Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2008: Mojave National Preserve Mountain-Bike Camping and Hike / Day 4: Globe Mine Road to North Coyote Springs, Mojave National Preserve 30
A warm day in the 80s: in preparation for a day hike tomorrow to Bighorn Basin, I ride (and walk) 18.8 bicycle miles from my campsite near the end of the middle fork of Globe Mine Road at 3000 feet, down to Kelso Depot at 2100 feet, then up to North Coyote Springs at almost 3200 feet.
Today I sleep in a little extra. Acclimating to the weather here that's hotter than back home, combined with hiking up lots of short steep hills during the past two days, have left me a little tired.
To make things easier, I'll ride to Coyote Springs today, just under 20 miles away, instead of to Butcher Knife Canyon, which was originally my next planned destination. Strong north winds set in this morning which would have made the uphill route to Butcher Knife Canyon slower than anticipated.
Good morning! A butterfly frolics in some encelia flowers by my tent
Intermittent strong gusts of wind make taking down the tent a bit like launching a kite
Once all is dismantled, the wind stops for a few minutes, which keeps my belongings from blowing away while packing
One of thousands of crickets stays still long enough for me to snap a photo of it
I carry my bike, and walk my packed saddlebags, out of the Wilderness area over to the old road
I head up "the shortcut" to check out a better road that I saw on my way here, but which is not on my maps
The "good road" that is not on my maps turns out to be very short and dead-ends at a guzzler
OK, I return to the middle fork of Globe Mine Road and start what will probably be a rather sandy two-mile ride down the fan
A couple of little lumps on Globe Mine Road add interest to the ride down the fan
I stop and look back up an especially sandy part of the middle fork of Globe Mine Road where I just skidded out
As I approach the end of the middle fork of Globe Mine Road, the north fork merges in on the right
I cross the train tracks at the bottom of Globe Mine Road and am ready to get back on pavement
Riding down the gentle grade of Kelso-Cima Road to Kelso Depot
I arrive at Kelso Depot in no time, chat with rangers, load up on water, rinse a wool t-shirt, and dump my garbage
I leave Kelso Depot and begin the trudge up Kelbaker Road toward Coyote Springs
With Kelso well-behind me now at the bottom of the hill, the heat of the day is catching up with me a bit
Just a couple more miles of climbing Kelbaker Road remain
And finally—ta da—here we are, the road to Coyote Springs
The road to Coyote Springs is a bit rough, but not too bad compared to some other old desert roads
Looking back at a wash crossing that the 10-ton bike and I just walked through on the road to Coyote Springs
Parts of the road to Coyote Springs are fairly smooth and well-graded
As the road gets closer to the mountains, it appears to be carved out of the land by a snow plow
Almost at Coyote Springs!
On my way down the road to the north Coyote Springs campsite, I come across a festival put on by hundreds of bugs
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of these bugs playing here in the middle of the road to Coyote Springs
The bugs seem especially fond of these plants
The last little bit of road up to the campsite is a bit washed out
Happy camper arrives at North Coyote Springs
Now that the tent is set up, it's time to make a backpacker meal and settle in for the evening
Mojave National Preserve map, Day 4: Globe Mine Road campsite to North Coyote Springs campsite