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Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2008: Mojave National Preserve Mountain-Bike Camping and Hike / Day 10: Nipton to Keystone Canyon, Mojave National Preserve, via Ivanpah Road /

As a bicyclist, I can choose to ride on either side of the road to Keystone Canyon: do I choose sand or rocks?

00579-sand-or-rocks-800px.jpg A mile after Barnwell, I turn right on the little road to Keystone Canyon, which immediately splitsThumbnailsThe sand that I liked for a moment on the road to Keystone Canyon disappears and the road is just rough nowA mile after Barnwell, I turn right on the little road to Keystone Canyon, which immediately splitsThumbnailsThe sand that I liked for a moment on the road to Keystone Canyon disappears and the road is just rough nowA mile after Barnwell, I turn right on the little road to Keystone Canyon, which immediately splitsThumbnailsThe sand that I liked for a moment on the road to Keystone Canyon disappears and the road is just rough nowA mile after Barnwell, I turn right on the little road to Keystone Canyon, which immediately splitsThumbnailsThe sand that I liked for a moment on the road to Keystone Canyon disappears and the road is just rough nowA mile after Barnwell, I turn right on the little road to Keystone Canyon, which immediately splitsThumbnailsThe sand that I liked for a moment on the road to Keystone Canyon disappears and the road is just rough now

I choose sand because it's smoother and I don't want to rattle my damaged bike rack more than necessary. But I can hardly stay afloat in the sand, so I change my mind and try rattling my way up the rockier side of the road.