Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Spring 2011: Mojave National Preserve and area bicycle camping / Day 1: Primm to South McCullough Mountains Wilderness area, Nevada by bicycle 54
Starting at Primm, Nevada, where the Amtrak bus left me yesterday evening, I ride to the Pine Spring area and set up camp next to the South McCullough Mountains Wilderness, Nevada. 29.3 bicycle miles plus roughly 3500 feet of elevation gain.
Primm is a strange place to start a wilderness-oriented bicycle-camping trip because it's the exact opposite in almost every way. However, the Amtrak bus stop at Baker, California was discontinued last year, and Primm is the next-closest stop to Mojave National Preserve.
Yesterday, I boarded the Amtrak train with the 10-ton bike at Stockton, California, after a short Amtrak bus ride from San José
After the Amtrak train ride to Bakersfield, an Amtrak bus shuttled me to Primm, Nevada to start this bicycle-camping trip
After settling in at my hotel room at Whiskey Pete's Casino, I ride the monorail across the freeway to the other two casinos
On the east side of the freeway at Primm, Nevada are two casino-hotels, and one is built with an interesting barn-like shape
The shopping mall at Primm, Nevada is full of fake architecture evoking a real city, rather than the freeway exit that is Primm
Also inside the Primm shopping-casino complex is a fake stream with fake wildlife
The casinos at Primm are quite a visual spectacle, with brilliant lights everywhere
Outside the two high-rise casino-hotels at Primm, Nevada is a luxurious gas station with a bay for each vehicle filling up
I wake up this morning at Primm, Nevada and peek outside across the swimming pool to a cool and extremely windy day
I eat breakfast at the McDonald's downstairs in the Whiskey Pete's casino; there's more garbage than food on my table
I pack up the 10-ton bike, and roll it out down the hall to the Whiskey Pete's elevator
After escaping Whiskey Pete's, I begin the trip for real by riding through Primm toward the dirt roads that lead out of town
Just outside Primm is one of the entrances to the Ivanpah Dry Lake recreation area
I take a look back at Primm as I leave town; I considered riding on the freeway for a smoother ride toward Nipton
After 1.5 miles, my road ends at the train tracks; I make a right turn for the 10.5 mile ride to Nipton on Nipton-Desert Rd
Soonafter, the first train of this trip passes me on bumpy Nipton-Desert Road
From Nipton-Desert Rd, I can see across Ivanpah Dry Lake to the huge BrightSource solar plant under construction
The bumpy Nipton-Desert Road is starting to give me a headache, so I'm happy to take a break by this prickly poppy
This railway undercrossing along Nipton-Desert Road also serves as a road to the Lucy Gray Mine
After about 6 miles of bumpy Nipton-Desert Road, I'm happy to reach the relative smoothness of some residual old pavement
I pass an old corral on Nipton-Desert Road
Approaching the tiny town of Nipton, California, population 20, with the Castle Peaks in the background
I take a break at the Nipton general store for chips and iced tea, and I fill my water supply to the max
I glance at Nipton's little solar-power plant as I begin the ride up the hill toward Crescent Pass, Nevada
The four-mile climb up Nipton Road to Crescent Pass isn't too steep, but it does take some time pedaling in the lower gears
I always have to stop at the "Welcome to Nevada" sign whenever I pass by here
At the junction of Lucky Dutchman Road, I look back down into Ivanpah Valley and Ivanpah Dry Lake
Approaching Crescent Pass, I ride under the power-transmission lines that I'll soon follow into the McCullough Mountains
I start seeing a few wildflower blooms along Highway 164, so I pull over to walk around for a closer look
Also along the Highway 164 roadside are what I think are desert marigolds
Palmer's penstemons are always nice to run across
A Gooding's verbena blooms near a Palmer's penstemon along Highway 164
A desert primrose is blooming here along Highway 164
At the Crescent Pass summit, I see the little dirt road into the McCullough Mountains that I'll follow
After a short distance, I turn back for my last view of the Castle Peaks before I disappear into the McCullough Mountains
A cattle-guard marks my entry into the McCullough Mountains area
I pass an old mine site, clearly marked, and am tempted to stop to explore
My nice firm road surface transforms into shallow "kitty litter" as the road passes through a wash area
I'm happy when my gravelly road in the wash leads to the firmer ground of the McCullough Mountains powerline road
I pause on one of the many level stretches (in my direction of travel) along the McCullough Mountains powerline road
I stop again to take in the views eastward across Nevada's scenic Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness
More fun rolling up and down (more down than up) along the powerline road on the southeast side of the McCullough Mountains
I take a short energy-bar break where I leave the powerline road for a lesser road heading toward the Pine Spring area
Loose rock and an uphill grade require that I walk the 10-ton bike up parts of the road toward the Pine Spring area
I remount the bike and pedal some more when I reach a less hilly part of the road heading toward the McCullough Mountains
I haven't seen a lot of wildflowers in this area today, but here are a couple in the road to Pine Spring
I make my final turn for the day onto a road that winds down and around a few low hills en-route to Pine Spring
Joshua trees poke up above the shade line to collect the sunset light along Pine Spring Road, McCullough Mountains
Pine Spring Rd gets sandier and is heading slightly uphill again, so I look for a campsite; I think I may have found one
I set up my tent and enjoy the full moon that has risen before sunset
After darkness falls, I boil water under the full moon for the first add-water-to-bag meal of this trip
Tonight's meal is Backpacker's Pantry Beef and Broccoli, really good, plus a bottle of Fat Tire beer that I picked up at Nipton
Elevation profile of bicycle route from Primm, Nevada to Pine Spring area, McCullough Mountains
Bicycle route from Primm, Nevada to Pine Spring area, McCullough Mountains, Nevada