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
I slept in late this morning (I am on vacation after all). After the usual camp breakfast of granola, tamari almonds, beef jerky, strong coffee, and dried apricots, I browse my maps to come up with a hiking route for the day. My original plan was to ride out to Paradise Lake today, but I like this area of the Park too and haven't explored it much yet. - The old cabin at Pacheco Camp is well-maintained, locked and used by the Park for special events
I heard (or read) somewhere that last year's huge brush fire came very close to here and that firefighters somehow managed to keep the fire from reaching the cabin area. - The metal fire pit near Pacheco Camp cabin sports an appropriate message for the hot-and-dry season
"No campfires please, thanx." Campers like me are still free to use their camp stoves. - The thermometer on the shady side of the shower building shows 80 degrees F
A pleasantly warm day that will feel warmer than that later this afternoon in the hot sun. - The Pacheco Spring tub is full of fresh water (and a few yellowjackets)
The water quality at Pacheco Spring is excellent. Instead of filtering water from the tub, I take water straight from the tap outside the shower building. The water is unfiltered, but tastes great and I haven't suffered any ill effects from it yet. - The old outhouse at Pacheco Camp (no longer used) sits near the more recent concrete outhouse a bit up the hill
The little four-pane window and board-and-batten exterior of this building match the style of the old cabin down below. - I finally start today's hike, first up White Tank Spring Trail, and pass this dormant hillside gooseberry (ribes californicum)
I have a couple of these prickly plants in my dry garden, which are green and covered with tiny hummingbird-attracting flowers during the winter months. I enjoy the late-summer rusty look of this plant as well. - White Tank Spring, Henry Coe State Park
Presumably, this rusty old water tank holds water from the spring. - White Tank Spring, Henry Coe State Park
The water in the spring tub is algae-rich and the spring is not flowing right now. - Above Pacheco Camp, White Tank Spring Trail passes through a ceanothus grove before rising into a drier, more exposed area
White Tank Spring Trail rises about 700 feet over two miles. The trail is a bit more grown-in than I was expecting. - Fluffy clematis post-flower seed heads along White Tank Spring Trail, Henry Coe State Park
This clematis was intertwined with a patch of poison oak, as is often the case. - View of damage from last year's brush fire from White Tank Spring Trail, Henry Coe State Park
There's a lot of post-fire regrowth here along White Tank Spring Trail, but the next hill over still looks quite barren. - View back toward Pacheco Camp from a ridgetop on White Tank Spring Trail
Pacheco Camp sits in the valley about 600 feet below. My energy level is high, and the day beautiful, but I am already starting to feel the effect of the hot sun. It's time to start drinking lots of water. - The top of White Tank Spring Trail crosses Hoover Lake Trail, an open area that was once an airplane-landing strip
On the other side of the abandoned airstrip, Hoover Lake Trail leads to Hoover Lake, which is not on today's hiking route. - After White Rock Spring Trail, I walk south along the ridgetop on Willow Ridge Road
After a mile I reach this intersection with this road that runs east (left) down the hill to Coit Lake, but I stay up on the ridge. I'm quite familiar with the parts of Willow Spring Road north of here and closer to Mississippi Lake (aka "Roller Coaster Ridge"), but this part of the road is new to me. - A couple of minutes later, and further south on Willow Ridge Road, I have a nice view down to Coit Lake
I won't be passing by Coit Lake today, but will probably stop there on my way out of the Park in a few days. - After almost two miles on Willow Ridge Road, I reach the junction with Coit Road
I continue straight ahead on Crest Trail, which is another fire road, despite the "trail" name. - I'm enjoying the view down Coit Road from Willow Ridge here, toward Kelly Lake and Wasno Ridge beyond
I enjoyed riding that Coit Road route during last year's Henry Coe trip and will probably do it again in a few days on my way out of the Park. - Crest Trail rises a bit more, eventually reaching approximately 2600 feet elevation
I'm now almost 1000 feet above where I started today at Pacheco Camp and have good views northward down to Coit Lake. - Near the top of Crest Trail is a transmission tower of some sort
I stop here for a water-and-Clif-bar break; I'm getting a little tired from hiking five miles so far in the hot sun. Today is definitely a bit hotter than yesterday, perhaps 90 degrees. - After Crest Trail, I hike down Wagon Road 3/4 mile to reach Center Flats Road
The views from here toward the east (left) and south (straight ahead) are awesome; I rode up this segment of Wagon Road last night. - Despite the name that suggests flatness, Center Flats Road looks like all downs and ups from here
Steep hills like these are demanding to traverse sometimes, but the views are usually rewarding enough to make the effort worthwhile. Still, I'm glad I'm on foot and not with the 10-ton bike today. - One of several steep stretches along Center Flats Road, Henry Coe State Park
Center Flats Road is one of those places where you're not sure if the overall direction is uphill or downhill; steep hills of both sorts are encountered along the way. - Well... part of the Center Flats Road ahead is somewhat flat
I guess that's as flat as it gets in most of Henry Coe State Park. - OK, but this "little" hill on Center Flat Road is definitely not flat!
It's almost vertical, and I'm glad that I'm hiking and not biking nor driving a four-wheel drive vehicle here. - This segment of Center Flats Road looks like a little landing strip on top of a hill
Inspiring views all around. - More Center Flats Road
We're doing dowwwwnnn..... - After 2.4 miles on Center Flats Road, and only 300 feet overall elevation drop, I begin the steep hike down Walsh Trail
In just 1.2 miles, Walsh Trail drops down 750 feet to Pacheco Creek then rises 450 feet up the other side of the canyon to Pacheco Ridge, below Walsh Peak (the grey, rocky peak straight ahead). - Wild berries (chokecherries?) on the way down Walsh Trail
I don't know if these are edible or not, so I don't touch them, but I enjoy occasionally nibbling on citrus-like manzanita berries here at Henry Coe when I come across them. - Walsh Trail descends quickly into the Pacheco Creek canyon
Walsh Trail is visible further ahead rising up the slope on the other side of the canyon. - Close-up of Walsh Trail rising up the hill on the other side of the canyon
I'll start climbing up that hill after I reach summer-dry Pacheco Creek at the bottom of the canyon. - Getting close to the bottom of Walsh Trail
Even though bicycles are permitted on Walsh Trail, I think I'm enjoying this trail better by foot than I would by bike, due to the steepness. - At the bottom of Walsh Trail near Pacheco Creek are some ruins of an old building
Perhaps this was once somebody's cabin. - This intact shed also sits at the bottom of Walsh Trail by Pacheco Creek
It must have been quite a chore hauling building materials to this remote location! - Walsh Trail crosses the dry Pacheco Creek stream bed here
The beginning of the trail up the other side isn't immediately visible, but it should be easy enough to locate. - I almost didn't see this skull camouflaged in the grass along Pacheco Creek
In an inattentive glance, the skull looks like one of the many light-colored rocks that dot the area. - At first, I find myself climbing up through a very burnt landscape looking for the trail
Most of these burnt shrubs that are sprouting new growth from the roots look like chamise. - I haven't climbed much yet, but I'm already way above Pacheco Creek
The bluish dot in the centre of the photo that looks like it might be water is actually the old tin building ruins that I passed earlier. - Ah, here's the trail!
I knew it was here somewhere... - I stop briefly to catch my breath on this rather heart-pounding climb
Looking back across the canyon to the lush hill that I just descended, it occurs to me that last year's big brush fire seems to have been contained here on this side of Pacheco Creek. - Almost at the top of Walsh Trail
This climb is only 0.4 miles long, but it rises 450 feet over that short distance. - I take a short break at the top of Walsh Trail, look back down, and drink a lot of water
Henry Coe State Park is full of top-of-the-world moments like this. I haven't seen another person since leaving the Hunting Hollow parking lot yesterday afternoon, so the park feels like it's all mine. - Starting the two-mile hike up Pacheco Ridge Road
I've worked up quite a sweat coming up Walsh Trail, and the fly getting nectar off my face seems to agree. The work of the day isn't over just yet because a bit more elevation gain awaits me up here on Pacheco Ridge. - I snap several shots of Walsh Peak as I hike up Pacheco Ridge Road
Walsh Peak is an area marker that I can't stop looking at. - Pacheco Ridge Road is a classic Henry Coe roller-coaster-ridge road with uphills in both directions
However, the name "Roller Coaster Ridge" unofficially belongs to Willow Ridge Road closer to Mississippi Lake. - Higher up Pacheco Ridge Road, I look back toward Walsh Peak again
This two-mile stretch of Pacheco Ridge Road rises 400 feet, in addition to the short up-and-down rollers along the way. - 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
Just beyond the knob ahead, I'll turn left and head down into the canyon to my tent at Pacheco Camp. The coolness of the shady area behind this knob is a welcome respite from the warm day and is filled with cool-air plant aromas. - I walk down the switchbacks of Coit Road for 3/4 mile to get back to my tent at Pacheco Camp
The road drops about 300 feet on the way to Pacheco Camp. - And voilà, here I am back at Pacheco Camp, 5.5 hours later
Wow, this was a really enjoyable day hike. - My tent and bicycle are here waiting for me at Pacheco Camp
I wonder if anyone passed through this area today while I was out... I haven't seen anyone since yesterday afternoon. - I walk around Pacheco Camp a bit and see an artifact that I hadn't noticed before
It's an old beer can that someone found and placed near the Pacheco Camp cabin. "Burgie!" or "Burgermeister." Not a brand that I'm familiar with. - It's certainly cooler down here in the canyon than it was up on the hills, and the temperature here shows 82 degrees F
Since it was a lot warmer than this up on the hills today, I wonder how hot it was up there. - Before the sun goes down, I take a cold-water shower and rinse some dirty clothes
Pacheco Camp's cold-water shower building and sink with water from Pacheco Spring in a garden hose is quite a gift in the Henry Coe backcountry. I hang my moist clothes to dry overnight from the nails in the wall above the outdoor sink. - Tent supper tonight is instant Mountain House Beef Stew, one of my favourite dehydrated backpack meals
The chewy texture of the rehydrated potatoes and beef pieces satisfies! A quiet and warm evening here, and I haven't seen anyone yet since leaving the Hunting Hollow parking lot two days ago. I'm glad I spent an extra day here hiking, but tomorrow, I'm off to Paradise Lake as planned to camp for a few nights by the Orestimba Wilderness.