Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2009, Fall: Mojave National Preserve / Day 6: Cornfield Spring Road to west of Kelso Dunes by bicycle 27
I haven't seen people or pavement for a couple of days. That will change today as I move my campsite to somewhere west of Kelso Dunes, with a nice social stop at the Kelso Depot visitor centre along the way. A laid-back easy day with just only 16 bicycle miles and 900 feet elevation gain.
I drank two litres of water and ate no energy bars (but I did have homemade iced tea and crappy instant burritos at The Beanery in Kelso Depot during my break). Temperatures recorded in Baker, CA: high of 72F, low of 35F.
OK, everything out of the tent, it's time to pack up and leave!
Despite the near-freezing overnight temperatures, I'm shirtless and sweating a bit as I pack up in the warm morning sun
The 10-ton bike slithers down Cornfield Spring Road at 5-7 miles per hour toward Kelso Depot
As I approach Kelso, I see an RV driving up the paved Kelbaker Road
The final part of Cornfield Spring Road, which is shared with the road to Rex Mine, is quite sandy
Just before reaching the real pavement near Kelso Depot is an old washed-out road that was once paved
I spend two hours at Kelso Depot, longer than expected, chatting with staff and a couple of bicyclists on their way to Las Vegas
My long stop at Kelso Depot was a lot of fun, but now it's time for the gentle 8-mile climb up Kelbaker Road to Kelso Dunes Road
On my left as I climb Kelbaker Road are the Providence Mountains, where I hiked the past two days
On my right as I climb Kelbaker Road, the usually vivid Kelso Dunes pale in the murky light of the cloudy afternoon
It looks like a tarantula was run over by a car here on Kelbaker Road
My 8-mile climb up Kelbaker Road ends when I reach Kelso Dunes Road, at about 2800 feet elevation, and turn right
As I start down Kelso Dunes Road, I pause for the views across to Devils Playground and the Old Dad Mountain area
With the setting sun in my eyes, I ride more quickly than usual down Kelso Dunes Road because the surface has just been graded
It's that time of day again when the Mojave Desert sunset briefly illuminates everything in its own special way
I make a quick stop at the Kelso Dunes outhouse at the base of the official hiking "trail" up the dunes
A few moments after visiting the Kelso Dunes outhouse, it's time to dismount again and check out the lighting effects behind me
It turns out that the final mile of Kelso Dunes Road has not been freshly graded, and is the usual sand and washboard
I take a very short break at the end of Kelso Dunes Road, enjoying the pink Providence Mountains, to consider my camping options
One possibility is to stash my bike behind a creosote bush and walk my belongings into the adjacent Wilderness area
I decide that the best choice is to simply leave Kelso Dunes and its campers behind and head west down the power-line road
Sunset on the Kelso Dunes power-line road is nice, and the road starts out being OK for riding
The Kelso Dunes power-line road is getting sandy, so I'm now walking the bike a bit; time to find a campsite!
Hmmm... maybe there's a campsite for me on the raised rocky area to my left?
Success! I found one flat, wide-enough, non-rocky spot above the road, so I'm back at the bike to dismantle it and set up camp
Elevation profile of bicycle route from Cornfield Spring Road to west of Kelso Dunes by bicycle
Elevation profile of bicycle route from Cornfield Spring Road to west of Kelso Dunes by bicycle