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Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2000: Mojave National Preserve Bicycle Camping Trip #2 / Day 11: Providence Mountains State Recreation Area to Baker via Foshay Pass and Kelbaker Road /

After breaking camp, I leave the Providence Mountains campground and coast down the hill to the desert floor on Essex Road

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009_7-providence-mtns-decent-800px.jpg The little six-site campground at Providence Mountains State Recreation AreaThumbnailsAbout 3 miles down the hill from the Providence Mountains campground, I hear a big "clunk" and feel something draggingThe little six-site campground at Providence Mountains State Recreation AreaThumbnailsAbout 3 miles down the hill from the Providence Mountains campground, I hear a big "clunk" and feel something draggingThe little six-site campground at Providence Mountains State Recreation AreaThumbnailsAbout 3 miles down the hill from the Providence Mountains campground, I hear a big "clunk" and feel something draggingThe little six-site campground at Providence Mountains State Recreation AreaThumbnailsAbout 3 miles down the hill from the Providence Mountains campground, I hear a big "clunk" and feel something draggingThe little six-site campground at Providence Mountains State Recreation AreaThumbnailsAbout 3 miles down the hill from the Providence Mountains campground, I hear a big "clunk" and feel something dragging

Just before leaving, a bus-load of high-school students from Las Vegas arrives, which is an odd disruption of the tranquility of this place. (I've been the only camper here the past two nights.)

I leave the campground at 4300 feet at around 10h45. The steep hill was tough coming up a couple of days ago, and I recall a ranger telling me that he saw me riding very slowly up the hill (at about 3 mph probably). So it's of course a lot of fun to go back down now.

I reach 32 mph on the steepest part; gravity just pulls me down Essex Road.