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Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2009, Spring: Mojave National Preserve / Day 15: Pachalka Spring to Button Mountain, Mojave National Preserve via Aiken Mine Road /

I find myself walking the bike on parts of the first mile down the north side of Pachalka Spring Road because it's so rough

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04239-pachalka-spring-road.jpg The 10-ton bike is all packed up; after a few final sips of water, I'm ready to head down Pachalka Spring RoadThumbnailsAt the bottom of the hill (about 4500 feet), Pachalka Spring Road turns left at the Wilderness barriers and heads down the washThe 10-ton bike is all packed up; after a few final sips of water, I'm ready to head down Pachalka Spring RoadThumbnailsAt the bottom of the hill (about 4500 feet), Pachalka Spring Road turns left at the Wilderness barriers and heads down the washThe 10-ton bike is all packed up; after a few final sips of water, I'm ready to head down Pachalka Spring RoadThumbnailsAt the bottom of the hill (about 4500 feet), Pachalka Spring Road turns left at the Wilderness barriers and heads down the washThe 10-ton bike is all packed up; after a few final sips of water, I'm ready to head down Pachalka Spring RoadThumbnailsAt the bottom of the hill (about 4500 feet), Pachalka Spring Road turns left at the Wilderness barriers and heads down the washThe 10-ton bike is all packed up; after a few final sips of water, I'm ready to head down Pachalka Spring RoadThumbnailsAt the bottom of the hill (about 4500 feet), Pachalka Spring Road turns left at the Wilderness barriers and heads down the wash

This first mile, with its 400-foot elevation drop, was part of yesterday's hike, but I didn't realize how rough the road is because I was walking without a bicycle for baggage.

On the parts of this hill that I do ride down, I keep the brakes on and travel very slowly, so as not to rattle the 10-ton bike too much. I don't want to break my bike rack again like I did last year while on Ivanpah Road!