dryfj.com / drycyclist.com (kevin cook)

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04549-kelbaker-road.jpg I begin the enjoyable 20-mile ride down Kelbaker Road to Baker, and stop taking photos because my camera has run out of memoryThumbnailsI roll into Baker and grab a room at the Wills Fargo Motel againI begin the enjoyable 20-mile ride down Kelbaker Road to Baker, and stop taking photos because my camera has run out of memoryThumbnailsI roll into Baker and grab a room at the Wills Fargo Motel againI begin the enjoyable 20-mile ride down Kelbaker Road to Baker, and stop taking photos because my camera has run out of memoryThumbnailsI roll into Baker and grab a room at the Wills Fargo Motel againI begin the enjoyable 20-mile ride down Kelbaker Road to Baker, and stop taking photos because my camera has run out of memoryThumbnailsI roll into Baker and grab a room at the Wills Fargo Motel againI begin the enjoyable 20-mile ride down Kelbaker Road to Baker, and stop taking photos because my camera has run out of memoryThumbnailsI roll into Baker and grab a room at the Wills Fargo Motel again

I look at unnamed hillsides and think about life during two weeks of backcountry biking and hiking versus life in the city, and the rewards of each. Mojave National Preserve is enormous, and there's always an unexplored area nearby.

I think about exploring some of these unknown hills and how I might arrange to carry enough water to do that.

I think about bringing a motor vehicle with me some day to simplify matters and increase carrying capacity, but how much simpler will that be if it gets stuck in sand or breaks down and I can't walk it out, like I can walk a broken bicycle?

Would I feel less sense of accomplishment if I used a motor vehicle on one of these trips? Probably, but if it allowed me to reach areas that are too awkward by bicycle, then the trade-off may be worth it.