Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Spring 2012: Mojave National Preserve Bicycle-Camping and Hiking / Day 8: I leave Mid Hills Campground and ride over to the Twin Buttes area, Mojave National Preserve, to set up a campsite there 20
Easy day (hey, I'm on vacation!): 16.4 bicycle miles on the 10-ton bike plus about 800 feet of elevation gain, and a fun 1700 feet of elevation drop. Another perfect day temperature-wise: it only hits 77F at Cima and drops to 41F at night.
- I rinse my hair under a tap at Mid Hills Campground as part of breaking camp today
As usual when I'm here, I've been sucked into the Mid Hills campground vortex and don't want to leave. I keep looking for excuses to stay here another night, but I do need to recharge my cell phone again, now that I'm taking photos with it more often. - Ortlieb waterproof bicycle saddlebags make a great washing machine or ice bucket!
- Laundry out to dry at Mid Hills Campground, Mojave National Preserve
- I finally leave: on my way out of Mid Hills Campground, I run into Ranger Greg, and we have a great chat
He knows the less-visited areas of the Preserve that I'm interested in and shares some good information: thanks! I regret missing his geology talk the other day. I'm always so caught up in my own travels that I never go to any of the interesting visitor events here. - Wild Horse Canyon Road is all scenic, but I especially enjoy riding down this part with the Providence Mountains in the distance
I'm riding Wild Horse Canyon Road down to Hole-in-the-Wall visitor Centre, where I'll recharge my phone and fill up on water before heading out to the Twin Buttes area for a backcountry campsite. - Wild Horse Canyon Road rolls along as it approaches the Barber Peaks area
I never get tired of this ride. - I pause along Wild Horse Canyon Road to watch a cow trudge along in an adjacent wash
- I reach a point where I have a view over to Bluejay Mine Road and Wild Horse Mesa above
That's another road I've ridden a few times on past trips here, and worth doing again, with good hiking at the end of the road. But it's not on my route today. The climb up to Wild Horse Mesa via the saddle just to the left of my glasses is memorable too. - I ride the 10-ton bike slowly on the heavy washboard of this part of Wild Horse Canyon Road
It's a nice downhill here, and I wish I could ride faster, but with the weight of all my gear, I don't want things to be bouncing around any more than necessary. - Cool rock formations abound on lower Wild Horse Canyon Road, Mojave National Preserve
It gets even better closer to the Hole-in-the-Wall visitor centre, and there's some good hiking there that I might do during the next few days. - I try to keep up with a cow and a wild burro that I spot along Wild Horse Canyon Road
- I take a break at Hole-in-the-Wall visitor centre to recharge my phone
- Table Mountain on the left, and Twin Buttes: a classic Mojave National Preserve view that I usually see from Black Canyon Road
... but this evening I'm a bit closer, on the U-shaped Woods Wash Road. Soon, I'll be passing by the Twin Buttes hill on the right. - This stretch of Woods Wash Road follows an old range fence toward Twin Buttes, with old rough-hewn wood posts
History... - I ride along Woods Wash Road around sunset toward an as-yet-unknown campsite
- A part on my rear rack breaks as I stop to look for a campsite along Woods Wash Road
- I'm excited to be heading up Woods Wash Rd toward my new campsite, though I don't know exactly where that is yet
My water load is full and heavy (I filled up back at Hole-in-the-Wall visitor centre), so it's slow riding on the sandy road here, slightly uphill. - I walk around the area where my bike rack broke, looking for an open area for a good campsite, not too close to the road
Success! I set up camp at dusk, perfect timing. No people, extremely quiet, just an occasional breeze as the cool of the evening sets in. A few birds at sunset, then a pair of owls hoo-hoo for a few hours after dark. I hate to disturb the silence by cooking supper: Backpacker's Pantry Jamaican Chicken and Rice, which is only so-so. I stay up late, until 1h, listening to the owls, enjoying residual moonlight from the half-moon until it's gone, and writing notes in my journal. - Bicycle route from Mid Hills Campground to Twin Buttes area
Easy day: 16.4 bicycle miles plus about 800 feet of elevation gain (and a fun 1700 feet of elevation drop). - Elevation profile of bicycle route from Mid Hills Campground to Twin Buttes area
Easy day: 16.4 bicycle miles plus about 800 feet of elevation gain (and a fun 1700 feet of elevation drop).