to down to 1200 feet at Poverty Flat, up to 1750 feet on the side of Jackass Peak, down to 1200 feet to Los Cruzeros, then up to 2600 feet to Willow Ridge, followed by numerous steep ups and down on the final "descent" along Willow Ridge Road to Mississippi Lake at 2200 feet.
The Sierra View campsite in the morning.
I go for a short walk up the trail from the campsite to Sierra View Spring to filter enough water to get me to Mississippi Lake.
A view of the small car campground at Henry Coe State Park from the Sierra View campsite.
All packed up and ready to leave Sierra View; on toward Mississippi Lake!
The old outhouse at Sierra View.
Heading down the trail away from the Sierra View campsite.
At the end of the Sierra View trail, the 10-ton bike has to cross that little drainage gulley where it got stuck last night.
After descending that little steep piece of Hobbs Road, I ride down Manzanita Point Road across the meadow.
I just descended 1000 feet in 1.7 miles down the steep Poverty Flat Road to the bottom of the canyon.
After the short flat stretch of dirt road at the bottom of the canyon that is Poverty Flat, it's time to climb out of the canyon
I'm just about to reach the high point of this part of Poverty Flat Road, near the junction of the Jackass Trail.
I finally meet the junction of Poverty Flat Road and Mahoney Meadows Road, and begin a short, fun, and steep downhill.
The beginning of the hill on Mahoney Meadows Road that I'm about to descend.
Well, that short downhill was fun! At the bottom of the hill, I reach Los Cruzeros and take a break.
I begin the dreaded climb up the Willow Ridge Trail that will take me to the top of Willow Ridge above Mississippi Lake.
As Willow Ridge Trail rises, it passes through a brushy area with pretty red-leaved poison oak reaching out into the trail.
A benign switchback on Willow Ridge Trail just beyond the log in the poison oak grove gives me a few more problems.
Phew, Willow Ridge Trail pops out of the poison oak grove and crosses an open area where there's a bit of a breeze.
A little higher up on Willow Ridge Trail is a short level stretch that lasts for about a tenth of a mile.
My next break spot, a little higher again up Willow Ridge Trail, eating yet another Clif bar, drinking yet more water.
The same resting location as in the previous photo, but looking back down Willow Ridge Trail.
This manzanita is all pretty and red in the late-afternoon sun and takes my mind off the pain of climbing this hill.
The "dreaded steep part" where I must remove my heavy saddlebags from the bike and walk them up the hill separately.
I finally make it to Willow Ridge Spring, which means that I'm close to the top and the hardest part is over. Sort of.