Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Fall 2011: Route 66 bicycle-camping—Cady Mountains, Sleeping Beauty and Kelso Dunes Wilderness / Day 2: Sleeping Beauty hike 44
4.2 hiking miles round-trip from my tent to a summit in the Sleeping Beauty range. Feels like much more because of the steep, rocky hills (approx. 1500 feet elevation gain). An almost-warm afternoon (60F), I drink about 2 litres of water and eat two energy bars.
- Bright, sunny morning, cool breeze, perfect for the hike that I've planned up the adjacent Sleeping Beauty hills
I'm a bit tired from yesterday's ride from Barstow to here, but feeling pretty good, and happy to be here. - After a slow, relaxed morning in the sun, I'm finally setting out on today's Sleeping Beauty hike
Where did the morning go?!?! A couple of cups of instant Starbuck's Via coffee, some notes written in my journal, and some breakfast goodies eaten (granola, almonds, dried fruit). Explored the area around my tent quite a bit. - I cross a greenish-looking drainage on my way across the Sleeping Beauty foothills
I'll start my way up the hillside shortly. I have no idea how far uphill I can go. I'll just enjoy the journey, however it proceeds. - I start hiking up a slope that I identifed as a possible route up Sleeping Beauty while doing my homework before this trip
I recorded a couple of routes on my Delorme GPS so I could consult them on my way up the rocky hills here. - I'm careful and slow as I hike up the loose rock here on Sleeping Beauty
I get vertigo easily, and am not sure if perhaps I'll run into some problems ahead on the loose rock here, but so far, so good. - A look back down the hill behind me says I'm making progress on my Sleeping Beauty climb
Again, so far, so good; lets see how far I can go before the vertigo bug gets me! - Here and there, I run into a few of these flowers on the slopes of Sleeping Beauty, mostly in relatively shaded areas
Not sure what these "daisies" are... - A little further up Sleeping Beauty, I pass around this large rock outcrop
Steep, but so far, so good! - A bit past the rock outcrop, I continue up a ridge above a steep-sided drainage on the side of Sleeping Beauty
Little by little, so far so good! - I'm getting closer to the Sleeping Beauty peaks, but I still have a distance to go
This part isn't too steep, so I continue straight ahead a bit further before deciding up on my next uphill move. - I zoom in on some nice views across the hills as I gain elevation in the Sleeping Beauty mountains
That straight road down in the distance should be the dirt road that I rode last night in the dark off the freeway toward my camp site. - There's one of the Sleeping Beauty peaks up above me; how close can I get without getting vertigo?
I'll head straight up a bit further, then off to my right toward a saddle that should be fairly easy to reach. - Delicious views as I arrive at a saddle high up in the Sleeping Beauty mountains
Actually, it's not that high, only about 3800 feet elevation, but it's plenty high to have rewarding views. I love the specks on the desert below, which are probably individual creosote bushes. - I take a half-hour break on this saddle in the Sleeping Beauty mountains, eat an energy bar, and suck back more water
I decide not to climb up the last little bit to what might be an official summit (too vertigo-inducing for my tastes), and consider climbing back down via a route in front of me. - Well, I probably could climb down that way, in front of me, but I decide to check my maps first
I'm not sure why, but I decide to try descending via a canyon on the west side of the Sleeping Beauty hills instead of down the hill in front of me. The unknown sometimes has a certain attraction. - I take note of small tufts growing in the rocks as I walk down this Sleeping Beauty canyon that I didn't plan to explore
Some of these plants are desert holly. - I head down into the shade in the Sleeping Beauty mountains
I figure I'll probably exit the mountains on the fan a mile or so northwest of my campsite, and then hike back to my tent on flatter land. - There are a few Mojave asters flowering here today, which I don't expect in November
However, most of the blossoms are old ones from the last season. - Ah ha! A special desert flower that's occasionally found even in the most remote Mojave Desert locales: an old balloon
In this case, it's still attached to its original string, and impaled on a creosote bush. - Hmmm, a little cave on the side of this canyon in the Sleeping Beauty mountains
I have to go over and check it out. A noisy hawk flies overhead, and I wonder which area cavelet s/he lives in. - Closer inspection of the little cave shows smoke stains on the roof
Now I'm wondering how old those smoke stains are, and who made them. Early miners a century ago? Native Americans? No ashes here, so the smoke stains aren't all that recent. - A few very early Desert mallow blossoms are about to open in this Sleeping Beauty canyon
I wonder if this area will be decorated with a lot of these flowers during the spring season, like some other Mojave Desert areas. - I take a look at a small dry waterfall in this unnamed Sleeping Beauty canyon that I just climbed around
The area to the left is an easy way around this little drop-off. How would this look with water flowing? - I pass a patch of brilliant rabbitbrush on the way down this Sleeping Beauty canyon
I have one of these in my garden at home! - A river of rock flows down a hill toward this Sleeping Beauty canyon
I would like to witness some of these rocks in their downhill movement... - Well, my planned hike down this side canyon in the Sleeping Beauty mountains instantly ends when I reach a 10-foot drop-off
Spectacular. It's narrow here, with no obvious way to easily climb down around the drop-off, so I'll turn back and climb over the hills and try a different way back down out of the mountains. - I study my maps a bit and backtrack a quarter-mile up the canyon before turning right and climbing over a rocky ridge
With the awesome scenery here, I'm happy to explore the area longer. However, daylight expires quite soon at this time of year, and I'd rather not be climbing rocky hills after dark. - On the way up the steep, rocky hill, I notice many of those daisy-like plants of which I've seen many today
Most of these aren't flowering yet. I'm guessing that within a couple of weeks, there will be a lot more white flowers with yellow centers than I'm seeing now. - I've made it up to the ridge and have great views toward my campsite down below Sleeping Beauty (which I can't see yet)
I take a good look at the hill below me; steep, but the large rocks will probably provide good footing, unless they are really loose. I'll see shortly! - Such a beautiful canyon to descend during the hike back to my tent from Sleeping Beauty
...especially in the late-afternoon November Mojave Desert sunlight. - Now that I've almost reached the bottom of this Sleeping Beauty Canyon, I take a look back up behind me
I tend to get vertigo often, but not while inching my way down this hill, despite the steepness. Perhaps the beauty of the area distracted me such that I forgot about vertigo. - The Mojave Desert is full of interesting and colourful rocks and earth
... and this Sleeping Beauty canyon is no exception in its lower area with its greenish earth and rusty boulders. - Oops, just when I'm not expecting any further obstacles, I encounter a 15-foot drop-off in the drainage that I'm hiking
However, it's easy to walk over a nearby hill to get around this. - I'm up above the drop-off now in the Sleeping Beauty foothills
I'll try hiking down the gully straight ahead of me to get back to my campsite. - I look behind me at the lower part of the Sleeping Beauty canyon I've just descended
Great colors here, the contrasts perhaps increased a little by my Canon point-and-shoot pocket camera. - I cross a dry, sandy wash on the way back to my tent
I'll climb over the hill on the other side in that drainage area. - I've seen several of these little yellow flowers on today's hike
This reminds me of Goldfields (Lasthenia californica). - Climbing out of the sandy wash, a few big rocks, and a lot of small ones
Not much soil here, so not many plants growing! - I'm almost back at the tent, with Sleeping Beauty behind me, right at sunset
A couple of miles down below, I can see cars on the I-40 freeway. - Back home for the night in the Sleeping Beauty foothills, what a great hike that was today!
Now I'm hungry, but I wait until after dark to make my instant backpacker's meal. - The star of the show this evening is Backpacker's Pantry Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
This is one of my favorite add-boiling-water-to-bag meals. It's supposed to serve two people, but I find it's perfect for one hungry hiker-biker. - In the bag, Backpacker's Pantry Beef and broccoli Stir-Fry doesn't look like much, but it's good!
Like most of these instant meals, it's rather light on the meat, which I like, and I get my rice dose for the day. - A relaxing evening in the tent, with my sweaters on, and I sleep really well in my new, warm winter sleeping bag
I have a few sips of brandy after my evening meal and get to sleep around 23h30. It's chilly, down to 40F. I step outside numerous times to enjoy the bright stars and the Milky Way; no moonlight tonight and no clouds. I listen to the sounds coming from a few miles further down the hill: trains passing by, residual freeway rumble, occasional airplanes, and a few booming sounds, presumable from the military base down there. - Sleeping Beauty hike, elevation profile
4.2 hiking miles, approximately 1500 feet elevation gain.