Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007: Death Valley National Park bikepacking / Day 7: Ride from Monarch Canyon to Emigrant Campground, crossing Death Valley along the way 19
I return to pavement and civilization today.
After a brief uphill on the gravel road out of Monarch Canyon to around 3700 feet, it's downhill on paved Daylight Pass Road back into Death Valley, passing Hell's Gate along the way.
I ride across the hot valley on Highway 190 to Stovepipe Wells at 100 feet below sea level, and continue on up to the Emigrant Campground at 2000 feet.
30 bicycling miles down and up.
- The tent is now set up at Emigrant Campground and the ten-ton bike relieved of its load
For a short while, the light of a gorgeous desert sunset casts its special mood on thoughts of the day's events. - Huff and puff, I finally make it to the Emigrant Campground; my world is slanted here on the fan
This is a rather sparse campground that feels like a big gravel parking lot carved out of creosote bushes plowed down, equipped with a bunch of picnic tables, and with garbage cans and a public water tap on one side of it. The public washroom just down the road is a nice convenience. Though deceptively dull at first, it's actually a really nice location. First of all, being high up on the alluvial fan at 2000 feet allows for expansive views all around, which are especially nice at sunrise and sunset. It's a bit cooler up here than on the valley floor and several interesting hikes or bicycle rides could start from this location into the surrounding hills. Another positive trait is that this is a tents-only campground. - I continue climbing Highway 190, looking for signs of Emigrant Campground somewhere on the fan
I'm hoping that those specks on the centre-right are signs of the campground. It turns out that the ride today up to Emigrant Campground is unexpectedly similar in distance and elevation gain to my slow ride up from Death Valley to Hell's Gate on the way to Monarch Canyon a few days ago. I'm even getting some of that same pain in my right knee on the way up this grade. This is my first real work-out of the trip during such high temperatures (mid-90s). - Looking back down toward Stovepipe Wells on the slow climb toward Emigrant Camp
This seems to be a bit steeper than I expected. Does that mean I'm already almost at Emigrant Campground? It feels like I've already climbed most of the 1000 feet that I've been expecting. However, I'm not so sure that I've covered the full ten miles beyond Stovepipe Wells yet. Is the hot weather playing games with my senses? While pulled over, I get out my map to help me get my bearings. Ha! The problem turns out to be that Emigrant Campground is situated at 2000 feet elevation, not at 1000 feet as remembered by my faulty memory. The good thing is that I'm still lucid and not hallucinating from fatigue; Emigrant Campground is simply twice as high up the road as I had thought. - Heading up Highway 190 toward Emigrant Campground from Stovepipe Wells
I figure that Emigrant camp must be somewhere over there on the fan, since it's just ten miles away. I figure that it should be a fairly easy, but slow ride across the fan, a lot like the first ten miles from Baker up Kelbaker Road, which I've ridden several times during past bicycle camping in Mojave National Preserve. - I leave the heat of Stovepipe Wells and head up Highway 190 toward Emigrant Campground
The warning sign reminds me to turn off air-conditioning for the next 20 miles in order to avoid overheating. Since I only have ten miles left to go, I'll hopefully avoid the overheating problem. - The ten-ton bike takes a rest at the Stovepipe Wells general store
The themometer here reads 95 degrees F, so I'm thrilled to be at a store where I can get cold drinks. I devour two bottles of ice-cold Sobé grapefruit drink and two bags of potato chips. I tend to dislike salty food in real life, but bicycle trips, especially in hot weather, often alter my taste buds temporarily. I take a $4, much-needed shower at the motel across the road and replace the warm water in my Camelbak with some cooler water from the tap outside the Stovepipe Wells Motel. I visit the Stovepipe Wells ranger station and consider taking a camp site at the ugly RV campground behind the general store. However, I learn that it has already closed for the hot season, when there aren't so many visitors. Camping isn't allowed in this part of Death Valley except in designated campgrounds, so my only choice is to camp at the Emigrant Campground 10 miles up the road (unless I want to ride a lot further than that). - A plaque on the side of the Stovepipe Wells general store
It commemorates the original "Bungalette City" that was built here. - Arriving at the town of Stovepipe Wells at 100 feet below sea level
Stovepipe Wells consists of an old motel complex, a general store, an RV campground, and a ranger station. It's definitely in the 90s here today, the hottest day of my trip so far. - Along 190 crossing the floor of Death Valley
This area is called "Devil's Corn Field." - After the descent down Daylight Pass Road, I cross Death Valley on Highway 190
Highway 190 dips down below sea level as it crosses Death Valley on its way to Stovepipe Wells on the other side. Stovepipe Wells is that cluster of buildings at the foot of the mountains seven miles straight ahead. It is quite hot down here today. - Daylight Pass Road passes through some low hills as it approaches the valley floor
I hate it when these seemingly endless, amazing downhill rides actually do come to an end! - Getting closer to the bottom of Death Valley
I'm probably about 1000 feet above the valley at this point. - Daylight Pass Road approaches the Death Valley Buttes on its way down to the valley floor
I'm noticing that it's significantly warmer here than it was up in the mountains this morning. That probably means that it's a rather hot day down below. I'll find out soon. - Further down Daylight Pass Road, heading toward Death Valley
Somewhere around Hell's Gate around 2000 feet elevation. - Back on pavement
Starting back down Daylight Pass Road through the Funeral Mountains toward Death Valley below. Feeling lazy and a bit tired today, and really enjoying flying downward, I find myself wondering how I managed to pedal my way up this grade two days ago. - I've made it up over the hump on Chloride Cliff Road on the way out of Monarch Canyon
Life will be fun and easy for a while. I begin the ride down from here at around 3700 feet elevation to Death Valley, which is a bit below sea level. - On the road out of beautiful Monarch Canyon
After a short walk down the canyon to take a few photos that I missed yesterday after my film ran out, I'm finally on my way. On the way out, I pass a couple in a large pick-up truck coming down the road, the first people I've seen in two days. It turns out that they are headed up toward Chloride Cliff and didn't realize that they made a wrong turn down Monarch Canyon Road. I encourage them to continue to the end of the canyon to see it, since it's so short and scenic, before returning to their route on Chloride Cliff Road. - One last glance at the campsite before dismantling it and leaving Monarch Canyon
It's nice to wake up to Monarch Canyon. I consider staying another day and doing another hike in the area, or riding to Beatty, Nevada, because I like it so much up here, and there's even drinking water available for me if I choose to stay. But there's so much more of Death Valley National Park that I'd like to see on this trip, so I move on. Even though the sun hasn't completely made it into the canyon yet, the chill that I experienced yesterday morning is missing, which makes me think that it might be quite warm down in the valley below.