Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Fall 2012: Mojave National Preserve bicycle-camping and hiking, Lanfair Valley loop / Day 4: The Lost Campsite to Piute Gorge by bicycle

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Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Fall 2012: Mojave National Preserve bicycle-camping and hiking, Lanfair Valley loop / Day 4: The Lost Campsite to Piute Gorge by bicycle 33

A relatively easy afternoon for my first time in this part of Mojave National Preserve. 11.6 bicycle miles and about 500 feet of elevation drop, which is not much, but it's slow due to bad road conditions. Great scenery and solitude, no people seen today.

Morning at The Lost Campsite
I notice some fresh footprints in the wash while I'm out walking around on my morning toilet run
There are very few flowers blooming at this time of year out here, but I spot a patch of these tiny yellow guys near my tent
After packing up camp, I start the ride down the dead-end road that I didn't ride up yesterday
So far, this road provides a variety of surfaces from firm to rocky
A mushroom pops up in the middle of the road amidst a light carpet of eriophyllum flowers, if that's what they are
I don't need a rest yet, but this looks like a good place to stop and go for a short walk
Another old cattle pond, this one surprisingly still with a bit of water
More rocks
More more rocks
Paint or etching?
More more more rocks
I'm quite satisfied by this unexpected discovery here
Subtle
A lookout point from the rocks
Back on the 10-ton bike, I'm happy to see my route has firm ground here
I wonder if this grassland is natural, or if it was converted into grassland by the cows that grazed here for decades
Hmmm, my road has become rather sandy here because it's in a drainage channel now
Riding toward the Piute Range
I come across another cattle pond, this time a really big one
A walk around Piute Pond
The road is quite rough for the final few miles to Piute Gorge
More fun riding on the way to Piute Gorge
Part of the road sprouts a lot of rock
Don't brush up again that Joshua tree and cut your head open while passing by!
An easy-riding stretch is coming up just around this bend...
A bit of rock, a bit of sand...
An hour later and I'm still on this road: getting close to Piute Gorge now!
I arrive at Piute Gorge and check out a couple of the campsites that overlook the gorge
I've just arrived at the Piute Gorge area and I love it already, as Ranger Matt told me I would, several years ago
Riding by Piute Gorge, looking for a campsite
I choose a campsite overlooking Piute Gorge, then quickly prepare to go for a short hike down to Piute Spring before dark
Elevation profile of bicycle ride to Piute Gorge