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- I cross through some of the riparian brush at Piute Creek
There might be some remains of an old road around here, so I take a few minutes to look for it. - In the last vestiges of daylight, I rattle four miles down the Kelso Dunes Road washboard back to my tent
As usual, I end up riding mostly on the wrong side of the road where less sand and gravel has accumulated, which is safe in the absence of other traffic. - As usual, I end up riding mostly on the wrong side of the road where less sand and gravel has accumulated, which is safe in the absence of other traffic. Supper is rehydrated Mountain House Beef Stew again, my favourite, supplemented by more beef jerky that my neighbour gave me and Ritter Sport dark chocolate. It's getting cold quickly this evening; I wish I still had more brandy left to help me keep warm! Continue to Day 7: New Year's Eve ride from Kelso Dunes to Baker via Kelbaker Road to conclude the trip (and 2007). - Large dry clumps of animal dung are everywhere around my tent
I don't know what animal here produces these grey blobs, but the interesting thing is that they are completely dried out and almost weightless, like Italian meringue cookies. I suppose I could have been more picky about where I set up my tent in yesterday evening's darkness... - The heat feels great, but it's time to let the fire burn out and prepare for sleeping
How cold will my sleeping bag be? I'm guessing the temperature is in in the mid-thirties (F) right now. Sweet dreams! - And away we go toward Sands down the power-line road...
The road looks like gravel, but it's actually more of that decomposing residual pavement from decades ago. In fact, one of my maps indicates this road as paved. - Some of the old pavement on the power-line road still functions as originally intended
... except, of course, wherever sand has blown across the road. - About eight miles down from the summit, I fly around the curve near the Kelbaker Road lava flows
This curve reminds me that I'm about to leave the cinder-cone area behind until my next Mojave National Preserve trip. - I'm seeing animal tracks all over the place
However, I haven't seen or heard any animals yet, other than a few birds. There are also a few human footprints, so I'm not the only one who has hiked up this wash recently. - However, I haven't seen or heard any animals yet, other than a few birds. There are also a few human footprints, so I'm not the only one who has hiked up this wash recently. - Baker, California: 23 miles and 2900 feet below the Kelbaker Road summit
The fun starts now! It's 16h and unlikely that I'll reach Baker by 17h when it gets dark. But I should get close. - Curves, points and clouds
- Back on the pavement of Kelbaker Road, I begin the slow, easy climb up toward Jackass Canyon Road
I'll crawl almost 7 miles up Kelbaker Road past the lava flows from about 2100 feet here to about 3200 feet. It's about 50 degrees F this afternoon and I'm overdressed for an uphill. I start sweating as soon as I begin pedalling. - Barrel cacti catching the last light of day on the hill above Indian Springs
I guess the day is coming to an end... - Turquoise veins in rock at Trio Mine, Mojave National Preserve: copper, presumably
- I mount the bike and ride the 1/4-mile shortcut at the end of Kelso Dunes Road to the nearby power-line road
I'm headed directly toward the Bristol Mountains (or is it the Granite Mountains? I'm not sure where one begins and the other ends). This only takes a few minutes. - After 13 miles, I reach the little dirt road to Indian Springs and turn off here
The road will dead-end at Indian Springs, some 3.5 miles away. There are no signs at most intersections (except the major ones) in Mojave National Preserve; you simply need to know where your chosen road is. I like this design approach because it keeps the discovery level high for those of us who value that. On my first trip out here, I didn't even notice this road when I passed it. - I begin the hike down to Piute Spring by walking over to the trail sign at campsite #2
I didn't want to camp at this campsite in case it gets extra human traffic that I don't want to see in the morning. I'm camping over at #3. Despite this sign, there's not much of trail here, but it's enough to get you started and inspired. - Elderly juniper tree, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
- Wry Canyon smiles back at me, Death Valley National Park.
- A cholla cactus watches me from a safe distance, Death Valley National Park
- At the stone ruins off Indian Springs Road
I'm not sure what this is: a mine or a cabin of sorts? - Avian desert-hiker tracks
- The sun sets on me at Indian Springs
I start walking back down the wash to my campsite in near darkness. There's a nice sunset over there somewhere. I really like this area and had no idea how scenic it would be. Tomorrow I'll come back up here and do a longer day hike to explore further, and refill my water reserves at the spring. - Indian Springs Road: the road surface is a bit rough and rocky
However, there's plenty of traction for a mountain bike, so far, even one loaded up heavily like mine. - Desert abronia
- Ring of rocks
- Bright sunshine and a bit of smoke in the air as I look down toward "The Racetrack" in Death Valley National Park
- Back at my campsite near Kelso Dunes for a few minutes, I stuff a few items in my saddlebags for the ride to Coyote Springs
I refill the water in my Camelbak and pack the usual items: flashlight, insect-sting kit, bike tube and tools, Clif bars, scarf, windbreaker, maps, as well as my water filter and extra water bottle in case there's water at Coyote Springs. - This sandy road-in-a-wash ends after a couple of miles and the rest of it ahead is blocked Wilderness barrier posts
I'm hoping that the road surface around the corner is better packed and more ridable. I stop here to eat an energy bar and drink more water. I've sweated a fair amount walking up this road and am still wearing just my T-shirt. - Map of Mojave National Preserve bicycle and hiking routes
Baker, California, the start and end of this trip, is at the far left on the map. Hiking routes are dark blue and bicycling routes are red. - A happy-Mother's-Day balloon rests deflated near the road
This is the third escapee balloon that I've come across in a remote area on this trip. After your next celebration that includes balloons, try following them to see where they end up when they blow away! - Tic tac toe
- Hmmm... a rubber glove near Mail Spring
Usually I find stray balloons or their remains in remote places like this, but not rubber gloves! - Enjoying desert gold as the mud flats go dry
- Warm sunshine ahead
- Wallflower, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
- The pretty ceiling above the shower stall in tonight's room at the Royal Hawaiian invites me to step inside and get clean
I haven't had a shower since Xmas eve, a week ago. Due to the cold weather, I'm not nearly as salty, sticky and stinky as I would expect, even though I've sweated plenty. Best of all, with just one shower, I'm clean. During hotter-weather trips with more intense sweating, it can take more than that. - Eastbound on the power-line road toward Providence Mountains, I see that somebody suffered a tire blow-out here
I'm getting a bit tired of power-line roads on this trip, but this is a segment that I haven't ridden before, and which I've often considered riding all the way to Ludlow (about 17 miles). - Approaching the top of Kelso Dunes, this final stretch is the steepest part
With the bright light reflecting off the light-coloured sand, I feel like I'm climbing a big snow bank. Except for the fact that I'm sweating enough to be wearing just a T-shirt and a sweat band. It's probably close to 60 degrees F here today. - Wow, there's a trickle of water here at Indian Springs
I thought this would be a dry spring, so I'm pleasantly surprised. - Baker's "world's tallest thermometer" says that it's 50 degrees F this morning
Before leaving town, I visit Coco's restaurant for a big, tasty, lumberjack breakfast. I'm surprised that so many restaurants are open here on Xmas day, and Coco's is packed. I'm obviously not the only tourist "stuck" in Baker en route to somewhere else. I also stop at the "Country Store" to buy four 1.5-litre bottles of water and a small bottle of brandy. While still at the motel earlier, I put several litres of water in my big 10-litre water bag and filled my two-litre Camelbak. I think I'm ready to head out now. Judging by the wind blowing this tree's foliage, it looks like I'll have the wind behind me; great! - Fading petroglyphs
- This four-wheel drive sign is the first sign I've seen on Jackass Canyon Road
A 4WD sign is usually a harbinger of a rough road to come. On a mountain bike, I'm not terribly worried about a rough road, but a heavily sandy road can bring me to a halt. - Leaving my campsite at the bottom of Jackass Canyon to ride across Devil's Playground over to Sands
The big rocky mass behind me is Old Dad Mountain, which some mountain climbers like. Sands is five or six miles away. It was my destination yesterday, but I didn't make it that far. - I complete my seven-mile climb up Kelbaker Road and reach the junction of Aiken Mine Road and Jackass Canyon Road
Aiken Mine Road heads off to the left through the cinder-cone area. Jackass Canyon Road, my road today, leaves to the right and descends toward Devil's Playground. - Morning, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
- At another junction on the way to Coyote Springs, I pull out my map to look for this fork in the road
I don't have the USGS topography map with me, but the road to the right looks like the correct way to Coyote Springs. - I see just one extant structure at Sands: a shed next to what looks like part of an old water tower
The small concrete platform in front of me presumably served as the base of a now-deceased structure. - Creosote bush family
- Bigger sandy drainages cross Jackass Canyon Road on the way down
I'm looking back at one of the little sand traps that I just drove through. Just enough of these punctuate the road that I'm not able to build up much speed. Each sand crossing provides an entertaining technical exercise. Too fast and it's easy to fishtail, lose control of the rig, and then crash, but too slow means that the tires tend to slow down and get mired in the sand, causing the rider to come to an involuntary stop. - Unexploded ordnance
- I reach heavy sand a quarter mile down the road and a pile of paint cans that were recently dumped here
I rode into this sand last night, but turned back and set up camp, unable to see the extent of it. Today, with more time, I just walk the bike through it, no problem. I wish our garbage-collection fees could be increased to cover all garbage collection, so that nobody would have a desire to dump things like these paint cans on our public lands just to save a few dollars. - The Boulder
- Sundown at a tiny dry lake in the Death Valley backcountry
- Hiding petroglyphs
- The little town of Kelso is now visible down in the valley below, as are the low mountains beyond that I will ride over later
The wind intensity seems to be increasing and I'm pedalling pretty hard just to stay moving. - A little further up Indian Springs wash, I come across another seep and a bit of ice that today's sun hasn't reached, and melted
So, we definitely had freezing temperatures last night. No wonder I was cold while sleeping! - So, we definitely had freezing temperatures last night. No wonder I was cold while sleeping! - Hillside cactus garden at Indian Springs, Mojave National Preserve
A postcard-perfect image from the edge of the lava flows, catching just the right amount of sunset illumination. Could anything be more perfect for Xmas day? - Snow up above, sand down below, at Eureka Dunes
- The 10-ton bike has been rebuilt and is ready to leave Kelso Dunes
I take one final walk around the campsite to see if perhaps there's an item on the ground that I forgot to pack. - Round-trip bicycle route, Piute Gorge to Hackberry Spring via Rattlesnake Mine
36.5 bicycle miles and about 1500 feet of elevation gain. - After a couple of miles on the power-line road, I locate the nearly invisible road that leaves on my right toward Coyote Springs
On the way here, I spotted several short roads that weren't what I was looking for, and which turned out to lead only to the base of transmission towers. If I were to stay on this road further, I would cross Kelbaker Road after another mile or two, and then Foshay Pass, the low spot in the Providence Mountains ahead. (I crossed Foshay Pass by bicycle on my Mojave National Preserve trip in 2000.) - Webs
- Bone scatter
- "Painted-dot" rock
The dark spot isn't the only interesting feature of this rock; it's also supporting the protruding slab above it. - The dark spot isn't the only interesting feature of this rock; it's also supporting the protruding slab above it. - The soft sand on this road results in my walking the bike for about a mile, leaving nice tire tracks behind
This road appears to be in a wash, hence the heavy sand. The slow trudge up this wash, walking the bike, is enjoyable though because I like the scenery in this area and it's a bright sunny day. - Downfall
- Erosion, Death Valley National Park, Fall 2020
- Nice, almost warm morning near Slaughterhouse Spring; I wake up baking in my tent around 8h30
I'm surprised at the expiring Desert senna flowers here and there; I didn't realize they can bloom in autumn. My energy is still a bit low this morning, but I head out on today's hike after breakfast anyway. - Burned conifers, Stanislaus National Forest, 2020
- Fire ring at a roadside campsite on Jackass Canyon Road about 1.75 miles in from Kelbaker Road
A scenic location for a short break. I need some calories (a Clif bar) and it's time to put my winter coat and scarf back on before starting the downhill into the canyon. I didn't know that this informal campsite exists and haven't seen it mentioned in any of the material I've read. The views of the cinder cones and a scattering of Joshua trees behind me make for a nice campsite, but it's a bit chilly and exposed to the cold wind up here today at 3200 feet. - Heading down Jackass Canyon Road, it's not as nearly as steep as I was expecting, at least not yet
There's some residual pavement on the road from decades ago, so traction is mostly decent so far. - Joshua tree on a smoky afternoon
- Breaking camp on the final morning of a trip produces mixed emotions
I feel like I'm just getting into this trip, and don't want it to end so soon. On the other hand, I'm glad that I won't find myself sleeping uncomfortably outside in the cold tonight. - The first thing I do upon waking up is peer outside to see where I am, without leaving the comfort of my hooded sleeping bag
OK, this looks like what I expect the Devil's Playground to look like. I couldn't see much when I arrived here last night after dark. With the cloudy weather, I guess it will be a day of beige and grey. There's not much sun this morning and it's still chilly in the tent; I think I'll roll over and fall back asleep for a few more minutes. - With no set destination, I start walking up the wash past Indian Springs and notice some intriguing rock layers
I liked what I saw in this wash when I arrived here at the end of yesterday afternoon, so I'm excited to be exploring a bit further. - I liked what I saw in this wash when I arrived here at the end of yesterday afternoon, so I'm excited to be exploring a bit further. - At the end of Kelso Dunes Road, I rejoin the pavement of Kelbaker Road
I always like how stop signs in the desert stand out in their stark environment. I'll be on pavement for the rest of the day. The almost-four-mile ride up Kelso Dunes Road was pleasantly uneventful. A few cars heading to or from the dunes passed me on the way, and a couple of them politely slowed to a crawl while passing so as to produce as little dust as possible. - Smoke over San Francisco Bay, August 2020
- An hour later, I step outside for a short walk around my new surroundings at Devil's Playground
Low sand dunes blanket this area and some of the fine sand blew into the tent overnight through its ventilation mesh. Soda Lake is visible in the distance here as it was from the hills above Indian Springs. This is the kind of landscape that many people imagine when one speaks of the desert, even though most of the Mojave Desert is more rocky than sandy. It's time to boil some water for coffee and get the day started! - Creosote bush family
- Sand platform
- The 10-ton bike is packed up and ready to go to Mojave National Preserve on Xmas day
I really needed to sleep in this morning, so I did. After all, this is my Xmas vacation. - All bundled up, I go for a short walk around the campsite in the cold sun to warm up a little
I wish I were a morning person because I love the light at this time of day. However, the late-evening hours have always been my best time of day. - Smoke in the Monument Peak area, August 2020
- On the last few miles before Kelso Depot, the wind is so strong that I can barely maintain 7 miles per hour
I'm a little concerned about all this wind because I have 35 miles more ahead of me today. But high winds are a fact of life out here in the Mojave Desert, and I've been lucky this past week to not have too much of it to deal with. The old three-way stop sign in front of Kelso Depot has apparently been removed and replaced by "slow" signs instead. The former "stop ahead" paint on Kelbaker Road here has been removed. - Looking back down the Indian Springs wash toward my campsite
Just behind Indian Springs is a hill that harbours "the Shaman's Cave," according to Bill Mann's Mojave Desert guide. I've climbed up the hill, but I don't see the cave, which doesn't bother me because I'm enjoying the scenery so much. - My scenic morning cat hole with Soda Lake in the background
The dark colour indicates a fair amount of moisture just beneath the surface of the sand, which might not be present during the hotter, drier months. - Fluffy in the breeze
- I refill my two-litre Camelbak and an empty 1.5-litre bottle with water from Indian Springs
I expect to drink most of this during the afternoon. The filtered Indian Springs water has a slight greenish tint but tastes great. - I expect to drink most of this during the afternoon. The filtered Indian Springs water has a slight greenish tint but tastes great. The small stream has a fairly high algae content--enough that I have to clean my water filter a couple of times while pumping this relatively small quantity of water. - My pile of supplies and gear dumped in the spare bedroom the night before leaving home
It's 22h30 and you'd think I'd be ready to leave by now since I leave on Amtrak early tomorrow morning. But this trip wasn't planned; I don't usually do winter bike trips due to the wet weather that's typical in California at this time of the year. I impulsively decided earlier this week to do this trip when I realized that dry weather has been forecast for the Mojave Desert for the next week. I spent much of the weekend doing last-minute errands such as buying a new tent and new front saddlebags, all of which needed replacing after eight years of performance. My new front waterproof saddlebags are from Ortlieb, almost like my old ones, but red instead of dark green. They're not cheap, but they're more than worth the money because they deal with use and abuse so well. - Social distancing for plants
- Looking back down to my campsite from my outhouse with a view
The earth up here on the hillside is hard, dry clay. It would have been easier to dig a cat hole down in the sand of the wash, but the views up here are worth the extra effort. - Cady Mountains hike elevation profile
8.3 hiking miles and about 2000 feet of elevation gain. - Dismantling the tent; time to move on and continue my bikepacking trip
I hate to leave Indian Springs; I really like this area. I could easily do another day hike here like yesterday, exploring more branches of the wash. And I know that the next time I come here, the springs will quite possibly be dry, forcing me to leave sooner (unless I come with a motor vehicle or set up water caches beforehand). - Returning to the main road, I decide to call it a day and set up camp by the power lines around 18h30
I've just hit thick sand on the road, and can't tell if it's just a patch or if it goes on for miles. If the full moon rises in a couple of hours and isn't obscured by clouds, I'll better see my surroundings; if not, I'll see more tomorrow morning. From here I can see some lights in the distance from Baker, or from Interstate 15, but it's as quiet and dark as can be at my campsite. I was expecting some humming sounds from the power lines and am glad that I'm not hearing anything like that. A constant moderate wind is coming down the canyon that makes boiling water for my evening add-water-to-bag meal take forever. Tonight is Mountain House Beef Stew, one of my favourites. Like a can of Copenhagen, it satisfies as always. - Hmmm... it's extremely sandy on this part of Jackass Canyon Road
I guess I'm in a big drainage wash here, and desert washes are usually sandy. The sand is deep enough that I can't pedal the bike through it. I dismount and walk the bike a bit. - The colourful yellow lichen on these rocks is quite painterly
I have to remember to keep an eye open for petroglyphs that are supposed to exist in this area. - I have to remember to keep an eye open for petroglyphs that are supposed to exist in this area. - Pond at Wagon Road/Phegley junction
- Juxtaposition
- Storm clouds
- Afternoon haze
- Snake #1
- A couple of miles down from my tent, a branch in the road to the left will take me to Sands
I remember thinking last night that one of the branch roads to a transmission-tower near my campsite was this road; I was still a couple of miles away! - Slaughterhouse Spring hills hike, elevation profile
13.8 hiking miles and about 1500 feet of elevation gain (and loss). - Walk of giants
- Upward
- The start of Jackass Canyon Road
I've passed this road on my previous trips out here, but I never got around to exploring down that way. - Entwined Joshua tree
- A car passes while I descend Kelbaker Road toward Kelso Depot
A strong headwind has kicked in on this eight-mile gentle downhill from about 2800 feet to 2100 feet. - Awake, I peer out the back of my tent to see a sunny day, Kelso Dunes, and a creosote bush poking me in the face
I slept really well last night despite the cold and the dampness that seemed to collect in this valley. Water on my bicycle tire and tent roof tells that heavy frost set in earlier this morning. - Small ruts on the uppermost part of Jackass Canyon Road
The sandy road surface is occasionally a bit slippery, but provides a reasonable riding surface for the 10-ton bike for the most part. - Ah, my 12-mile climb up to the Kelbaker Road summit ends just ahead at the power lines...
As I arrive at the summit at 3800 feet, a vehicle passes slowly and the driver asks out the window if I need a ride the rest of the way into Baker; it turns out to be the Park Volunteer with whom I spoke to earlier down at Kelso Depot. I'd like to say "yes" for the companionship (I enjoyed our chat earlier), but there should be just enough daylight left for me to reach Baker before dark, or just after. The slow 23-mile downhill ride from the Kelbaker Road summit here at 3800 feet down to Baker at 925 feet is one that I always enjoy and I would hate to pass it up, though I really appreciate the offer of a free ride. My headlight battery doesn't have much power left, but it should be enough if I need to use it the last few miles before I reach town (unless strong headwinds cause a delay). - Penguin man
- Near those crumbling rock walls is a hole in the hillside
This must have been a mine, or an attempt at starting one. - Light in the canyon dims first, and then the temperature starts dropping rapidly, as sunset approaches
- Root system
- Simple sunset, Death Valley National Park—nothing to do but watch it change
- I take a short walk to warm up and get used to today's surroundings (it was dark when I got here last night)
I'm hungry from yesterday's calorie-burning, so it's time to make coffee and have a usual simple breakfast of dry granola, tamari almonds, dried apricots, dried cherries and some beef jerky for dessert. The built-in filter on my coffee-dripper apparently fell out and got left behind yesterday at Kelso Depot when I was adding newly purchased batteries to my saddlebags. In lieu of a filter, I try using toilet paper, which works surprisingly well! - Before packing up, I head back up to Indian Springs 1/2 mile up the road to refill my drinking-water supply
I still have some water left, but not enough to last another day or two. - Elderly sagebrush survivors
- Distant puff of smoke
- 100 degrees F in the smoky haze
- A way through
- Drainages and road
- I ride away from the campsite up Kelso Dunes Road toward the Providence Mountains
Good-bye! Until next time! I stop briefly at the Kelso Dunes outhouse to use the facilities and dump a couple of pounds of garbage in the trash bins. One isn't aware of just how much garbage one produces, and the weight of it, until it's necessary to carry it around to the next garbage can. - The impending sunset illuminates the distant power lines
Most of Jackass Canyon Road is actually a power-line service road. - "The Scream"
- Thanksgiving 2019 snowfall melts away
- A, but not B
- I spot a larger cave in the Cady Mountains next to the smaller one I saw earlier, on my way up the saddle
I'm wearing short sleeves all afternoon, but still in long pants. The cool wind up here is comfortable, but not cold, while the sun is still shining. - Morning sun busts through the smoky haze of the California fires
- Ice in my water bottles this morning at Indian Springs!
I slept poorly again last night due to the cold and had plenty of weird dreams again, none of which I can remember. I almost got up at 6h due to the cold, but I managed to fall back asleep again. The water bottles with the most ice were the ones I left outside my tent, but there was even some ice in the drinking tube of my Camelbak, which I kept inside. - As if breathing, sand-drifts stick to the hillside, collapse under their own weight and slide down, over and over again
- Gentle downhill, Death Valley National Park.
- Smoke over the Diablo Range near Calaveras Reservoir, August 2020
- In the backcountry
- On-stage
- Desert rock garden
- The further I descend this hill toward Kelso Depot, the stronger the headwind
Even though I'm supposedly going downhill, wind is much stronger than gravity right here right now, and I'm pedalling a lot just to maintain 12 miles per hour! - Bladderpod (Isomeris arborea) flowering and fruiting on the hillside behind my tent near Indian Springs
I like this plant enough that I would try growing one in my yard back in San José if I thought it would tolerate the wet winters back there. - It looks like the Rings Trail is going to lead me into that slot in the rocks
Cool, this is more interesting than I was expecting! - The 10-ton bike and I are ready to leave downtown San José and head to Mojave National Preserve again!
There really are other places in the world to visit besides Mojave National Preserve, but I keep going back anyway. With each visit, I get to know the area better and notice places that I haven't had a chance to explore. It's one of the biggest national parks, vast enough that even Park staff often doesn't know all the nooks and crannies, so I'll probably be going back to the area a few more times yet. - While sipping my coffee, I notice that the water bottles which I left outside last night have quite a bit of ice in them
I guess it was colder last night than I thought. I'll save this bottle of water for later. During my usual hotter weather trips, it would be mighty refreshing, but not right now thanks! The water bottles in my tent had no ice in them this morning. I've been trying to make sure that my water bottles are never completely full at night, just in case the water freezes and expands. - National Parks Service did an excellent job restoring Kelso Depot
Desert-chat time! I always enjoy this. I end up talking with a Park Volunteer doing landscape maintenance at Kelso Depot who moved out here from the east so he could live in this environment. - I come across another cattle pond, this time a really big one
I have to go for a walk and take a closer look. - Abandoned fire ring
- March to the gateway
- These plants look like a cross between a daisy and a milkweed
They are flowering now, but their blossoms are all closed. I wonder if they only open on days of full sun. - Sunshine warms a chilly Death Valley canyon
- Slow-moving coyote in the smoky afterglow of the California fires finds residual water in a hose at a decommissioned cistern
- Dry waters
- Unidentified alyssum-like plant
I wouldn't be surprised if I know the name of this plant from having studied the native-plant catalogues, but I don't recognize it in its real-life situation. - Bigelow's monkeyflowers and pine cones
- The 2007 Henry Coe Park fire grew significantly in the hours since I left the park
September 3, 2007, 6:07 p.m. - Scratches on the earth
- On the road to Coyote Springs at the base of the Granite Mountains
The sand on this road is well-packed and easy to ride, except in soft spots where drainages cross the road. - Rock assortment
- In the smoky sunlight of the California fires, a tree charred in a previous fire slowly returns to the earth
- Late-morning coffee and breakfast (brunch, really). It was cold last night and I didn't sleep so well, and then I slept in late
A typical camping breakfast for me consists of tamari almonds, dried apricots, dry granola, coffee, water and maybe miso soup. I forgot to pack my coffee cup, so I'll drink my coffee out of my plastic bowl. - I had no problem falling asleep last night, but I slept very lightly during the pre-dawn hours and had many strange dreams. At 8h30, I awoke to sunlight, but fell back asleep. Eventually, some sun started shining on the tent, making it comfortable inside, and I didn't wake up again until 11h30. I eat a typical (for me) camping breakfast, which consists of tamari almonds, dried apricots, dry granola, coffee, water and maybe miso soup. One of the first things that I notice on this first morning of camping is that I forgot to pack my plastic coffee cup, so I'll drink my coffee out of the plastic bowl that I didn't forget. - Snake #2
- The first stop on today's hike is nearby Mail Spring; a pair of deer stare at me as I approach
Mail Spring supposedly has water sometimes. However, I'm not expecting to find any water here now that the dry season is well underway. But you never know... - Jagged shadow, Death Valley National Park
- The huge 2007 Henry Coe Park fire starts small and innocently on my way out of the park after a week-long bikepacking trip
September 3, 2007, 2:15 p.m. - Moonscape
- Outpost
- Early sunrise, Eureka Dunes
- Parts of Hart Mine Road have a tendency to get a bit washed out
Hence the "Road Not Maintained" sign here. - This wavy-leaved plant reminds me of the "soap root" plant that grows in the Bay Area
As one would expect, the plant life here in the sand is quite different from what surrounded me the past two days up around Indian Springs. - Gravity, Death Valley National Park
- Those darker hills, with their simple lines and angles, Death Valley National Park
- It's time to make some coffee using a toilet-paper filter and get started
I really, really need coffee this morning, or on any morning that I get up so early. The strong coffee tastes great and I make a second cup immediately afterwards. - The Joshua tree orator welcomed me with open arms that day, happy to greet a human for the first time in a long time, and assured that miles walked up this nameless and unassuming Death Valley canyon would be worth the effort
- As I reach a saddle between Twin Buttes North and Table Mountain, it looks like Table Mountain isn't that far away
I guess I'll keep going and see how far I get. - The 10-ton bike waits outside the doors to the Kelso Depot visitor centre
I step inside Kelso Depot to buy a souvenir T-shirt from the gift shop, which I always forget to do. The woman at the entrance counter says, "You're back," remembering me from my Spring 2006 Mojave National Preserve trip. I'm a bit surprised that she remembers me, since that was 18 months ago, but I do sometimes stand out in a crowd. I chuckle and tell her that I won't be asking her this time to unlock the downstairs closet with the water tap, since I filled up at Coyote Springs yesterday. - Cloudy day
- 20 minutes later, I stop for another break further out on Broadwell Dry Lake
Time to stop for an energy bar; I send a text message. I listen to silence. And the wind. - Looking across the Darwin Plateau
- Human skull, Mojave National Preserve, 2014
- Climbing up the sometimes-rough pavement of Kelbaker Road; those who have ridden it know it
At many spots along here, a bicyclist must ride out in the middle of the lane to avoid dangerous texture problems near the edge of the road. - Human skull, Mojave National Preserve, 2014
- After about 25 miles so far today, I get excited as I start riding the almost 9 miles down Fenner Hills Road toward Fenner
I've never explored this area and the road seems quite rarely traveled. Nice country as the road follows the Fenner Hills. It will be a gradual downhill, from about 2850 feet elevation down to about 2075. - I spend 4.5 hours on the Amtrak San Joaquin train, occasionally staring at the tray-table instructions in front of me
Fortunately, the train serves food, and the chicken burrito is pretty good. Beer is also available, but it's a bit early in the day for beer (for me at least). - Slab dune
- Eureka Dunes
- Creeping shadows
- Dripping cliff
- Hopsage bush and snow
- Desert beach
- Waiting for sunset
- Well, the Cima store might be closed right now, but it's an interesting place to take a break nonetheless
I always enjoy walking around the modest historic building here. - After about 3.5 miles, the pavement goes away; Black Canyon Road turns to dirt on the way back to Mid Hills Campground
...but I still have that nice tailwind pushing me up the slow grade. - Skull and desert buckwheats
- Phlox, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
- Desert mushroom on a hot day
- Wild Horse Canyon Road is all scenic, but I especially enjoy riding down this part with the Providence Mountains in the distance
I'm riding Wild Horse Canyon Road down to Hole-in-the-Wall visitor Centre, where I'll recharge my phone and fill up on water before heading out to the Twin Buttes area for a backcountry campsite. - White drapery
- I hike the 1.5-mile-long stretch of the old Ivanpah railway grade northbound to the Bathtub Spring area
Several slots were blasted through the rocky hills 100 years ago to create a fairly flat railway bed. The Bathtub Spring Peaks in the background, where I hiked in May 2011, pick up the golden pre-sunset light. - Evening stroll, Death Valley National Park
- Cactus buddies
- A glance across the Nevada border from the Last Chance Range
- I'm back on pavement for a couple of miles and ride past the former Ivanpah store on Ivanpah Road
I've often stopped for a break at this building during past trips, but today I'll pedal on past it. I'm already tired and want to keep going.