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- The tent camping area at Nipton is right along the tracks, which provides stimulating late-night noise when freight trains pass
I've never met any other tent campers here, perhaps because it's not exactly a bargain at $25 per night. But there are amenities: a café with good food, toilets and showers (haven't had one in a week), an outdoor hot tub, and a small laundromat. - Adjacent to the tent-camping area is the Nipton Bed-and-Breakfast and the café
The general store is hidden just to the left of the café. The cactus garden in front of the hotel is a nice touch. - Beyond the Nipton campground, I see storm clouds over the Castle Peaks, those pointy distant mountains
Tomorrow I'll ride up to that area and camp for a couple of days. - I set up my tent in the shade of some eucalyptus trees and buy some cold beer at the Nipton store
I'll head over to the café in an hour for a big home-cooked supper. I just learned the sad news that Bill, former café owner and chef, passed away recently, but the café lives on. - From Nipton, I see rain clouds over the area of Morning Star Mine Road, site of my nice downhill ride a couple of hours ago
I wonder if it's really raining over there, or if it's just a "dry rain" (virga) passing through. Even rain in the desert is sometimes dry! - It looks like there might be rain over in the New York Mountains as well, in the area of Garvanza Spring
I haven't been to Garvanza Spring yet, but I hope to make it to that area toward the end of this trip. - The washrooms in the fibreglass-clad quonset hut at Nipton are aging, but doing reasonably well
The earth floor with wood slats above it adds a rustic touch. - One of the shower stalls for campers at Nipton
I can't wait to take a shower after supper, my first in a week! - The quonset hut at the Nipton campground houses toilets, sinks and showers; an outdoor hot tub is nearby, to the right
Time to walk over to the café for supper! Though not a huge meat-eater, I order the New York strip steak meal, which is delicious and fills my protein craving. I chat with a couple who have visited many of the same places as I, then do my laundry and take a much-needed shower. I have cell-phone reception here, so I make a couple of calls and send a few text messages to declare that I'm alive and really enjoying this spring's trip. Of course it's warmer down here at Nipton than it was up in the mountains at Mid Hills campground, but I go to bed with all my clothes on anyway. I fall asleep around 0h15, and sleep wonderfully, despite being woken up by the occasional passing trains. - Elevation profile of bicycle route from Mid Hills campground to Nipton via Cima and Morning Star Mine Road
41.7 bicycle miles, mostly downhill, from 5600 feet elevation to 3030 feet. - Bicycle route from Mid Hills campground to Nipton via Cima and Morning Star Mine Road
41.7 bicycle miles, mostly downhill, from 5600 feet elevation to 3030 feet. - I'm up reasonably early and walk over to the Nipton store for some breakfast snacks and coffee
I slept so well last night that even the booming trains passing a few hundred feet from my tent barely woke me up. I miss Bill's home-cooked breakfast at the Nipton café. Bill passed away just recently and the new management isn't open for breakfast yet. - I enjoy the morning shade of the eucalyptus trees at Nipton campground on this cool morning
I don't need them in this morning's weather, but these non-native trees are really nice when one wants to sleep in a little and not be woken up by hot morning sunshine cooking the tent. - Time to brush my teeth and pack up for the ride from Nipton to Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
The morning sun is already heating up the quonset hut behind me that houses the washrooms. - A datura blooms at Nipton campground while a long freight train squeals by
Daturas grow all along the train route that crosses Mojave National Preserve. - The outdoor sink at Nipton is decomposing after many years of service in the hot Mojave sun
I fill up my four 1.5-litre water bottles, my two litre Camelbak and my 10-litre water bag. I'm hoping to find water at Malpais Spring, my next stop, but I don't know for sure if there will be any. - From Nipton campground, I look across the train tracks and up Ivanpah Valley toward Cima
Wide-open space for miles... I was up there just yesterday. - The cactus garden in front of the Hotel Nipton is artfully built of multi-coloured rock
Coloured rock creates spaces and patterns in the garden. - The 10-ton bike awaits departure at Nipton's outdoor sink after the final, heavy addition of my water supply
I bungee the weighty 10-litre water bag on my front rack to avoid overloading the rear rack. This saves my rear rack from breaking, but makes steering more difficult, and more demanding on the arm muscles. - The 10-ton bike and I wobble up Nipton Road away from the campground and pass a few antique buildings while leaving town
Back on the highway, I begin the next phase of this year's adventure. - Across the road from the Nipton General Store is a rock-display yard
Rocks for sale from the nearby Lucky Dutchman Mine; maybe some of the colourful rocks in the Nipton cactus garden came from there. - I head east up Nipton Road toward Crescent Pass, Nevada, up in the hills at centre-left
I'll climb almost 1850 feet over the next 4.5 miles. The cool breeze helps to moderate the hot sun. A tailwind makes the climb easier. - At the Nevada border, I notice that my 10-litre MSR water bag is dripping a bit from the nozzle
Hmmm... it didn't leak when I last used it almost six months ago. I guess the plastic is finally reacting to being stuffed in my overheated saddlebags for days on end while bicycle touring. - After half an hour, I stop for a few minutes on the way up the hill: I'm in Nevada now
A new "Welcome to Nevada" sign has been posted since I last rode by here and entered Nevada briefly, two years ago, this one with fewer bullet holes. On the California side, it's called Nipton Road; from now on, I'll be on Nevada 164. - From the Nevada-California border on Nipton Road/Nevada 164, I look back down the hill to the tiny town of Nipton
On the far side of the Ivanpah Valley are the Ivanpah Mountains, and behind that, the Clark Mountains. - Just beyond the "Welcome to Nevada" sign is an "Area of Critical Environmental Concern" sign
Perhaps it's referring to the Wilderness areas that I'll pass soon. - Riding east toward Crescent Pass on Nevada 164, I pass under the power lines that cross Mojave National Preserve
Oddly, the sign for Crescent Peak Road is misspelled, with an unnecessary "a." (Creascent?) - I notice some tiny purple flowers growing in the gravel on the shoulder of Nevada 164
Cool! This looks like Purple Mat (Nama demissum). - I approach Crescent Pass on Nevada 164, whose high point is at about 4870 feet elevation
Folks at the Nipton store mentioned this morning that there was light snow on the pass here yesterday, at about the same time that I saw a few snowflakes on my way down Cedar Canyon Road. - Near Crescent Pass, I stop to look at a dirt road that leads toward the McCullough Mountains
I studied the area up this road in case I have time to ride up that way on the way back from Malpais Spring. I notice that my rear wheel is coming loose again, so I tighten it, and cut through my thumbnail, drawing lots of blood. Oops. - After crossing Crescent Pass on Nevada 164, I'm coasting downhill when I see this huge joshua tree by the highway
How old is this joshua tree, given that they only grow a few inches per year? I'm riding downhill now, into a chilly headwind. Where did that nice tailwind go that helped push me up the hill? - Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness: I take a short energy-bar and water break at the turnout along Nevada 164
I must be tired already; I bang my head on the sign while parking my bicycle! McCullough Mountains in the distance. Not today, but maybe on the way back? I put on my sweater and transfer two litres of water from my water bag to my now-empty Camelbak. - Purple desert sages dominate the foreground as I go for a short walk in the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness Area
Wee Thump Wilderness Area was established in 2002. Fields of desert mallows bloom almost invisibly in the background between here and the McCullough Mountains. - I've just coasted blissfully down 6 miles of Nevada 164 and reach unpaved Walking Box Ranch Road, where I'll turn off
I've dropped 900 feet to about 3950 feet elevation. I can see the town of Searchlight, Nevada 7 miles further down the hill. Searchlight is not on my route for this trip, but I might end up visiting there if I don't locate water at Malpais Spring. - The historic Walking Box Ranch is being restored, but is not yet open to the public
I consider going for a walk around the grounds just to see what's there, but decide to ride onward in case I have delays reaching Malpais Spring. - A sign warns of mining traffic near the start of Walking Box Ranch Road
The mines referred to by the signs may be no longer operational, but I'm not sure. I guess I'll find out how much traffic there is. So far, no sign of life around here. - One lane only on Walking Box Ranch Road: for a Mojave Desert dirt road, it's actually pretty good
Unlike many Mojave Desert roads, Walking Box Ranch Road is one on which I can confidently plan to cover many miles in a day. It's rather rough for sure, but I'm not worried about the 10 miles ahead of me on this road. - Fields of pinkish-white buckwheat flowers bloom along Walking Box Ranch Road, with Nevada's McCullough Mountains in the distance
I've been riding slowly up the gentle grade of Walking Box Ranch Road for almost half an hour now. - The pinkish-white buckwheat flowers dominate the Walking Box Ranch Road area, but they are not the only showy plants
The white fluffies in the foreground look like a winterfat bush, and many pale yellow flowers (matchweed?) also dot this area. - Walking Box Ranch Road is mostly straight and slightly uphill, but occasional humps over desert topography add interest
The abundance of joshua trees makes for a scenic ride, even though the miles of telephone poles look endless at times. - Views down to the town of Searchlight, Nevada open up occasionally along Walking Box Ranch Road
I'll have to check out Searchlight one of these days... The only part of Nevada I've visited so far is this area here just east of Mojave National Preserve. Nope, I haven't been to Las Vegas. I live in suburban sprawl (San José), and have little interest in visiting other anti-cities like that. - Fragments of old pavement on Walking Box Ranch Road
I rode Walking Box Ranch Road once before, back in 2000. Due to the spongy texture of the pavement, mostly gone today, some called it a "molasses road." - I pass the six-mile marker on Walking Box Ranch Road
The long, straight line of telephone poles continues, as does the view toward the Castle Mountains ahead at my left. - I pass an old corral on Walking Box Ranch Road and check my GPS for directions here
Roads in this area are unmarked and easy to miss. A visible route to Malpais Spring leads from behind this corral at the middle-right, but I decide to stay on the "main" road and look for the shorter route further ahead. I hope it's passable! - I approach the sole motor vehicle that I've seen today on Walking Box Ranch Road
It passed me a short while ago, but there is nobody in it when I pass. Presumably, the occupants are out hiking (or hiding from me). - I pass an extremely modest post on Walking Box Ranch Road which marks my re-entry into California from Nevada
Luckily, I know where I am, since "State Line" on the sign doesn't tell me which state I'm leaving, nor which I'm entering. I notice a small camper parked in a wash near here. - I almost missed the old road to Malpais Spring, here it is; I've been watching for it and checking my pre-recorded GPS points
I turn here and drop down into the gulley; Malpais Spring should be a mile or so up that way near the low hills at distant right. Castle Peaks form a backdrop at the distant left. - Stagecoach Well sits in the wash along the road to Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
There's an old windmill and water tank here at Stagecoach Well, but no water (I wasn't expecting any, but you never know). - Rising out of the wash just past Stagecoach Well, the road is really rough, with loose rock on the surface
I drag the 10-ton bike up this little hill. My rear wheel is rubbing against the bike's frame again. I would stop and adjust it now, but with only a mile or so ahead of me, I decide to just put up with it. - I pass one of those small "Entering Mojave National Preserve" signs on my approach to Malpais Spring
Actually, I forgot that I was outside Mojave National Preserve and that parts of it don't extend all the way to the California-Nevada border. The road is smoother here, so I'm back on the bike riding slowly, with Castle Peaks in the distance. - Malpais Spring Road tops out on a plateau at about 4600 feet elevation, so I park the bicycle and start looking for a campsite
Nice view of the town of Searchlight, Nevada from here. At this point, the meagre road turns northeast and continues back down to the corral on Walking Box Ranch Road that I passed a while ago. - I go for a short walk to check out the area at the top of Malpais Spring Road; this will be home for a night or two
I'm hoping to find water in the area tomorrow, even though the nearby gorge looks bone-dry from up here. I drank about 4 litres of water today on my way here. - I look westward up the gorge toward Malpais Spring and get excited about tomorrow's hike up into that area
The Malpais Spring area has been on my list of places to visit in Mojave National Preserve for a few years now, so I'm happy that I've finally made it here. - OK, so where do I set up the tent here on Malpais Spring Road?
I walk past the Wilderness boundary and think about walking in my belongings and setting up camp in the joshua tree forest, away from the road. - I put on my sweater and long pants and decide to set up camp in the turn-out at the top of Malpais Spring Road
Despite a few tire tracks, it doesn't seem that any regular traffic passes here, so I'm hoping for solitude, even at the edge of the road. Nice view of Castle Peaks in the sunset! - The plateau at the top of Malpais Spring Road and a few old stretches of range fence receive the orange glow of end-of-day sun
There's white stuff on that barrel cactus; I'll take a closer look. - Fluffy white stuff on a small barrel cactus at the top of Malpais Spring Road
A few wands of grass poke through. - A close-up of the white fluff on the barrel cactus
A nest for insects or a small bird? The tough cactus spines do provide a measure of protection. - The pale buckwheat flowers look pinker in the blush of sunset near Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
These plants seem to love the gravelly soil up here. - Looking toward the Castle Peaks, the buckwheat flowers pick up the sunset light differently
Sunset is perhaps the best time of day to be outside in the desert. Professional photographers already know this, but my travels are not always so perfectly scheduled. - The nearby Castle Mountains and Hart Peak radiate in the sunset near Malpais Spring
With almost no wind this evening, it's incredibly quiet and peaceful up here. Sometimes I stand here gazing, as motionless as possible, to experience maximum silence. - Pink-orange haze sets in over Nevada, east of my campsite near Malpais Spring
It's getting dark and I'm getting hungry; time to think about supper! - The sun sets, little by little, minute by minute, on the Castle Mountains and Hart Peak
I snap a lot of photos, trying in vain to somehow capture the moment in some meaningful way. - The upper turrets of the Castle Mountains and Hart Peak soak up the very last rays of the day
I stand here listening to the nothingness and the breeze, disconnected from all those things "that matter." It's well worth the sweat and calories that it takes to get here. - The moon is full enough tonight to cast shadows here near Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
I settle into the tent for a relaxing evening. Supper is Mountain House Jamaican Style Chicken and Rice, which is spicy enough to be a real winner. It's a chilly evening, so I sleep with long underwear and double socks. I sleep so well. - Elevation profile of Nipton to Malpais Spring bicycle route via Walking Box Ranch Road
27.6 bicycle miles with 3500 feet of elevation gain, probably exaggerated by the Topo 7 software as usual. - Nipton to Malpais Spring bicycle route via Walking Box Ranch Road
27.6 bicycle miles with 3500 feet of elevation gain, probably exaggerated by the Topo 7 software as usual. - A peaceful morning of solitude at the top of Malpais Spring Road
I slept well and feel refreshed, partly because yesterday's ride was moderate rather than strenuous. The warm sun on the tent feels good after a chilly night, but I start to sweat after a while. Time to get up! - After coffee and the usual breakfast of granola, nuts and dried fruit, it's time to dig a cat hole
It's tough to dig a hole in the clay-like earth, but the gravelly patches here and there are not as difficult to excavate. - Before starting the hike to nearby Malpais Spring, I lock my bike to a joshua tree, for what it's worth
I don't expect any visitors while I'm gone hiking, but you never know... - As I climb down into the canyon leading to Malpais Spring, I'm greeted by pink cactus and range ratany flowers
The pointy turrets of the Castle Peaks sit in the background; I'll hike up that way after checking out Malpais Spring. - A few steep rock outcrops edge the Malpais Spring canyon
The wash is looking dry toward Malpais Spring, will there be water ahead? - Here's an old pipe, presumably leading to the source of Malpais Spring
Follow the pipe! - After a short distance, I climb up out of the canyon to circumvent a thicket of willow, desert willow and catclaw
I hope Malpais Spring isn't in the middle of all that greenery, which would require bushwhacking to penetrate. - Once past the big thicket, I climb back down into the Malpais Spring wash past a patch of orange desert mallows
I check my GPS and see that I haven't reached Malpais Spring yet, so I continue walking up the wash. - I follow the pipe up the wash toward Malpais Spring
The pipe is suspended in the air and supported by ledges on the rock walls, rather than resting on the ground. - I walk up a wide slot in the Malpais Spring canyon, still following the pipe
Judging by the erosion of the rock, gushing water must flow here after a big rain. - I pass a big rock wall in Malpais Spring wash
A few turrets of the Castle Peaks are visible in the distance. - A rock outcrops juts out from the wall of Malpais Spring wash like an arrowhead
- I get excited when I discover this little stream; I'm close to the source of Malpais Spring
Is this it, or will there be more water than this? - Near the source of Malpais Spring is a moist, grassy area that's probably underwater during wetter periods
The water channel is stained a dark reddish-brown; must be a high mineral content in the water here. - The stream from Malpais Spring is very shallow, so I try digging a hole deep enough to accommodate the end of my water filter
Hmmm... not sure I can get any water here without significant work. The hole I dig is in sand so soft that the stream instantly disappears into it instead of accumulating! I refill my hole and continue onward a bit disappointed. - Just above Malpais Spring is another thicket area with lots of willows, and these upright bushes that I don't recognize
Open areas between the thickets make it possible to hike easily further up the wash. - I climb up the canyon wall a bit to get an overview of the Malpais Spring area
There's not much water here now, but it's still quite green for the Mojave Desert. - Quite a few moths flutter about in the moist area around Malpais Spring
I'm guessing there are several hundred, and perhaps a few thousand, of these small moths here. - Above Malpais Spring are more interesting eroded areas to walk through
What will be around the next corner? - One of several slots to walk through in the canyon above Malpais Spring, Mojave National Preserve
... and a little climb to get up out of the end of the slot. - I climb up the hill above the slot canyon and look back down into the area above Malpais Spring
Gee, I was way down there just a few minutes ago. - Atop a rocky outcrop above Malpais Spring, I notice a lizard near my feet, who thinks I don't notice him
...but I do notice him, and take several photos while he stands still, perfectly camouflaged. I don't eat lizard, so he doesn't have much to worry about. Maybe he knows that. - The walls of Malpais Spring canyon are less tall as it rises up to meet the highlands
Interesting rock outcrops continue, but probably not for much longer. - The white blooms of Cliff rose line some stretches of the upper part of Malpais Spring canyon
Cliff rose looks like it might make a good garden plant. - Orange desert mallow flowers bloom out the side of reddish rock in upper Malpais Spring canyon
Desert mallows are almost everywhere on this trip. - I'm enjoying the rocky constrictions in Malpais Spring wash, and I find myself hiking toward another one
... just when I thought I may have reached the end. - Deposits of sand and silt fill the drainage between the rocks
No footprints here. - I reach a small dry waterfall to climb
Water flows have scoured smooth some of the surfaces here. - Just beyond the dry waterfall is a narrow, curving slot to walk through
The mineral content of the rocks produces subtle shades of greyed-out pink, ochre and mauve; colours that were popular in house paint during the Victorian era. - I take a look back toward my tent and Hart Peak after climbing out of the slot canyon
I'd like to come back here during the winter and see what this looks like with water flowing. - I hike up the wash beyond the slot canyons above Malpais Spring, then hike cross-country over to Indian Spring
I don't know if there's anything of interest at this Indian Spring, but I'll find out shortly. - At Indian Spring in the New York Mountains is an old fence that has collected a lot of rock and sand over the years
It appears that water draining down the hillside, carrying rocks, passes through this fence, and the rocks get trapped here. What would the person who built this fence think if he could see it today? - At Indian Spring in the New York Mountains is a dry, abandoned cistern
However, I notice another cistern nearby... - Indian Spring, New York Mountains, Mojave National Preserve has water!
I wasn't expecting to find water here, and yet here's a full cistern. And, fresh water is still dripping into the tub! The box for a wilderness camera behind the spring contains no camera. - The water in the Indian Spring cistern is clean, aside from minor algal growth in the tank
I'm thrilled by the discovery of usable water here. I thought Malpais Spring would be my only possible source of water in this area, and it's almost dry. - A bee sits on the edge of the Indian Spring cistern, enjoying the water's edge
Actually, several bees are here, but none of them seem interested in my visit, thankfully. - When I arrived here at Indian Spring, a flurry of doves took flight and left; this one watches me from a nearby branch
The dove seems to realize that it's being watched and flies away shortly after this photo is taken. - Now that I know there's good water here at Indian Spring, I'll be back tomorrow to fill up
I have plenty of water with me for today, so I walk past the old fence posts and continue hiking. - Beyond Indian Spring, I start hiking up the remnants of an old road that leads upward
Where will this take me? - As I approach a ridge in the New York Mountains, I notice pink cactus flowers popping out of a boulder
In the background is one of the outcrops of the Castle Peaks. I could hike up that way or I could continue exploring the lower ridge here. Decisions, decisions... - A patch of phacelias bloom under the shade line of an old juniper tree
One of the Castle Peaks outcrops rises up in the background. - From this ridge in the New York Mountains, I recognize Ivanpah Dry Lake and Clark Mountain in the distance
Somewhere at the foot of these hills ahead sits Juniper Spring. I'll have to look at my maps later and consider doing a hike to that corner of Mojave National Preserve which I have yet to visit. - I walk along this ridge in the New York Mountains, parts of which are quite lush in a Mojave Desert way
Lots of junipers, joshua trees and cholla cactus here. - A little further along the ridge, I gaze across the plateau over Malpais Spring toward the area of Searchlight, Nevada
I haven't seen many yellow cactus flowers like these today. - I stop to look at an old, dead yucca trunk laying on the ground
From a distance, it just looks like old grey wood, but a close-up view reveals the tightly compacted fibres that make up the "wood." - An open area on the ridge is dotted with tufts of pink cactus flowers
Probably Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris). Clark Mountain presides in the distant background. - Well, since I'm at the base of one of the Castle Peaks outcrops, it's time to decide whether to continue upward or not
I want to hike up the hill and around the other side of the pinnacle, but I also want to explore other parts of the plateau area. I can't hike in both directions at once! - I decide not to climb up to the Castle Peaks, and instead hike down a wash and across the plateau toward Taylor Spring
I've already bagged two springs today: Malpais Spring and Indian Spring. Time for a third one. Lots of fragrant purple sage in this wash. - Occasional colour juxtapositions make for a scenic hike down this wash east of the Castle Peaks
Purple sage, plus red Indian paintbrush, plus yellow snakeweed (I think), plus light-catching cholla cacti. - I walk through a patch of yellow desert marigolds (the large flowers) and goldfields (the tiny yellow ones)
The dark green junipers amplify the yellow of the flower garden. - This plant (snakeweed, I think) is so odd for its dense, rounded shape
It's absolute greenness and bright-yellow flowers seem out-of-place in the dry desert before it dries up for the hot summer. - More purple desert sage and yellow desert marigolds as I glance up at the Castle Peaks
If I had started my hiking day earlier, I might have had time to visit both Castle Peaks and Taylor Spring. However, I rarely start my hiking days early! - A GPS check shows that Taylor Spring lies somewhere past the large rounded hill ahead
No trails lie ahead, just fun cross-country hiking. - A patch of pink buckwheat flowers sits in my view of the Castle Peaks as I hike down the wash
I must be re-entering buckwheat country now; there were almost none up on the ridge. - I hike over several low hills and across drainages on my cross-country hike toward Taylor Spring
The little ups and downs are fun, but care must be taken not to walk into piercing cacti or yuccas. - I take a short energy-bar break on a big rock pile before hiking down the next wash on the way to Taylor Spring
Despite the hot sun, the cool breeze has made today's hiking very comfortable, with the result that my water consumption has been moderate. - I look up to Castle Peaks again before I head down the wash toward Taylor Spring
I do wish I had enough daylight left to hike up there also; perhaps tomorrow? - This cactus is different from all the others that I've seen today
Those delicate pale pink flowers... - I wonder what is this ghostly grey bush
It has the nicely rounded shape of snakeweed. Post-flower snakeweed? Naaa, must be something else. - I walk down the wash toward Taylor Spring with Castle Peaks in the background
So many Mojave Desert springs are dry, so I'm not expecting to discover anything at Taylor Spring. However, I wasn't expecting water at Indian Spring and it turns out to be my principle water source for this visit. - Joshua tree fruits hang low at ground level
Edible? Perhaps. - Taylor Spring should be somewhere around the next bend
As I noted earlier in the day around Malpais Spring, "no footprints here." - I almost walked past this old, fallen-down, unhewn-wood fence around the Taylor Spring site without noticing it
I'm here at Taylor Spring, so says my GPS, but I don't see a spring yet. - I walk up and down the wash a little and locate the Taylor Spring site
Not a trace of water here, just a few old water troughs. - I start walking down the wash below Taylor Spring in a random route back to my campsite near Malpais Spring
A garden of barrel cacti lines part of the wash. - Orange desert mallow flowers contrast with the greenery in this sometimes-wet drainage (but not today)
Another shrub I'm seeing frequently in this wash is dark-green Rhus trilobata (skunkbush). - Foiled! I reach a barbed wire fence across the wash below Taylor Spring
This must be the Mojave National Preserve boundary. There's enough room for me to crawl under the fence, but it might be hard to get back across the fence further along. Hmmm... - The walls of the wash are steep and cactus-covered here at the fence line
I'll backtrack a little to climb up out of the wash at an easier spot, then I'll hike cross-country toward my campsite. - I arrive at a gravelly area on the plateau with an other-worldly purplish colour
Not much grows in that purple rock! I think I'll explore that drainage just ahead. - I dip down into this purplish and reddish wash
A few patches of yellow lichen look like spilled paint from a distance. - A neato little slot to pass through in this unnamed wash between Malpais Spring and Taylor Spring
The mini-pinnacles here haven't completely eroded away yet. - A lone bird sits high up on a rock, twittering away
He flies up into a nearby juniper tree after noticing me watch him. - Ha, foiled again! I'm back at another segment of that barbed-wire fence
I figured I would rediscover this fence. I'm only about a half mile from camp and realize that I might have had enough time after all to add Castle Peaks to today's hike. - I climb the short, steep hillside up out of the wash and take a look back down
A lot of yellow desert marigolds grow on the hillside, enjoying the very-well-drained soil. - My Malpais Spring campsite is not too far ahead, just in front of that large rocky hill
I follow the fence for a short distance, then veer off to my left to pick up the old Indian Spring Road. - I rejoin the old Indian Spring Road (now closed) for the final 1/3 mile walk back to the campsite
This part of the road crosses more of that purplish rock. One can still see traces of old tire tracks. - A few miniature lupines grow in the gravel of Indian Spring Road
These are the tiniest lupines I've ever seen. - Indian Spring Road skirts the ridge above Malpais Spring wash, so I walk over to see where I started today's hike
I'm amused when I notice the suspended water pipe running down the wash that I followed this morning. Amazing area. - Red Indian paintbrush decorates the joshua tree forest on the old Indian Spring Road
And there's one of those ghostly whitish shrubs again... - As I approach my campsite, I get a good view of Searchlight, Nevada down in the valley
It's odd to have such a remote campsite from which one can see "city" lights at night. The last human I saw was in a car yesterday afternoon back on Walking Box Ranch Road. - I enjoy watching the sun set from my tent near Malpais Spring
The nearly full moon has already risen in the sky. - I fill my pot from my big black water bag next to pink buckwheat flowers; I'll make my instant meal shortly
The fire ring here is a nice touch; if I had brought any wood with me I'd be using it tonight. It's starting to get chilly again, now that the sun is going down. - The sun sets nicely behind the Castle Peaks
Everything is quiet. I can hear myself breathe. - Clouds beyond the Castle Mountains pick up the last sunlight of the day
I'm looking forward to the bright moonlight after the sun goes down. - With sunset completed, it's time to boil water for tonight's instant meal and settle in for the evening
Supper is Backpacker's Pantry Chicken Cashew Curry. Good but not great. - Elevation profile of today's hike to Malpais Spring, Indian Spring and Taylor Spring, Mojave National Preserve
7.9 hiking miles with about 1700 feet of elevation gain. Lots of little ups and downs along the way. - Route of today's hike to Malpais Spring, Indian Spring and Taylor Spring, Mojave National Preserve
7.9 hiking miles with about 1700 feet of elevation gain. Lots of little ups and downs along the way. - I'm awake at 8h45, step outside my tent near Malpais Spring, and am greeted by a lizard
Good morning! I haven't spoken to anyone since leaving Nipton two days ago, so I chat with him for a bit. I first woke up at 6h, but I felt like I needed more sleep. - After breakfast I prepare my backpack and start the hike toward Juniper Spring around 10h15
Perfect weather again today! It was cool overnight, but not cold, and the morning sun is warm, but not hot. I enjoyed the light breeze blowing through the tent while eating my usual granola-nuts-coffee-dried fruit breakfast. - The first part of Indian Spring Road leaving Malpais Spring is nicely camouflaged beyond the Wilderness boundary
Someone did a great job scattering plant debris on the old closed road to discourage vehicles from accidentally driving in the Wilderness area. - On the way to Indian Spring, the road passes through a rather barren area above the Malpais Spring canyon
I walked through a piece of this area yesterday afternoon on the way back to camp from Taylor Spring. - After two miles, I reach Indian Spring and filter drinking water for the day
The water is cool and I'm relieved that it tastes good! I filter three 1.5-litre water bottles. I'll return here later for more water on the way back to camp. - Before leaving Indian Spring, I check the map for my route across the plateau toward Juniper Spring
I like to carry both a GPS and a few paper maps. - Colourful scat, it's party time
Whoever left these droppings at Indian Spring appears to have feasted on a lost balloon or two, instead of real food. Which reminds me, I haven't seen a lost balloon today. - I'll start by hiking 1.5 miles straight across the plateau and down to a wash which I'll follow to Juniper Spring
There are almost enough junipers for me to call it a forest. - Peach cactus flowers on the plateau northeast of Indian Spring
I haven't noticed many cactus flowers of this colour. The colour makes me think of hybrid roses rather than cacti. - A number of shallow dry washes need to be crossed as I hike "Indian Spring Plateau"
I'm hiking northeast, which is largely crossing against the "drainage grain" of much of this territory. - I pass a rock outcrop that's associated with the rocks down around nearby Malpais Spring
Malpais Spring is about a mile southeast of this location. - A miniscule pool of water holds out between some rocks on "Indian Spring Plateau"
Other than this, the washes crossing the "Indian Spring Plateau" area all seem dry right now. - I pass a cactus-pad patch and a scattering of barrel cacti amongst the junipers on "Indian Spring Plateau"
Some pink is provided by buckwheat flowers and the occasional range ratany in bloom. - Here is the wash that I'll follow up through the New York Mountains and down the other side to Juniper Spring
I climb down into the wash and start hiking up the easy grade. - A patch of barrel cacti grows along Juniper Spring wash
Despite this patch of barrel cacti, I'm not seeing many of these around here. - I reach a fork on the way up the wash to Juniper Spring; I check my GPS and take the left fork
A few motorcycle tracks are visible in the sand in the wash and I'm following their route. - On the way up Juniper Spring wash, I pass a really colourful area with Vanderbilt Peak in the background
Mostly a lot of desert sages with orange desert mallows, but a few flowering yuccas and yellow blooms as well. - The wash comes to an end; remnants of an old road rise the final few feet up to a pass in the New York Mountains
Though many faint or disappeared roads are found on the USGS quad maps, this one isn't. - I pause in the shade of a juniper with its juniper berries at the pass in the New York Mountains
It's nice to retreat from the hot sun for a few minutes. I rest briefly, eat an energy bar, suck back some water, and try my cell phone. It works! So I compose a text message. - My text message doesn't want to be sent after I compose it, so I climb up the adjacent hill for better reception; away it goes
I'm high enough here that I can see past the Juniper Spring area below across to Ivanpah Dry lake in the distance. - I return to the wash and pass the big juniper that provided me with some nice shade for a few minutes
It will be all downhill for the next mile and a half. - On the way down through a floriferous area in Juniper Spring wash, I pass an especially bright juniper
Blue phacelias bloom under the shade of the juniper tree, and not beyond. Orange desert mallows outside the shade line provide major contrast. - Juniper Spring wash is an easy descent as it winds down the north side of the New York Mountains
I thought there might be more rock and less sand in the wash, and possible obstructions. I wasn't expecting to run across motorcycle tracks. - A barrel cactus has detached from its hillside garden and tumbled down into Juniper Spring wash
The root system is quite shallow for such a bulky plant; no wonder they lose their footing once in a while - Sporadic accumuations of juniper berries create dark spots on the floor of Juniper Spring wash
From a distance this first appears as dark soil. A directed glance suggests rabbit droppings, until a closer look reveals the unmistakable blue of juniper berries. - Views across Ivanpah Valley to the Clark Mountains present themselves as I approach the bottom of Juniper Spring wash
The short vertical line on the other side of Ivanpah Valley looks to be Nipton Road, where it rises out of the valley to meet I-15. - Near the bottom of Juniper Spring wash are a couple of old rusty cans attached to tree trunks
Target practice perhaps? Maybe I should have brought a few guns, since they're legal here. Yee haw. - Bright-red Indian paintbrush near the bottom of Juniper Spring wash
A purple desert sage and a garden of barrel cacti fill the backdrop. - I exit the Wilderness boundary, feebly marked by two nondescript, svelte posts, and arrive at Juniper Spring Road
Mojave National Preserve is entirely in California, but driving into the Preserve on the dead-end Juniper Spring Road requires that one start on the Nevada side of the nearby State border. - I start walking up Juniper Spring Road
Juniper Spring, if it exists, should be a half mile or less from here. - Juniper Spring Road rolls up and down in the New York Mountains foothills
Juniper Spring Road is open to motor vehicles, but it apparently doesn't get much traffic. - Some Prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata) grows in the area of Juniper Spring, Mojave National Preserve
This is the first patch of Prince's plume that I've seen during this trip. I planted one of these along my driveway a few years ago and it lived (and flowered) for two years. - Juniper Spring, Mojave National Preserve; it's dry
I wasn't expecting water here, but I wasn't expecting water at Indian Spring either, and it has a full, fresh tank of the life-sustaining stuff. You never know... - Near the dry Juniper Spring trough is a pipe leading up a wash
It's worth following, just to see where it goes; probably not far. - The pipe from the dry Juniper Spring trough leads me up to what may be the smallest pool of spring water possible
Several moths flit around the cup-sized pool of water at Juniper Spring, Mojave National Preserve. This might extend the life of a very thirsty person by a few hours; better than nothing! - Near Juniper Spring are a few small piles of tailings
Despite the tailings piles, I see no mining holes nor tunnels here; they may have been filled in during recent years. - I decide to return to the Juniper Spring wash I descended for the return trip after considering other routes
Other routes back to my Malpais Spring campsite will be steeper. I should probably choose a different route back other than the one I already know, but don't. - A preening bird in a tree above me seems oblivious as I walk up the narrow wash
Perhaps he's not oblivious at all, and it's just that he knows I can't fly and potentially threaten his personal space. - To get back to Juniper Spring wash, I climb over a hill with views across Ivanpah Valley
A few barrel cacti and an old burned tree (probably a juniper) try to interfere with my view across Ivanpah Valley. - From the hill above Juniper Spring are nice views across Ivanpah Dry Lake with the Clark Mountains to the left
The cholla cacti here on the hill glow in the bright afternoon sunlight. - I pass a couple more clumps of Prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata) on the way over the hill to Juniper Spring wash
I wonder if the burned branches here are a result of the 2005 Mojave National Preserve "Hackberry Complex" fires or an earlier brush fire. - I start the walk back up Juniper Spring wash
Some of those dark strips in the wash that looks like shadows are actually accumulations of juniper berries. - A patch of Evening primrose grows adjacent to a juniper tree
A few tiny yellow Goldfields flowers, easy to miss, grow here too. - Rhus trilobata is common in many desert washes like Juniper Spring wash
This is "the plant that looks like poison-oak, but isn't." These berries are supposedly edible. I planted one of these at home, but it doesn't get enough sun to produce flowers or grow properly. - Some stretchs of Juniper Spring wash are quite colourful
... thanks to orange desert mallow flowers and purple sage - Slowly, Juniper Spring wash rises; easy hiking
No bushwhacking required in this wash, as is required in some others.