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Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2008: Mojave National Preserve Mountain-Bike Camping and Hike / Day 6: Coyote Springs to Butcher Knife Canyon via Kelso Depot and Death Valley Mine Road, Mojave National Preserve 43

I haven't seen any people in the Coyote Springs area since leaving the pavement of Kelbaker Road two afternoons ago.

The day's bicycle travels include a bit of everything to keep things interesting and test my physical and psychological ability to switch from mileage-covering road cyclist to mountain biker to backpacker-like hiker dragging a 10-ton bike. 38.8 bicycle miles.

After a few miles of mostly ridable dirt and sand upon leaving Coyote Springs near 3200 feet, I get 8 miles of paved downhill highway biking on Kelbaker Road to Kelso Depot at 2100 feet. Then I will climb 14.5 miles of gentle uphill on paved Kelso-Cima Road to 3700 feet, followed by a couple of miles of steeper climbing on the paved part of Cedar Canyon Road to reach 4500 feet.

Mountain-bike mode and hike-a-biking alternate during the final slow, rolling, nine miles on sand and dirt roads to the old corral below lonely Butcher Knife Canyon at 4600 feet. I won't see any people after I leave the pavement of Cedar Canyon Road.