Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2008: Bikepacking in Henry Coe State Park / Day 2: Central Henry Coe day hike from Pacheco Camp, including Willow Ridge Road, Walsh Trail and Pacheco Ridge Road 54
I decide to stay camped at Pacheco Camp and do an afternoon hiking loop over White Tank Spring Trail, Willow Ridge Road, Center Flats Road, Walsh Trail and Pacheco Ridge Road.
I leave camp before 13h and return before 19h. 12.5 hiking miles with 2250 feet elevation gain (not including rollers).

- Noon sunshine at Pacheco Camp with my tent hiding under the big oak tree on the left
- The old cabin at Pacheco Camp is well-maintained, locked and used by the Park for special events
- The metal fire pit near Pacheco Camp cabin sports an appropriate message for the hot-and-dry season
- The thermometer on the shady side of the shower building shows 80 degrees F
- The Pacheco Spring tub is full of fresh water (and a few yellowjackets)
- The old outhouse at Pacheco Camp (no longer used) sits near the more recent concrete outhouse a bit up the hill
- I finally start today's hike, first up White Tank Spring Trail, and pass this dormant hillside gooseberry (ribes californicum)
- White Tank Spring, Henry Coe State Park
- White Tank Spring, Henry Coe State Park
- Above Pacheco Camp, White Tank Spring Trail passes through a ceanothus grove before rising into a drier, more exposed area
- Fluffy clematis post-flower seed heads along White Tank Spring Trail, Henry Coe State Park
- View of damage from last year's brush fire from White Tank Spring Trail, Henry Coe State Park
- View back toward Pacheco Camp from a ridgetop on White Tank Spring Trail
- The top of White Tank Spring Trail crosses Hoover Lake Trail, an open area that was once an airplane-landing strip
- After White Rock Spring Trail, I walk south along the ridgetop on Willow Ridge Road
- A couple of minutes later, and further south on Willow Ridge Road, I have a nice view down to Coit Lake
- After almost two miles on Willow Ridge Road, I reach the junction with Coit Road
- I'm enjoying the view down Coit Road from Willow Ridge here, toward Kelly Lake and Wasno Ridge beyond
- Crest Trail rises a bit more, eventually reaching approximately 2600 feet elevation
- Near the top of Crest Trail is a transmission tower of some sort
- After Crest Trail, I hike down Wagon Road 3/4 mile to reach Center Flats Road
- Despite the name that suggests flatness, Center Flats Road looks like all downs and ups from here
- One of several steep stretches along Center Flats Road, Henry Coe State Park
- Well... part of the Center Flats Road ahead is somewhat flat
- OK, but this "little" hill on Center Flat Road is definitely not flat!
- This segment of Center Flats Road looks like a little landing strip on top of a hill
- More Center Flats Road
- After 2.4 miles on Center Flats Road, and only 300 feet overall elevation drop, I begin the steep hike down Walsh Trail
- Wild berries (chokecherries?) on the way down Walsh Trail
- Walsh Trail descends quickly into the Pacheco Creek canyon
- Close-up of Walsh Trail rising up the hill on the other side of the canyon
- Getting close to the bottom of Walsh Trail
- At the bottom of Walsh Trail near Pacheco Creek are some ruins of an old building
- This intact shed also sits at the bottom of Walsh Trail by Pacheco Creek
- Walsh Trail crosses the dry Pacheco Creek stream bed here
- I almost didn't see this skull camouflaged in the grass along Pacheco Creek
- At first, I find myself climbing up through a very burnt landscape looking for the trail
- I haven't climbed much yet, but I'm already way above Pacheco Creek
- Ah, here's the trail!
- I stop briefly to catch my breath on this rather heart-pounding climb
- Almost at the top of Walsh Trail
- I take a short break at the top of Walsh Trail, look back down, and drink a lot of water
- Starting the two-mile hike up Pacheco Ridge Road
- I snap several shots of Walsh Peak as I hike up Pacheco Ridge Road
- Pacheco Ridge Road is a classic Henry Coe roller-coaster-ridge road with uphills in both directions
- Higher up Pacheco Ridge Road, I look back toward Walsh Peak again
- At the top of this part of Pacheco Ridge, the road winds to the right around the lush green knob ahead and through a shady area
- I walk down the switchbacks of Coit Road for 3/4 mile to get back to my tent at Pacheco Camp
- And voilà, here I am back at Pacheco Camp, 5.5 hours later
- My tent and bicycle are here waiting for me at Pacheco Camp
- I walk around Pacheco Camp a bit and see an artifact that I hadn't noticed before
- It's certainly cooler down here in the canyon than it was up on the hills, and the temperature here shows 82 degrees F
- Before the sun goes down, I take a cold-water shower and rinse some dirty clothes
- Tent supper tonight is instant Mountain House Beef Stew, one of my favourite dehydrated backpack meals