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 step outside the tent to enjoy the sunshine and intense quiet out here. For an unplanned campsite, this one sure is nice, way off the beaten track. I'm both excited and a bit nervous about today's venture into a new part of the Preserve. - I notice some fresh footprints in the wash while I'm out walking around on my morning toilet run
There were some mice playing with the corner of my tent last night, but these aren't mice-prints. - 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
Looks like it might be a kind of eriophyllum. - After packing up camp, I start the ride down the dead-end road that I didn't ride up yesterday
Not much traffic here. In fact, I won't see anyone else today, and I didn't see anyone yesterday either. - So far, this road provides a variety of surfaces from firm to rocky
I wonder if it will be this easy all the way to today's destination, Piute Gorge, about 10 miles away. - A mushroom pops up in the middle of the road amidst a light carpet of eriophyllum flowers, if that's what they are
I'll find a couple more of these mushrooms nearby. - I don't need a rest yet, but this looks like a good place to stop and go for a short walk
A decent potential campsite here, but I think I liked mine better last night, further up the road, less enticing to motorized vehicles. - Another old cattle pond, this one surprisingly still with a bit of water
I crossed a couple of cattle ponds yesterday, but they were completely dry. - More rocks
More mark-up. - More more rocks
More more mark-up. - Paint or etching?
Or both? - More more more rocks
More more more mark-up. - 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
Of course, I know these good road conditions can change at any moment! - I wonder if this grassland is natural, or if it was converted into grassland by the cows that grazed here for decades
I want to go for a hike up there! - Hmmm, my road has become rather sandy here because it's in a drainage channel now
The sand isn't deep, but there's just enough of it that I can't maintain traction. So I walk the 10-ton bike for close to a mile here, enjoying the landscape. - Riding toward the Piute Range
I've just left that sandy area behind me and can get back on the 10-ton bike and ride again! - I come across another cattle pond, this time a really big one
I have to go for a walk and take a closer look. - A walk around Piute Pond
The water is a bit green, but there's enough here that I could filter it for drinking. But the water down at Piute Spring, which I'll visit in a while, should be better. - The road is quite rough for the final few miles to Piute Gorge
The rugged road surface makes for fun mountain-biking in places, even though I'm not in the mountains, and even though I can't let myself gain much speed due to the load I'm carrying. - More fun riding on the way to Piute Gorge
Of course, here and there I have to get off the bike and walk it a bit. - Part of the road sprouts a lot of rock
I would carefully ride right over all this on my mountain bike if I weren't carrying all my gear with me today. Instead, I get off and walk a little, so as not to shake everything up too much. - 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...
... I think. - A bit of rock, a bit of sand...
- An hour later and I'm still on this road: getting close to Piute Gorge now!
High clearance needed here since the left tire track is a couple of inches lower than the right one. I just stay in the right track, until my side of the road gets bad too. - I arrive at Piute Gorge and check out a couple of the campsites that overlook the gorge
Great scenery, nicer than what I was expecting to see. I see tire tracks, but no people. Nice campsite here, but a bit exposed to this afternoon's strong winds, so I'll go over and check out the next one. - I've just arrived at the Piute Gorge area and I love it already, as Ranger Matt told me I would, several years ago
I think that next mountain range over in the distance is the Dead Mountains, which is also on my list as a future destination. - Riding by Piute Gorge, looking for a campsite
Maybe the next campsite will be better. The GPS listing of campsites in Mojave National Preserve posted on the Preserve web site has proven to be quite useful, though I didn't think it would be. Thanks! - I choose a campsite overlooking Piute Gorge, then quickly prepare to go for a short hike down to Piute Spring before dark
I don't have that much time for my hike, considering the early sunset (16h30) at this time of year, so I don't even bother setting up my tent before the hike. I'll erect it when I return. - Elevation profile of bicycle ride to Piute Gorge
An easy 11.6 bicycle miles with about 600 feet of elevation drop, but rough road makes it not as fast as one would expect for such a short distance.