Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2009, Spring: Mojave National Preserve / Day 1: Baker, California to Cornfield Spring, Mojave National Preserve 46
Yesterday, Amtrak train and bus rides took me from home in San José to Baker, California, just outside Mojave National Preserve, where I stayed at the Wills Fargo Motel waiting for my trip to start today.
Today I ride from Baker to Mojave National Preserve's Kelso Depot on the paved Kelbaker Road, and then a couple of miles up an old, rocky track toward Cornfield Spring.
I incur a bit of heat exhaustion along the way and need to take frequent rest stops all day long. The high temperature recorded today in Baker is 98F (36C), which is a bit much for a largely uphill first day during which I'm trying to acclimate to the 10-ton bike.
37.1 bicycle miles with elevation changing from 925 feet at Baker, to 3700 feet at the Kelbaker Road summit, to 2120 feet at Kelso, to 2300 feet on Cornfield Spring Road. Total elevation gain: about 2950 feet.
- Yesterday morning I left home and rode to the San José Amtrak station for my rides to Baker, California
An Amtrak bus takes me from San José to Stockton, the Amtrak San Joaquin train takes me from Stockton to Bakersfield, then an Amtrak bus headed for Las Vegas takes me from Bakersfield to Baker, California, gateway to Mojave National Preserve. - Another bike shared the bike rack with me aboard the Amtrak San Joaquin train yesterday
I didn't meet the owner of the other bicycle until the end of the train ride and wish I had met him earlier. He's from Sweden and is also doing bicycle touring in California. - The Amtrak bus left the 10-ton bike and I in Baker, California, gateway to Mojave National Preserve, near the end of the day
I've never seen anyone else board nor leave the Amtrak bus at Baker, California. Let's see... how much gas should I put in the tank before heading over to a motel room across the road at the Wills Fargo Motel? - The "world's tallest thermometer" displayed 93 degrees F (33C) when I got here yesterday
For the town of Baker at this time of year, this is a reasonable temperature; it is sometimes 10 degrees hotter than this. - I stayed at the Wills Fargo Motel last night instead of at the tacky Royal Hawaiian Motel down the road
It turns out that the Wills Fargo is a better deal than the Royal Hawaiian, where I've often stayed on other trips out here. Wills Fargo costs roughly the same, but is cleaner and not so dilapidated. True, the Wills Fargo is also blander, and lacks the weird 70s' styling of the Royal Hawaiian. - I get up early this morning and walk down the road for the breakfast buffet at the Big Boy restaurant by the big thermometer
I stuff myself on a couple of big plates of scrambled eggs and fried potatoes. The Big Boy breakfast buffet isn't very exciting, but it's cheap and tasty. - After breakfast, I walk over to the Starbuck's in town to pick up a pound of coffee for the trip
Well, it turns out that the Baker Starbuck's has closed. It was located in this brand-new building and was only open for a year or two. Since there's no other decent coffee in town, I decide that I'll just buy tea bags at one of the general stores instead. - I also need to fill up on water before I leave Baker, so I make a stop at Alien Fresh Jerky
For some reason, Alien Fresh Jerky only stocks small bottles of water, not the 1.5-litre bottles that I want for my trip. So I go across the road to the "Country Store" instead. - Non-descript Baker is mostly gas stations, fast-food joints and convenience stores, but here's an old boxcar in a vacant lot
On my previous visits here, I hadn't noticed this boxcar hiding away from the main road behind some athel trees. - It appears that the old Baker boxcar is being used as a storage shed
I wonder how old this "building" is and how long it has been sitting here. I wouldn't be surprised if it served as someone's modest lodgings at some point during its history. - The Baker Country Store ran out of tea bags, so I go to the ridiculously expensive Baker Market to see if they have any in stock
Baker Market is by far the most expensive establishment in town. But they do have the tea bags that I want. The small propane bottles that I buy at the Country Store for $4.99 ($3.75 in San José) are offered at Baker Market for $6.99. - All stocked up, I get on Kelbaker Road and leave Baker, crossing the I-15 freeway before entering Mojave National Preserve
The Mojave National Preserve boundary is just a short distance beyond the freeway. - Obligatory tourist photo at the Mojave National Preserve entrance on Kelbaker Road
The "world's tallest thermometer" in Baker is registering only 85 degrees this morning, and I've just started, so I'm still feeling fresh. But that may not last long. - The first 10 miles of Kelbaker Road upon leaving Baker is long and straight and rises from 925 feet to 2000 feet
Noticeably, the dirty buzz of the freeway disappears behind me, replaced by silence and the sound of me pedalling. Visually, not much changes for a while on this stretch of road. - It hasn't taken long for the hot sun to fry me; I stop for several short breaks on this nearly flat stretch of Kelbaker Road
My water was cold when I left Baker and it's warming up really fast. - At the 10-mile point on Kelbaker Road, "the big curve," it's time for another break.
It's important to pace myself in this hot weather so I don't get too tired too quickly. Gee, I've only been on the road for 1.5 hours and I'm already feeling a bit beat down. I've ridden this road several times on past Mojave National Preserve trips and think of this climb as rather easy, but the weather hasn't been quite as warm. Even without the extra heat, it's always tougher during the first few days of a bikepacking trip as I get used to riding the 10-ton bike. - At the Kelbaker Road curve, I pull out on a dirt road and suck back more of my warm water
On my first Mojave National Preserve trip back in 1999, I camped in front of the small hills here. While I sweat and rest here in the heat, hoping to go unnoticed to any passing traffic on Kelbaker Road (there's hardly any), two guys in a pickup truck pull over. They ask if I know where the Lava Tube is. I pull out my maps and show them the location of the unsigned Aiken Mine Road that they missed nine miles back. Due to the hot weather, the remoteness of the Lava Tube and the roughness of the dirt road they'll have to drive slowly for several miles, I ask if they are carrying sufficient water. It turns out that they are not your average unprepared tourists; they are former marathon runners and quite acquainted with exercising in the heat! - A bit further up Kelbaker Road: near mile 12, an oncoming pickup brakes and its driver shouts, "I love your web site!"
I'm surprised, to say the least, and have a great conversation with Brian, who has read my travelogues and shares my interest in visiting off-the-beaten-track areas of Mojave National Preserve. I hope he'll post some of his trip photos on the internet one day. I need a lot of breaks today, and this is a perfect excuse for another one. It's a slow, hot day for me, and I'm not even halfway to Kelso Depot yet. I'd like to chat longer, but it's time to ride on. - Energized by my chat with Brian, I start thinking about taking another short break, this time by the lava flows
I've heard there may be some Native-American rock art here that I missed when I've camped in this area in the past. - I park the 10-ton bike at the edge of the lava flow and go for a walk up the hill
A trail leads up the hill toward the top of the lava flow. - Sure enough, rock art is to be found up there
Ideas abound on what these designs might mean, but they are old enough that nobody really knows. - Antique graffiti?
These symbols might merely be simple graffiti drawn according to the stylistic and cultural conventions of their era, or they might be highly specific functional icons intended to record information or identify waypoints. - A faint hum oozes out of the lava, and it's not the spirit of the rock art whispering at me through the silence
A yellowjacket wasp floats past, and then a second one. My eyes follow their buzz to a crevice between some rocks, where I see more. They apparently have a nest, oblivious (or are they?) to the rock art nearby. - Staying away from the yellowjackets (I'm highly allergic), I walk back down to the 10-ton bike at Kelbaker Road
A team of four-wheel-drive vehicles rides up the historic Mojave Road trail in front of the hills just beyond Kelbaker Road. The Mojave Road is probably Mojave National Preserve's most popular 4WD route. - I remount the 10-ton bike and continue my trek up Kelbaker Road as it winds around the edge of lava flows
It's over 90 degrees now, I'm sure. I'm at 2200 feet and have another 1500 feet to rise during the next 10 miles. Take it slowly, but take it! - Rainy Day Mine Road is the location of my next short break
I pull in here off the pavement of Kelbaker Road, get off the 10-ton bike and walk around for a few minutes, drinking more of my hot water. I'm at about 2775 feet now; Kelbaker Road is a little steeper along here. The cinder cones make a scenic background. I've never been all the way down this road, which apparently rises up onto the lava flow and ends at the former Rainy Day Mine site, where there is supposed to be a good campsite. When taking breaks, I try to stay off main roads and I often pretend to be taking photos if a car passes by (sometimes I actually am taking photos). People in the desert have a tendency to stop and ask if you're OK if you're stopped along the road. They just want to make sure you're not having a dangerous breakdown in the desert, which is a wonderful thing, but it can be annoying if it happens every time you take a break. - OK, back on Kelbaker Road, I'll tackle a little more of this slow, hot hill
I can now see Kelbaker Road rising slowly all the way up to the power lines in the distance, which is the summit at 3700 feet. It's still more than five miles away, but I'm happy to see the first major goal of today's route. - Aiken Mine Road/Jackass Canyon Road junction is the next stop on my Kelbaker Road death climb
I almost always stop here when riding up Kelbaker Road, but today is different: heat exhaustion is setting in. My break here will be a bit longer than usual, as I have no choice but to wait until I cool down a little. I feel nauseous. Heat exhaustion is an animal to be hunted. Slowly and deliberately, taking as much time as necessary to outsmart it and win. From past experience, I think of Kelbaker Road out of Baker as a fairly easy hill to climb, requiring effort, but not especially challenging. But it's different today at 90 degrees. This heat is why I don't usually visit Mojave National Preserve so late in the spring; it makes simple tasks rather challenging. Regardless of how I feel, my needs must be addressed. Immediately. I drink more of my hot water; cold would be so much nicer. I manage to delicately eat a Clif bar for the extra energy boost that I need. My tummy feels like it's going to reject food right now, but I don't throw up. - I pace back and forth with my arms extended for maximum air flow, like a cat stretched out on the floor on a hot day
The hot air is a bit cooler than I am. After 15 minutes here, stopped, I'm still sweating, but feeling less nauseous. I'm almost ready to get back on the 10-ton bike and ride a bit further. Little by little. I'm at about 3100 feet here and have about 600 feet to rise over the next four miles. - The final four miles of the normally easy climb to the Kelbaker Road summit at the power lines have never been so challenging
I'm almost there. The summit of 3700 feet is just past the power lines. I'm still overheating, but it's slightly cooler up here at this elevation. I'm powered more by adrenalin than by real energy at this point, but at least my heat exhaustion isn't getting any worse. - Kelbaker Road summit at 3700 feet elevation; I'm there, finally!
It will be downhill for the next 12 miles to Kelso after riding over this lump, and I can't wait to have the hot breeze blowing against me. - The 12-mile gradual descent to Kelso is fun, but I usually have a headwind that slows me down considerably, like I do today
The hot wind blowing against me feels really good as I stare at the Providence Mountains in the distance, so I don't mind that I have to pedal a bit to keep my speed up while I coast downward. A headwind coming out of the south is common on this road. - The vegetation on the foothills of the adjacent Kelso Mountains is striking with its silver-grey brush against yellow flowers
Here in late May, I'm past the flowering season for the vast majority of Mojave National Preserve plants, but these yellow flowers are still doing well. - Still heading downhill into the Kelso Valley, now approaching the town of Kelso, that ribbon of buildings
The strong south wind blowing against me feels cool, even though I'm still hot. But I'm headed downhill, so everything feels good after an afternoon of borderline heat exhaustion. - Kelso Depot Visitor Centre, Mojave National Preserve, former 1920s train station restored in 2005
My fun descent ends at the bottom of the Kelso Valley a bit after 17h30. I take a half hour break here and refill my water bottles from a hose left outside on the lawn and soak my head with the cool water. I consumed almost seven litres of water on the way here! Usually I refill my water from the utility closet in the basement of the Kelso Depot building, but the visitor centre closed at 17h. I'm lucky that they've left the hose out for me because filling my water bottles from the tiny sinks in the 24-hour bathroom building would be quite tedious. Since this is a dry desert park and people occasionally need water, an outdoor water tap would be a nice addition at this location. - While lingering in the shade of the Kelso Depot waiting platform, I chat with a couple on their first visit to the Preserve
I take a few keepsake photos of them (on their camera) and talk briefly about Kelso Depot's former role as housing for crew and as a water stop. People always wonder why such a huge train station would be located in such an empty location. - Desert willows bloom and attract hummingbirds outside the Kelso Depot bathroom building
I use the facilities here and rinse the sticky mixture of sweat, salt and sunscreen that coats my face. - I look across the tracks and beyond the handful of houses that are Kelso toward Cornfield Spring, my destination
Cornfield Spring is somewhere at the base of the Providence Mountains over there. I'm still hot and tired, and it's certainly warmer down here in the valley than it was up on the Kelbaker Road summit. I've been drinking more water and I ate another Clif bar since arriving at Kelso Depot, so I'm as ready as I can be to take on the final few miles of today's ride. - I glance back at Kelso Depot as I start riding up the sandy road to Cornfield Spring
I haven't been up this road before, and it's the only part of today's ride that is new to me, so it's a bit exciting, despite the heat and fatigue. I don't know if this road will be rideable. - The road to Cornfield Spring gets a bit rougher
The sand at the beginning of the road disappeared and has been replaced by gravel. The road is slightly uphill and I can still ride it sometimes on the 10-ton bike, except when I lose traction due to loose gravel (and because I'm tired). - Cornfield Spring Road becomes a track of small rocks plowed out of the alluvial fan
I can't ride this surface at all and have resorted to hiking the 10-ton bike. I take a lot of 30-second breaks. Perhaps the road will improve somewhere ahead, but desert back roads like this typically deteriorate progressively as they slowly approach their end. - I'm still a couple of miles away from Cornfield Spring when I notice a small clearing that might make a good campsite
I'm exhausted and not thrilled by the idea of hiking the 10-ton bike a couple more miles. The opening here in the creosote bush scrub is the perfect size for a campsite, so I stop here for the night. I can walk up to the spring tomorrow. - My Cornfield Spring Road campsite is born in time for me to enjoy the colourful end-of-day glow of the desert sunset
When I dismantle the 10-ton bike and open the saddlebags to retrieve my tent, my camping gear puffs heat at me. The rocky desert floor is exuding heat too, warming my tent from underneath, releasing today's sunshine just like my skin. - The beauty and serenity of a desert sunset tends to recompense for any hardships incurred during the day's work
It must still be 80 degrees F, so I won't be putting the outer shell on the tent tonight. I'm hoping that enough heat will eventually dissipate through the screen of the tent's roof for it to cool down after midnight. Supper is add-boiling-water-to-bag Mountain House Sweet and Sour Pork with Rice. Tasty as always, but I have to eat slowly because I've been a bit nauseous off and on today from the heat and exertion. I probably shouldn't be eating anything hot right now. Kelso is only two miles down the road, and I can see the lights of town, and even hear the barking of someone's dog and occasional music from the quiet of my campsite. It feels comfortable here, yet remote, with no sign of people coming here often, probably due to the bad road. Occasional evening winds provide noise and touch me as they filter through my tent screens, but they bring no coolness. A loud trilling, gurgling sound quite near my tent plays non-stop for several minutes at dusk; I wonder if it is a bird or a reptile. I've hardly seen any flies this evening. However, a few moths come out late to flit against my tent, foiled in their aspirations of getting closer to the flashlight lantern hanging inside my tent from the roof. As is often the case on the first day of one of my trips, I'm completely exhausted. I've not recovered yet from the heat exhaustion earlier today and have a few minor cramps in my legs and arms. The steering on my bicycle, even though I ride it daily, isn't usually weighted down with saddlebags. I want to write an entry in my journal about today's events, but am too tired to focus or think. I'm so sleepy that I feel like I will die comfortably rather than just fall asleep tonight. But fall asleep I do, on my sleeping bag, naked, but not in it due to the heat. I am reminded that I'm actually still alive when I wake up for a moment around 3h to crawl into the sleeping bag due to some cooler air. I'm reminded again that I'm still alive as soon as some sun shines on my tent after sunrise. - Baker, California to Cornfield Spring via Kelbaker Road and Kelso Depot, Mojave National Preserve (Day 1)
37.1 bicycle miles with elevation changing from 925 feet at Baker, to 3700 feet at the Kelbaker Road summit, to 2120 feet at Kelso, to 2300 feet on Cornfield Spring Road. Total elevation gain: about 2950 feet. - Elevation profile: Baker, California to Cornfield Spring via Kelbaker Road and Kelso Depot, Mojave National Preserve (Day 1)
37.1 bicycle miles with elevation changing from 925 feet at Baker, to 3700 feet at the Kelbaker Road summit, to 2120 feet at Kelso, to 2300 feet on Cornfield Spring Road. Total elevation gain: about 2950 feet.