Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Spring 2011: Mojave National Preserve and area bicycle camping / Day 4: Searchlight to Castle Peaks, Mojave National Preserve by bicycle 56
A wave of happiness sets in when I set up camp at the end of Castle Peaks Road. Back in Searchlight, I was starting to feel a bit "bla." 26 bicycle miles and about 2000 feet of elevation gain. I drink about 3 litres of water and eat two energy bars on today's ride, plus some chocolate (yum!).
Breakfast in Searchlight means McDonald's again (ugh); I admire the old Colton Mine headframe on the way back to my motel room
Looking down the street in Searchlight, I can see the forecast rain clouds hovering over the mountains where I'll be headed soon
I think I'm leaving the Searchlight motel early, but the cleaning woman also arrives early, reminding me that check-out is 10h
My first stop upon leaving the Searchlight motel is the old mining residences just across the road
Nearby is a second building, a small cabin: all this in "downtown Searchlight"
In the backyard sits a small outbuilding
A major luxury...
Another luxury: an old hot water heater
And perhaps the biggest luxury of them all: electricity
From behind the old miner's cabin, I look across the highway to last night's Searchlight motel
OK, time to start today's ride; I start riding down Nevada 164 into the grey clouds
I spot a nice clump of pink buckwheat flowers along Highway 164 on the way out of Searchlight
From Nevada 164, I zoom in across the valley and see some rain clouds over the Castle Peaks, my destination today
As I head into the clouds on Nevada 164, I see a little sunny spot on the road ahead
Indeed, the sunny spot on Nevada 164 stays put and I ride into it
I reach Walking Box Ranch Road and it's time to ride up that way and leave pavement for a few days
A row of 6 SUVs has stopped by the Walking Box Ranch, apparently preparing for a ride into the rain clouds ahead, like me
I take a short break over by the Walking Box Ranch entrance; it's not open to the public, but it's nice to look at
I pass the stationary 4WD folks and begin my ride up Walking Box Ranch Road; they soon depart too and pass me, one by one
After half an hour, I take a short break at an old corral on Walking Box Ranch Road where I've stopped before
I'm often looking back behind me toward Nevada 164 and the Highland Range to take in the cloud formations
Though mostly gradual, Walking Box Ranch Road does have a few short rolling hills
Looking back on Walking Box Ranch Road, it looks stormy over toward the McCullough Mountains where I camped 2 days ago
As Walking Box Ranch Road approaches the California border, I pass another old corral
Here and there on Walking Box Ranch Road are bits of residual old pavement
I'm feeling happy now that I'm seeing views of the Castle Peaks, Mojave National Preserve
Walking Box Ranch Road is a "Road Not Maintained" on the California side of the border
I pass the Castle Mountains area, just outside Mojave National Preserve, and remind myself to visit this area in the future
I'm going to leave Walking Box Ranch Road here and follow this smaller road at my left toward Castle Peaks
My new road, which I've not been on before, immediately drops into a sand-and-gravel drainage area
Phew, my road rises out of the gravel onto a smooth surface and passes a "Entering Mojave National Preserve" sign
I reach a brief detour down and around a washed-out section of this road and it occurs to me that this is an old railway grade
A close-up of the wash-out reveals buried posts that supported the old Barnwell and Searchlight Railway grade
I pass an old road leading toward the Castle Peaks area, now closed by Wilderness markers
The Barnwell and Searchlight Railway grade is a great mountain-bike ride today, 100 years after the rail line was decommissioned
I take a quick break in the joshua-tree forest to enjoy the silence and try my cell phone; I also remove my sweater
I zoom in behind me for a closer look at the old Barnwell and Searchlight Railway grade that I've been riding for a while
I haven't seen many wildflowers along the old railway grade, so a patch of paintbrush really catches my attention when I pass by
Suddenly, I have a view across Lanfair Valley all the way to Tabletop Mountain (the distant flat-topped hill, of course)
I take the detour around another wash-out on the old Barnwell and Searchlight Railway grade
I pass an old OX Ranch water tank, so I'll be leaving the Barnwell and Searchlight Railway grade shortly
I start riding, and sometimes walking, the 10-ton bike up Castle Peaks Road, the final leg of today's trip
As I rise slowly, the views across Lanfair Valley become increasingly expansive
Castle Peaks Road heads across the land toward a slot between the rolling hills at upper-left
10 minutes later, I'm almost at the next landmark, where Castle Peaks Road arrives at the slot in the rolling hills
Between the rolling hills, Castle Peaks Road rises up a short steep hill onto a man-made berm overlooking a dry reservoir
The short, rugged descent down the hill off the dam on Castle Peaks Road would require high clearance
Castle Peaks Road beyond the dry reservoir continues to deteriorate
Immediately after the little detour on Castle Peaks Road is another sandy stretch, too deep for me to ride the 10-ton bike
My wish is granted when I reach a well-used campsite a short distance ahead, just off Castle Peaks Road
I go for a short walk as I try to decide where to erect my tent, and I discover this luxury outdoor toilet
I have to laugh while walking around my new campsite; I discover that I'm at the end of Castle Peaks Road without realizing it
I set up camp next to a juniper tree, hoping that it might provide a bit of a wind break should I need it
Since I'm between a couple of hills, I don't get to see a full sunset here at the end of Castle Peaks Road
Elevation profile of bicycle route to Castle Peaks, Mojave National Preserve from Searchlight, Nevada
Bicycle route to Castle Peaks, Mojave National Preserve from Searchlight, Nevada