Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Spring 2011: Mojave National Preserve and area bicycle camping / Day 9: Summit Spring hike and Wild Horse Canyon bike ride, Mojave National Preserve 91
Last year, I did a hike in this scenic area, but didn't get as far as I hoped, so today I'll go the rest of the way to Summit Spring in the Providence Mountains. 7.1 hiking miles with about 2200 feet of elevation gain, plus 15.5 bicycle miles with about 1300 feet of elevation gain.
Another beautiful morning at Mid Hills campground; it's nice to have a water supply, so I heat up water to wash myself
I stop at the water tap near my campsite at Mid Hills campground and fill up; I won't be passing any water holes today
After leaving Mid Hills campground, I ride down Wild Horse Canyon Road and cross over this cattle guard
A pick-up truck passes me on Wild Horse Canyon Road, a major event
As I ride down Wild Horse Canyon Road, a few cows start to cross, but I end up inadvertently chasing them
After 5 minutes, the cows are still running down Wild Horse Canyon Road, with me chasing them on my bicycle
We come around a bend by Macedonia Canyon Road and start heading uphill; the cows aren't running quite so quickly anymore
I continue riding down Wild Horse Canyon Road toward the Wild Horse Mesa area, watching for the easy-to-miss Bluejay Mine Road
And there it is: Bluejay Mine Road; I leave Wild Horse Canyon Road here
A short stretch of Bluejay Mine Road is in a sandy wash, and I'm glad it doesn't last too long
Bluejay Mine Road gets a bit better after rising out of the sandy wash
Like so many desert backroads, Bluejay Mine Road deteriorates as it approaches its end
Bluejay Mine Road ends here, so I stash my bike in the brush, lock it up, and begin today's hike
I take a look into the old entrance to the Bluejay Mine before I start climbing up the hill
A yellow-chested bird watches me begin the hike up the steep hill above Bluejay Mine
My first stop on the way up the hill is the upper shaft opening to the Bluejay Mine
Because the upper opening to the Bluejay Mine is treacherous, it's surrounded by barbed wire
I soon make it high enough up the hill to have a view across the Providence Mountains to the subtle curve of Cima Dome
This hill in the Providence Mountains is a steep way to start a hike
A quick look back down the hill behind me confirms why my heart is pounding
I'm at a false summit here, with another 125 feet or so of climbing to reach this Providence Mountains summit
I arrive at my Providence Mountains summit (Hill 1713) and take inventory of the 360-degree views
From Hill 1713, I can see across Gold Valley to Twin Buttes and the Woods Mountains
I turn on my cell phone up here on Hill 1713 in the Providence Mountains and get a signal, but...
From Hill 1713 in the Providence Mountains, I can see Macedonia Canyon Road down below to the northwest
Also up here on Hill 1713 in the Providence Mountains are a few blue delphinium flowers
My route ahead is the Providence Mountains saddle to the right; I pass through an old range fence here
When I hiked here last year, I dropped down into Beecher Canyon, below at left; but not this time
On this saddle in the Providence Mountains, I find the remains of a balloon
Beecher Canyon, scenic and tempting, but I'll stay up here on the saddle a bit longer so I can hike down into Globe Canyon
Hill 1624 in the Providence Mountains boasts a robust rock outcrop stacked in layers
Hiding in the rocks on Providence Mountains Hill 1624 is a crushed "Bud Light" can
Everything has been quiet, and I can see down to the tiny town of Kelso, when a low-flying helicopter passes overhead
As I descend into Globe Canyon, I can see over to the high points of the Providence Mountains
A few bright-pink dudleya stems brighten up the landscape as I follow the ridge down into Globe Canyon
I reach the bottom of one of the forks of Globe Canyon and look up at an old tailings pile
As I arrive in Globe Canyon, I notice a few black-striped birds flitting about in a catclaw bush
I pass a small mine opening in Globe Canyon
Nearby in this fork of Globe Canyon is a small can dump
A short distance further down Globe Canyon is another old mine hole
I continue down this fork of Globe Canyon and exit the Wilderness markers
It's also time for a chocolate energy bar in Globe Canyon while consulting the GPS
I climb over a small hill to reach the main Globe Canyon Road, and discover a rock cairn on the hill
I'm on Globe Canyon Road now, starting the uphill hike toward Summit Spring, and pass a couple of old trees, still alive
I pass an old sink while hiking up Globe Canyon Road
I pass another tailings pile along Globe Canyon Road
Globe Canyon Road becomes rather indistinct after a while
I turn a bend on Globe Canyon Road and have a short and steady uphill in front of me
Under a burnt tree, two plants try to trick me: the yellow flowers don't belong to the the green patch of foliage
Approaching Summit Spring, the now-faint Globe Canyon Road levels out
I'm almost at Summit Spring, but I notice a couple of stray balloons nearby; I take a short detour to look at them close-up
Next to Summit Spring are the remains of a concrete foundation and, presumably, a building
I see a moist drainage channel nearby, which I presume comes from Summit Spring
Well, here it is, Summit Spring, Mojave National Preserve, a disgusting concentrate of cow shit and water
I'm thirsty, but I wait until I get up the hill away from stinky Summit Spring before guzzling more water
I'm on the Providence Mountains ridge again, so I look to the south toward a hiking route as yet unexplored
I'll follow the Providence Mountains ridge line to the left, then head right later to that high point at centre (Hill 1713)
Numerous rock outcrops dot the Providence Mountains ridge line
I get a good view of Globe Canyon Road from above, which I just hiked on the way to Summit Spring
The little rock outcrops on the Providence Mountains ridge keep attracting my attention
I take a look behind me at one of the spikes on the Providence Mountains ridge line that I just hiked over
Over at the far right below Wild Horse Mesa is a thin line of trees where I hiked last year to get out of Beecher Canyon
This outcrop on the Providence Mountains ridge line harbours a little cave
Another little cave on the Providence Mountains ridge line...
As I hike over another hump on the Providence Mountains ridge line, I arrive at a herd of resting cows
The cows saunter along the Providence Mountains hillside, toward where?
These two juniper trees on the Providence Mountains ridge survived the 2005 brush fires, just barely
A few Desert trumpets (Eriogonum inflatum) grow on this part of the Providence Mountains ridge overlooking Beecher Canyon
I look ahead and scope out my route along this part of the Providence Mountains ridge
A turkey vulture, one of my favorite birds, flies overhead, reminding me that I'm alive
As I climb a bit higher above Beecher Canyon, I pass through a field of Desert marigolds
As I rise, I enjoy the views across Macedonia Canyon over to Cima Dome in the distance
Ooops! A yucca stabs me as I walk past it, the result of sloppy hiking!
Atop the steep hill I'm climbing is a piece of old range fence that I passed earlier today
Zooming in really hard, I can see some of the rock turrets at Eagle Rocks, not far from tonight's home at Mid Hills campground
No, that's not a thin woman standing there taking in the views from the Providence Mountains...
I stumble across another rock cairn on my way back down to the Bluejay Mine area
On the descent to Bluejay Mine, I run into a patch of Groundsel flowers
Another flowering plant I notice on the way down to Bluejay Mine is Rock pea (Lotus rigidus)
I arrive back at my bike by the old Winkler's Cabin site by Bluejay Mine and find that it has a flat tire
My flat tire fixed, I start riding down Bluejay Mine Road on the way back to Mid Hills campground
Bluejay Mine Road improves as it rolls downward, a most excellent mountain-biking road
I ride up Wild Horse Canyon Road toward Columbia Mountain, just like last night, as the sun starts to dip behind the hills
A rabbit darts across Wild Horse Canyon Road and then stands still near the brush
As I climb Wild Horse Canyon Road, I turn back for a look at the Providence Mountains peaks before they disappear
I know I'm getting close to home when I ride past the right-turn sign on Wild Horse Canyon Road
A sunset ride up Wild Horse Canyon Road isn't complete without a glance over to Twin Buttes and Table Mountain
I'm back at the Mid Hills campground entry kiosk at sunset, perfect timing!
The sun goes down at nearly-empty Mid Hills campground and I meet my new neighbors, Heather and Sarah
Summit Spring hiking route elevation profile
Summit Spring hiking route and Wild Horse Canyon bicycle ride