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- The vegetation on the foothills of the adjacent Kelso Mountains is striking with its silver-grey brush against yellow flowers
Here in late May, I'm past the flowering season for the vast majority of Mojave National Preserve plants, but these yellow flowers are still doing well. - Rainy Day Mine Road is the location of my next short break
I pull in here off the pavement of Kelbaker Road, get off the 10-ton bike and walk around for a few minutes, drinking more of my hot water. I'm at about 2775 feet now; Kelbaker Road is a little steeper along here. The cinder cones make a scenic background. I've never been all the way down this road, which apparently rises up onto the lava flow and ends at the former Rainy Day Mine site, where there is supposed to be a good campsite. When taking breaks, I try to stay off main roads and I often pretend to be taking photos if a car passes by (sometimes I actually am taking photos). People in the desert have a tendency to stop and ask if you're OK if you're stopped along the road. They just want to make sure you're not having a dangerous breakdown in the desert, which is a wonderful thing, but it can be annoying if it happens every time you take a break. - OK, back on Kelbaker Road, I'll tackle a little more of this slow, hot hill
I can now see Kelbaker Road rising slowly all the way up to the power lines in the distance, which is the summit at 3700 feet. It's still more than five miles away, but I'm happy to see the first major goal of today's route. - Aiken Mine Road/Jackass Canyon Road junction is the next stop on my Kelbaker Road death climb
I almost always stop here when riding up Kelbaker Road, but today is different: heat exhaustion is setting in. My break here will be a bit longer than usual, as I have no choice but to wait until I cool down a little. I feel nauseous. Heat exhaustion is an animal to be hunted. Slowly and deliberately, taking as much time as necessary to outsmart it and win. From past experience, I think of Kelbaker Road out of Baker as a fairly easy hill to climb, requiring effort, but not especially challenging. But it's different today at 90 degrees. This heat is why I don't usually visit Mojave National Preserve so late in the spring; it makes simple tasks rather challenging. Regardless of how I feel, my needs must be addressed. Immediately. I drink more of my hot water; cold would be so much nicer. I manage to delicately eat a Clif bar for the extra energy boost that I need. My tummy feels like it's going to reject food right now, but I don't throw up. - I pace back and forth with my arms extended for maximum air flow, like a cat stretched out on the floor on a hot day
The hot air is a bit cooler than I am. After 15 minutes here, stopped, I'm still sweating, but feeling less nauseous. I'm almost ready to get back on the 10-ton bike and ride a bit further. Little by little. I'm at about 3100 feet here and have about 600 feet to rise over the next four miles. - I remount the 10-ton bike and continue my trek up Kelbaker Road as it winds around the edge of lava flows
It's over 90 degrees now, I'm sure. I'm at 2200 feet and have another 1500 feet to rise during the next 10 miles. Take it slowly, but take it! - A faint hum oozes out of the lava, and it's not the spirit of the rock art whispering at me through the silence
A yellowjacket wasp floats past, and then a second one. My eyes follow their buzz to a crevice between some rocks, where I see more. They apparently have a nest, oblivious (or are they?) to the rock art nearby. - Staying away from the yellowjackets (I'm highly allergic), I walk back down to the 10-ton bike at Kelbaker Road
A team of four-wheel-drive vehicles rides up the historic Mojave Road trail in front of the hills just beyond Kelbaker Road. The Mojave Road is probably Mojave National Preserve's most popular 4WD route. - Obligatory tourist photo at the Mojave National Preserve entrance on Kelbaker Road
The "world's tallest thermometer" in Baker is registering only 85 degrees this morning, and I've just started, so I'm still feeling fresh. But that may not last long. - It hasn't taken long for the hot sun to fry me; I stop for several short breaks on this nearly flat stretch of Kelbaker Road
My water was cold when I left Baker and it's warming up really fast. - The first 10 miles of Kelbaker Road upon leaving Baker is long and straight and rises from 925 feet to 2000 feet
Noticeably, the dirty buzz of the freeway disappears behind me, replaced by silence and the sound of me pedalling. Visually, not much changes for a while on this stretch of road. - At the 10-mile point on Kelbaker Road, "the big curve," it's time for another break.
It's important to pace myself in this hot weather so I don't get too tired too quickly. Gee, I've only been on the road for 1.5 hours and I'm already feeling a bit beat down. I've ridden this road several times on past Mojave National Preserve trips and think of this climb as rather easy, but the weather hasn't been quite as warm. Even without the extra heat, it's always tougher during the first few days of a bikepacking trip as I get used to riding the 10-ton bike. - At the Kelbaker Road curve, I pull out on a dirt road and suck back more of my warm water
On my first Mojave National Preserve trip back in 1999, I camped in front of the small hills here. While I sweat and rest here in the heat, hoping to go unnoticed to any passing traffic on Kelbaker Road (there's hardly any), two guys in a pickup truck pull over. They ask if I know where the Lava Tube is. I pull out my maps and show them the location of the unsigned Aiken Mine Road that they missed nine miles back. Due to the hot weather, the remoteness of the Lava Tube and the roughness of the dirt road they'll have to drive slowly for several miles, I ask if they are carrying sufficient water. It turns out that they are not your average unprepared tourists; they are former marathon runners and quite acquainted with exercising in the heat! - A bit further up Kelbaker Road: near mile 12, an oncoming pickup brakes and its driver shouts, "I love your web site!"
I'm surprised, to say the least, and have a great conversation with Brian, who has read my travelogues and shares my interest in visiting off-the-beaten-track areas of Mojave National Preserve. I hope he'll post some of his trip photos on the internet one day. I need a lot of breaks today, and this is a perfect excuse for another one. It's a slow, hot day for me, and I'm not even halfway to Kelso Depot yet. I'd like to chat longer, but it's time to ride on. - Energized by my chat with Brian, I start thinking about taking another short break, this time by the lava flows
I've heard there may be some Native-American rock art here that I missed when I've camped in this area in the past. - I park the 10-ton bike at the edge of the lava flow and go for a walk up the hill
A trail leads up the hill toward the top of the lava flow. - Sure enough, rock art is to be found up there
Ideas abound on what these designs might mean, but they are old enough that nobody really knows. - Antique graffiti?
These symbols might merely be simple graffiti drawn according to the stylistic and cultural conventions of their era, or they might be highly specific functional icons intended to record information or identify waypoints. - I get up early this morning and walk down the road for the breakfast buffet at the Big Boy restaurant by the big thermometer
I stuff myself on a couple of big plates of scrambled eggs and fried potatoes. The Big Boy breakfast buffet isn't very exciting, but it's cheap and tasty. - After breakfast, I walk over to the Starbuck's in town to pick up a pound of coffee for the trip
Well, it turns out that the Baker Starbuck's has closed. It was located in this brand-new building and was only open for a year or two. Since there's no other decent coffee in town, I decide that I'll just buy tea bags at one of the general stores instead. - I also need to fill up on water before I leave Baker, so I make a stop at Alien Fresh Jerky
For some reason, Alien Fresh Jerky only stocks small bottles of water, not the 1.5-litre bottles that I want for my trip. So I go across the road to the "Country Store" instead. - Non-descript Baker is mostly gas stations, fast-food joints and convenience stores, but here's an old boxcar in a vacant lot
On my previous visits here, I hadn't noticed this boxcar hiding away from the main road behind some athel trees. - It appears that the old Baker boxcar is being used as a storage shed
I wonder how old this "building" is and how long it has been sitting here. I wouldn't be surprised if it served as someone's modest lodgings at some point during its history. - The Baker Country Store ran out of tea bags, so I go to the ridiculously expensive Baker Market to see if they have any in stock
Baker Market is by far the most expensive establishment in town. But they do have the tea bags that I want. The small propane bottles that I buy at the Country Store for $4.99 ($3.75 in San José) are offered at Baker Market for $6.99. - All stocked up, I get on Kelbaker Road and leave Baker, crossing the I-15 freeway before entering Mojave National Preserve
The Mojave National Preserve boundary is just a short distance beyond the freeway. - I stayed at the Wills Fargo Motel last night instead of at the tacky Royal Hawaiian Motel down the road
It turns out that the Wills Fargo is a better deal than the Royal Hawaiian, where I've often stayed on other trips out here. Wills Fargo costs roughly the same, but is cleaner and not so dilapidated. True, the Wills Fargo is also blander, and lacks the weird 70s' styling of the Royal Hawaiian. - Yesterday morning I left home and rode to the San José Amtrak station for my rides to Baker, California
An Amtrak bus takes me from San José to Stockton, the Amtrak San Joaquin train takes me from Stockton to Bakersfield, then an Amtrak bus headed for Las Vegas takes me from Bakersfield to Baker, California, gateway to Mojave National Preserve. - Another bike shared the bike rack with me aboard the Amtrak San Joaquin train yesterday
I didn't meet the owner of the other bicycle until the end of the train ride and wish I had met him earlier. He's from Sweden and is also doing bicycle touring in California. - The Amtrak bus left the 10-ton bike and I in Baker, California, gateway to Mojave National Preserve, near the end of the day
I've never seen anyone else board nor leave the Amtrak bus at Baker, California. Let's see... how much gas should I put in the tank before heading over to a motel room across the road at the Wills Fargo Motel? - The "world's tallest thermometer" displayed 93 degrees F (33C) when I got here yesterday
For the town of Baker at this time of year, this is a reasonable temperature; it is sometimes 10 degrees hotter than this. - After I get home next week, I'll get a detailed USGS map and try to map today's hike in the Indian Springs and Cane Spring area
It looks like I missed Cane Spring after all, which is higher up on the lava flow. Also, I now see how I overshot my campsite on the way back to the tent... - It looks like I missed Cane Spring after all, which is higher up on the lava flow. Also, I now see how I overshot my campsite on the way back to the tent... Continue to Day 3: Indian Springs to Devil's Playground via Jackass Canyon. - Joerg and Elke and I have a fun desert chat for a good half hour; they visit Death Valley frequently and are on their way home
Elke mentions that she rides her bicycle to work often because it's practical, while coworkers sometimes wonder if perhaps there's a problem that's preventing her from driving her car to work (a California attitude that I face daily as well). I would hang around and chat much longer if time weren't running out... Joerg snaps this photo of me as I depart and head onward up the hill. The heavy wind puffs up my windbreaker, but it seems that the wind is mostly coming from behind me now, which I welcome, of course! - Photographer [url=http://www.joergboetel.com/]Joerg Boetel[/url] snaps one last photo of me as I ride away up Kelbaker Road
I'm so used to my cheap camera that I often forget how much difference it makes when a professional like Joerg Boetel with professional equipment gets behind the camera. - After 45 minutes of slow uphill, I see someone ahead in the road. Stranded? No, he's taking photos of the area, and of me
Photographer Joerg Boetel and his wife flag me down as I approach and offer me hot tea from their thermos, as well as granola bars. I'm not sure I have enough time to stop and chat, but I do anyway. This is one of the photos that Joerg Boetel took of me coming up Kelbaker Road with Providence Mountains in the background. - The Kelbaker Hills behind me are busy absorbing every last bit of colour they can get before calling it a day
I accept the verdict, put my camera away and turn on my headlight for the final few miles into Baker. Baker is abuzz with people pulling in off the freeway, even on New Year's Eve. I check in at the Royal Hawaiian Motel for an exciting New Year's Eve, a warm sleep, and a shower before taking the Amtrak bus and train back to San José tomorrow. After I settle in, I walk up the road to Los Dos Toritos for a filling home-cooked Mexican meal. There I meet the Park Service guy who was working at Kelso Depot a few days ago when I arrived there to buy batteries, fill up on water and get campsite suggestions. Small world! We have an interesting chat while he waits for his take-out order. - 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. - I've settled in with a full tummy and celebrate by catching up on my travelogue notes, drinking beer, and watching some TV
I'm watching one of those over-hyped countdown-to-New-Year's shows from Times Square that I haven't seen in years. It's amusing to watch TV once in a while to see how little some things change. - At midnight, as I prepare to go to bed, I notice that "Royal Hawaiian" is written on my pillow--happy 2008!
Subliminal advertising? Maybe, and maybe it's working. I keep coming back to this place, and to Mojave National Preserve. - The deep glow of sunset intensifies with the passing of each minute
... while, paradoxically, the light fades - The road belongs to me; I've only seen two cars since starting down from the summit
I pedal steadfastly. I'm making good time, but am still several miles away from Baker and can tell that it will definitely be dark by then. - Today's Mojave National Preserve festival of pink, purple and orange is probably the best I've experienced on this trip
Desolate expanses like this valley may seem unimpressive at mid-day, but provide a great end-of-day destination, with no encroaching mountains to obstruct the setting sun. - I take a quick break at the Kelbaker Road summit to put on my winter jacket and scarf in preparation for the downhill ahead
No bees are buzzing around at this location today, as I have occasionally encountered during previous trips. My cotton T-shirt is a bit moist from the uphill sweating, but doesn't require changing. However, I packed an extra T-shirt in the top of my saddlebags in case I needed to put on a dry one after the climb. - 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. - Pedalling down past those famous Mojave National Preserve cinder cones
Switching to my high gears, I pedal moderately and reach speeds above 25 miles per hour while coasting downward. The wind up here isn't as strong it was down by Kelso Depot, and it's coming from the side now. - 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. - My focus cuts across the slanted world of motion to the hills behind the Indian Springs area, where I camped the first two night
I'll be passing the dirt road up to Indian Springs in a few minutes; perhaps I should turn there and start the trip all over. - Rounding "the big curve" on Kelbaker Road, I begin the 10-mile home stretch toward Baker
I've exited the hilly areas into the glory of open-desert sunset light. Baker is over in front of those mountains ahead. Even though this road drops another 1000 feet between here and there, it looks pretty flat as it rolls out across the desert floor. - To my surprise, a strong tailwind has kicked in and is pushing me across the valley
I'm happily maintaining 15-20 miles per hour on this sometimes slow stretch of road. - Enough chatting; it's time to get on with the day's business of riding up out of Kelso Valley to Baker
It's just after 13h, so I should have enough time to get there by dark, unless a heavy headwind gets in the way. - A discarded Bud Light beer can at roadside is a sign that I've re-entered "civilization"
Garbage equals life. - 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. - 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). - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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! - 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. - 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. - The strong wind pushes my empty sardine can around while I eat lunch outside Kelso Depot
I'm eating two cans of sardines for lunch. I hold the empty first can while I devour the contents of the second one, to keep the wind from blowing it away and splattering me with stinky fish juice. I carry tinned sardines on most of my trips because they don't require cooking and thus provide an excellent emergency high-protein meal should my propane burner run out of gas or malfunction. However, I rarely eat them unless I'm near a trash bin, and I often end up bringing them back home with me. They make for stinky, leaky garbage that one doesn't want to be carrying around a few days until reaching the next trash bin! - 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. - 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. - 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 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. - 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. - 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. - Frost on my bicycle this morning near Kelso Dunes
I did not sleep much last night due to the cold; the frost on my bicycle tells me that it was damp last night as well. I fell asleep easily enough last night, but kept waking up. I woke up restless and cold at 2h45. By 3h15, I still hadn't fallen back asleep, so I heated a pouch of boil-in-bag lentil biriyani from Trader Joe's to get something warm in my tummy. While waiting for my late-night snack to heat up, I stepped out into the chill to enjoy a few minutes of star-studded sky on my last night here. The sky was so dark that I was seeing the gentle wisps of galaxies in the sky, in addition to thousands of stars. The hot meal did the trick and I finally fell asleep. It's unlike me to get up just after sunrise like this morning, especially after so little sleep, but I have almost 50 miles of riding today to get back to Baker and I hope to make it before dark. I intend to take the morning slow and leisurely, as usual. - At this time of day, Kelso Dunes look like earth rather than huge piles of sand
Light getting dimmer, light getting dimmer! - My dirt road from Coyote Springs ends at dusk when I reach the Kelbaker Road "highway"
Traffic on Kelbaker Road already has its headlights on. Residual pink light in the sky remains, but my camera compensates to make the scene look brighter than it is. - I descend Kelbaker Road 3/4 mile to reach Kelso Dunes Road
I've ridden Kelbaker Road many times, but never for such a short distance (3/4 mile), so this feels odd. A couple of cars pass me here, the first I've seen since leaving my campsite earlier this afternoon. - 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). - Yep, it's getting darker by the minute
It is a race against time now (again) and it will be dark by the time I get back to Kelso Dunes. The high tips of the Providence Mountains still exhibit traces of the pink light of sunset. - Cholla cactus along the old Coyote Springs Road
Many chollas dot this area. I always try to keep a safe distance from these spiky guys, who have the reputation of stabbing innocent passers-by. - I exit the Wilderness boundary and return to my bike at the Coyote Springs campsite
This would be a great place to camp, although I can feel heavy cold humidity right here right now. - The day is spinning its finale even though I don't want that; I ride away from Coyote Springs
The Providence Mountains ahead of me look great in the light of sunset. - Five minutes later, the pink sunset light has dimmed a little
Instead of taking the sandy wash road that I used to get here, I'm going to stay on this road an extra mile or so to reach paved Kelbaker Road for a faster return to my campsite near Kelso Dunes. - A little higher upstream, I realize I'll have some rock scrambling ahead of me if I want to continue upward
It would be a lot of fun to keep going upward. However, the sun is already behind the hills and I would prefer to be well on my way back to my campsite near Kelso Dunes by dark. My rechargeable bicycle headlight is running a bit low, and I have nowhere to recharge the battery. I wouldn't care much, but I may need the headlight toward the end of tomorrow's ride back to Baker. The stream is still flowing this far up the hill, though it's largely concealed by all the brush and rocks. I'm getting cold with just my T-shirt on, now that the warmth of direct sunlight has quit the day. I should have put on my sweater instead of leaving it in one of my bike saddlebags back at the beginning of the trail. - I walk back downstream to look for a good location to stop and filter some water
This step is optional; I still have water back at my campsite and I can refill with Kelso Depot tap water when passing by tomorrow. But it's always more rewarding to filter my own water off the land. - Just a few steps further around a small bend sits a nice wide pool of water that looks promising
This stream looks really clean so far. I'm hoping to find a reasonably deep spot without too much sediment to reduce the amount of cleaning needed while pumping water. - OK, the stream isn't exactly deep here, but it's deep enough
The flat streamside rock here will provide a perfect comfy place to sit while pumping. I'll refill my two-litre Camelbak (running low) as well as the empty 1.5-litre bottle that brought along. - After refilling my water, I notice a faint road rising slowly to the right of a hill ahead of me
Gee, I wish I had more time today; I'd like to follow that old road up into the mountains. Something else to add to my list of possible destinations for a future Mojave National Preserve trip. - I leave the Coyote Springs stream and climb up one of the low rocky hills along the old road on the way back to my bike
Yellow pre-sunset light bathes the Providence Mountains while the Coyote Springs area here sits in a deep shadow. - Looking back down at the old Coyote Springs Road from the little hill that I've climbed up
I left my Camelbak and full water bottle down at the road, which you can see if you look really hard. - Another one of those pink-flowering buckwheats that I've been noticing on this trip
Hey, am I hearing a trickle of water in the background? I walk down the gulley to see if I'm imagining the sound or not. - Lo and behold, I've just reached a full-fledged desert stream!
I'm suddenly thrilled. I wasn't expecting to find so much water. Since I had never read anything about Coyote Springs, I figured that there might be a small seep here at most, with a negligible amount of water. - I decide to walk upstream to explore the extent of the stream and see if its beginning can be easily identified
Appreciation of small details in the desert (and in life in general), like this stream, develops gradually. I wasn't all that interested in, and didn't seek out, features like this on my first desert trips. After all, the amount of water in this small stream would be neither striking nor significant in a less arid environment. - 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. - This final piece of the road to Coyote Springs is a little rocky, but has fresh tire tracks
If it weren't for the fresh tire tacks, I'd guess that this road is rarely travelled. - The road to Coyote Springs ends at a cul-de-sac, a small stone fire ring, and Wilderness-barrier posts
I didn't know there is a campsite here and I'm immediately thinking that this could be a nice place to set up the tent during a future Mojave National Preserve trip. - The old Coyote Springs Road obviously continues beyond the Wilderness-barrier posts, so I park my bike here and walk onward
Coyote Springs is shown on my road map, but it's hard to tell precisely where it's situated. I can guess it's beyond the Wilderness barrier (the barrier probably wouldn't be here otherwise). - The old road toward Coyote Springs rises up a low hill
There's nobody else around. The silence amplifies the wrinkling of my clothes and the crunch of my feet touching down as I walk. I keep my ears open for the possible sound of water. - Just beyond the dip in the old road, I find myself facing a rugged, rocky hill
I guess this area has earned its name: Granite Mountains - The Coyote Springs area becomes more picturesque as I continue up the old road
The late-afternoon sunlight adds to the effect. - Heading up this sandy road, I notice a plastic pipe along the shoulder
I remember seeing a similar white plastic pipe on the road away from Arrowweed Spring on my Mojave National Preserve Spring 2006 trip on the other side of Kelbaker Road, and wonder if this is part of the same pipe system. - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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). - 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.) - Heading back to Kelso Dunes trailhead, I have time for a short day ride; I randomly choose Coyote Springs as the destination
I didn't expect to finish the Kelso Dunes hike so soon; it only took me about 45 minutes to reach the top. I'll ride back to my tent and prepare a day pack. I don't know if there's anything worth seeing at Coyote Springs, but I'll find out. Coyote Springs is in the lower part of the Granite Mountains (middle-right in this photo) and I've never come across much information about it, not that I've looked very hard. On the other hand, there's plenty of information to be found about the more popular upper parts of the Granite Mountains. I would like to go higher in the Granite Mountains, but won't have time today. - Getting ready to climb down the steep face of Kelso Dunes, with Granite Mountains in the background
Kelso Dunes are supposed to be special because the sand can make a booming sound while going down. - I figure I might get a better experience if it sit and slide down the Kelso Dunes as if I were on a toboggan
To my surprise, I sink into the sand and don't slide down all that easily, so I propel myself down with my hands. I should have brought a toboggan! - I'm coming down! The guy from Saskatchewan ran all the way down the dunes ahead of me
I can hear the booming or singing sound of the sand when I move through it quickly, but it's not as pronounced as I was expecting. The sand isn't slippery and treacherous after all, so I get up and run the rest of the way down the steep hill. - On top of Kelso Dunes, I'm taking in the views of this end of Mojave National Preserve
The white surface of Soda Lake sits off in the distance to the north. Soda Lake was also visible from the Devil's Playground and Indian Springs areas that I visited earlier this week. My Devil's Playground campsite from a couple of nights back would be somewhere behind those low mountains at the centre-right. - To my northeast is Kelso Valley, with Kelso Depot just barely visible in the middle
Up here on top of Kelso Dunes, I've been chatting with a guy from Saskatchewan (Canada), a flat prairie. He's used to these expansive views back home (I'm not) and notices how mountains here break up the otherwise endless views and block the sunset, making it seem earlier. - Looking down toward my campsite at the the end of the road from the top of Kelso Dunes
Bristol Mountains sit big in the backdrop; they would make an interesting hike. - A nice touch at the Kelso Dunes trailhead is a modern outhouse that's even equipped with toilet paper
So I don't need to dig a cat hole this morning, yay! There's no running water for drinking or washing, nor flush toilets, but it's a real convenience if you've been camping backcountry-style. - I lock the bike to the fence at the Kelso Dunes trailhead
I'm glad there's something to lock my bike to. Sometimes in the desert, there's nothing, and the best bet is to lay the bike on the ground behind a few creosote bushes where it will likely go unnoticed (just don't forget where you stashed it!) - I begin the walk toward Kelso Dunes
The Kelso Dunes sand piles rise about 600 feet at their highest point; they're a bit taller than they look. - There are a number of people hiking Kelso Dunes today
Unlike the earlier part of this week's trip, today is not all about solitude. There are several cars at the parking area by the outhouse. - The Kelso Dunes sand is soft, and one does sink in with each footstep, but it's not as difficult as I thought it might be
The juxtaposition of the soft sand dunes and the rugged Providence Mountains in the background is striking. - Excellent perspectives of the surrounding mountains come into view as one climbs higher up Kelso Dunes
Often in the desert, everything is gently tilted. The slope that Kelbaker Road slowly climbs for miles in front of the Providence Mountains behind me is quite evident here, exaggerated a bit by the camera angle. - 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. - Kelso Dunes feels very sculptural as one approaches the summit
I see someone up on the peak ahead of me. - 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. - 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! - 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... - I ride back up the road 1.25 miles to the Kelso Dunes trailhead
Most destinations within Mojave National Preserve are quite spread out, so it's odd to have such a short ride to get where I'm going. The ride is so brief that it would be a waste for me to drive a car from the campsite to the trailhead if I had come here here by car, with bicycle in tow. - Near the Kelso Dunes trailhead, I pass an unoccupied roadside campsite
I remember seeing this campsite during my Spring 2006 visit here, but I didn't notice it on the way in yesterday evening in the dark. - Getting darker as I climb Kelbaker Road toward Kelso Dunes Road
I'm doing well at climbing the eight miles and 700 feet of elevation gain from Kelso Depot to Kelso Dunes Road, but I still have a few miles to go. - I'm just a couple of miles from Kelso Dunes Road
I've done this ride before, and the last couple of miles toward the Granite Mountains can go quite slowly. - My race against time is over when I reach the gravel of Kelso Dunes Road and head toward the camping area at the end of the road
A car leaving the dunes is heading toward me, but besides that, there's no other traffic on this road. As I near the end of the gravel road almost four miles down, I pass a well-lit campsite and the two people there shout "hello" at me. I select a random spot for my tent near the cul-de-sac at the end of the road, almost the same spot where I camped during my Spring 2006 trip. My cell phone has a signal here (just barely), so I call a friend and then settle in for another instant backpacker meal (Backpacker's Pantry Kathmandu Curry; very good). At 37 miles and significant hike-a-biking out of Jackass Canyon, I have a few tired muscles to relax, but I'm surprised how relatively easy the day's trip was. - I start the 12-mile downhill to Kelso Depot after a short break to eat a Clif bar and put on my sweater and windbreaker
Ah yes, I remember this rutted patchwork pavement... My descent is from 3800 feet to about 2100 feet. - Most of this Kelbaker Road descent is fairly gradual as it drops into the Kelso Valley
I have a strong headwind and barely exceed 20 mph even though I'm heading downhill. The Providence Mountains offer a dramatic backdrop as Kelbaker Road rolls over several humps on the way down. - Once in Kelso Valley, the silo near Kelso Depot comes into view
The last few miles of Kelbaker Road before reaching Kelso Depot are almost level, rather than downhill. - At Kelso Depot, I'm happy to learn that they do sell AA batteries, and I chat with Preseve staff
After discussing a few options with helpful Preserve staff, I decide to ride to Kelso Dunes and camp there tonight so I can hike the dunes tomorrow. I've never gotten around to hiking up Kelso Dunes though I've passed them on previous trips out here. This trip is my chance to finally do it. Before leaving, I buy several packages of AA batteries to power my camera and my tent's flashlight lantern a couple of days (they both use a lot of batteries). - It's a race against time as I ride up Kelbaker Road toward Kelso Dunes
It will be dark before I reach Kelso Dunes, which is OK, but I'd like to be off fast, semi-busy Kelbaker Road before it gets dark--not likely. I have eight miles and 700 feet of elevation gain before I will leave pavement. - Looking at the final few hundred feet of elevation gain in front of me on the main Jackass Canyon Road climb
With temperatures in the high 50s, abundant sunshine, and me pedalling uphill and sweating a bit, I'm still quite comfortable just wearing my cotton t-shirt on this winter day in the Mojave Desert. - 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! - Excellent views of the cinder-cone landscape from the road that links upper Jackass Canyon Road back to the power-line road
I haven't previously been on this short (1.5 mile) road that rises from 3200 to 3600 feet, I've decided to try it rather than returning to Kelbaker Road for the finale of today's climb. - Despite old residual pavement on this road, surface sand and gravel makes it impossible to ride up the gentle slope
I don't mind a bit more pushing the bike now, after all I've already done today. The scenery is great and the ridgetop (the power-line road) is not too far ahead. - Proud power-line boy reaches the de facto crest of his climb for the day
Actually, this power-line road will rise another 200 feet before reaching Kelbaker Road some three miles further, after which it will be downhill to the Kelso Depot visitor centre. - The power-line road crosses Kelbaker Road and I get back on pavement here
If I would continue on this power-line road, I'd reach remote Marl Springs after seven more miles. I visited Marl Springs on my 2006 trip out here; it has water and was a possible destination on this trip as well. - My miles of walking the bike through kitty litter come to an end when Jackass Canyon Road rises out of the wash
I'm able to get on the bike again and pedal my way the rest of the distance up the gradual hill. - I pass by an area of subtly colourful hills
Different tints colour each layer of earth visible in these hills, ranging from grey to green to golden to rust. The vegetation dotting each layer provides varying styles of cover that accentuate the changing soil composition. - To get out of the sandy wash, I opt for a "high road" that looks like a short bypass
I'm in the area where I was two nights ago when it got dark. I may have ridden this short high segment on the way down to avoid some of the sand. - I pass a short-cut up over Rocky Ridge that follows the power lines to the ridge top where I'm going
I've seen this Rocky Ridge "short-cut" on my maps, but its hills look quite steep. I'll stay on the longer, but easier, branch of Jackass Canyon Road that I followed on the way down, and which veers away from the power lines for a while. - The 10-ton bike packed to go, I start the trek back up Jackass Canyon toward Kelbaker Road
I have some ancient pavement here for traction, but within a mile I'll be hike-a-biking up the sandy wash. The more I look at rocky Old Dad Mountain in front of me, the more I think I'd like to explore it one day. It's in an official Wilderness area, but there is a non-Wilderness road open to vehicles leading into that area not to far from here off Devil's Playground. - Heading up Jackass Canyon Road, I see a car coming toward me!
This is a surprise because I haven't seen a soul since leaving the pavement of Kelbaker Road two days ago. As the car approaches, I see that it sports government license plates. The driver waves at me as he passes. - As I'm drawn into the canyon ahead, I look back to Devil's Playground one last time and say goodbye
I've enjoyed visiting Devil's Playground and am glad that I finally got to explore this area. It's a bit chilly, but I'm sweating already and have taken off my sweater, deciding that it's T-shirt weather. - Gravel on lower Jackass Canyon Road
This looks like I should be able to ride it, but the fine kitty litter beneath it makes it hard to get any traction, so I'm hike-a-biking now. - These plants are quite abundant here in the wash
This plant seems at the end of its flowering season. A slightly sweet scent is exuding from something here and I wonder if it's this plant. - Looking back down Jackass Canyon Road as I walk the bike up the gentle grade
I'm spending a lot of time looking back because it was dark on my way down this part of the road two days ago and I missed out on the views. - Hike-a-biking through sand on the way up Jackass Canyon Road
Since I knew I'd be hike-a-biking a few miles up this road today, I'm enjoying it, instead of seeing it as an inconvenience. On the other hand, I didn't enjoy walking the bike through this sand on the way down because I didn't know bad the road is, and hadn't factored the slow-down into my schedule. - I step outside into the bright sun of a chilly morning at Devil's Playground
I'm up early today (for me) in order to get to Kelso Depot before it closes, in the hope that they sell batteries, which I need. It was cold again overnight, but no ice in the water bottles this morning. I first woke up at 6h, but managed to fall back asleep until after 8h. I'm glad to see the sunshine again. The sun makes the tent almost warm inside, but I'm still wearing my hat, scarf, winter coat and long underwear at this early hour. - It's time to dismantle the tent and pack up the bike, while making and drinking coffee
I also eat my usual camp breakfast of tamari almonds, dried apricots and granola. I'm also having a few strips of beef jerky this morning. - Many of these flat primroses dot the sand around my campsite, but this is the only one that's flowering
I'm not sure if it's because I'm too early or too late in their flowering season. - On the way back down the hill to the bike, I notice a few verbena-like flowers
In this light, against the sand, the purple blossoms take on a fluorescent glow. - I head back up the power-line road to camp, looking back toward Sands
A really nice sunset is forming off in the distance toward Barstow, where the gloomy cloud cover appears to end. - I arrive back at the tent just in time to enjoy a perfect Devil's Playground sunset
I'm hungry, and am thinking about tonight's add-boiling-water-to-bag meal: AlpineAire Hawaiian Chicken. It turns out to be similar to the Backpacker's Pantry Sweet and Sour Chicken meal that I ate a few nights ago, but less sweet and less cloying. It seems a bit bland at first, but I decide by the end of the meal that it's actually tastier. I'm also thinking about the fact that I'm running low on batteries for my flashlight and camera. I intend to stop at Kelso Depot tomorrow and I'm crossing my fingers that they sell batteries there. On my last bicycle-camping trip (to Henry Coe State Park), I brought too many batteries; this time I didn't bring enough, having underestimated the short length of the winter days. With all these clouds today, I guess it will be another dark night with the almost full moon concealed. - To the east sit the Kelso Dunes
The bike waits for me on the road down below. - I look north toward Old Dad Mountain, the power-line road and my campsite at the bottom of Jackass Canyon
It's such a gloomy day that it looks and feels like we could have rain. I hope not, even though I've brought rain gear with me, just in case. - This little hill provides expansive views across the Devil's Playground
I look back toward Sands. - I'm back at that area of virgin sand, which I walk the bike through again
There's not much wind today, so my feet and tire tracks from a while ago are still present. - One of the rocky hills along the road tempts me, so I get off the bike and climb up it
I want to get back to the tent by sundown, but this should just take a few minutes. - Etched into the sheet metal wall is an oil-change reminder
Someone decided that the larger reminder wasn't visible enough and re-etched a smaller, but deeper, version of it immediately underneath. - A large trough just outside the shed looks like it was intended to collect water pumped from the well
A big hose, like something a firefighter might use, lays on the ground next to the trough. - Before heading back to camp, I ride 3/4 mile down the service road alongside the train tracks toward Kelso Dunes
The road is sandy, but traction is fairly good, at least on this part. I wonder if this road could be ridden all the way to Kelso Depot. None of my maps show this road as continuous all the way along the tracks to Kelso Depot, perhaps because it's a private road owned by the railway company. - I'm not seeing new points of interest along the service road, so I cross the tracks and ride back up to Sands
I'm enjoying seeing Kelso Dunes and Providence Mountains from this new (to me) vantage point; I'll probably end up in that area tomorrow. - Back at the road between Sands and my campsite on the other side of Devil's Playground, I re-enter Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve is one of the country's largest parks and has numerous back-road entrances like this one, with signs where one least expects to come across such a thing. This is the sign whose rear I saw just before arriving at Sands. - Crossing a dry mud flat near Sands on the way back across Devil's Playground
It seems odd to find mud in an area where dry sand dominates. - I cross the train tracks to Sands and check out the remains of an old corral
Not much remains intact here. Sands is a sliver of private property sandwiched between Mojave National Preserve on the other side of the tracks behind me and the Kelso Dunes Wilderness in front of me. - Beyond the corral at Sands is an old ranch fence that heads off into the distance
I'm short on time, so I don't follow the fence to see how far it goes. The stark mountains in the background are part of the BLM's Kelso Dunes Wilderness and would make a great hiking destination. If I had made it this far last night, I would be climbing those hills today. - On the other side of the corral crumbles part of an old wall
Perhaps this wall is a remnant of the ranch house that used to be here. Bill Mann's Mojave Desert guide includes a photo of that old house from a few years ago, but I'm not seeing it here today. - 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. - Inside the well-built shed sit some serious-looking mechanics
I'm guessing that this is some kind of pump intended to draw water up from a well. - A few low hills jut up from the relatively flat landscape along the road to Sands
The hills are rocky, but their lower portions are covered with a thin layer of Devil's Playground sand. - On the way to Sands is the remains of an old plank road, built ages ago to provide "permanent" traction in the sand
One of Bill Mann's Mojave Desert guides lists this point of interest, but it's all covered with sand except for the small segment visible here. - The pristine sand layer on this segment of the road to Sands leaves the impression that nobody has come down here recently
My tires and feet leave fresh tracks here. - A few hoops like these are mounted on sturdy metal posts in a sandy area a short distance from the road
I'm not sure what these are. - A carpet of low, ground-hugging plants casts an almost lush green tint over this area near Sands
It would look greener if there were some sunshine today. - Sands should be just over there where the road comes to an end at the railroad tracks
... if I understand my maps correctly. - The railroad tracks at Sands cross the wash on a bridge
The road rises out of the wash to cross the railway grade. The back side of a sign is in front of me; I'll snap a photo of it on my way back. - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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 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. - 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. - 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! - 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! - 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. - 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. - I climb up the high road, but it dead-ends at a transmission tower
So much for the high road! I ride back down to the sandy wash. It's getting hard to see, so I turn on my headlight. On the way back down, I look at a fork in the high road that leads steeply down into a narrow canyon. I consider following it, but wonder if maybe it too is a dead end that would require that I climb back up just to get back to the main wash. - Back down in the Jackass Canyon Road wash, I resign myself to walking the bike through the kitty litter for a while
They say that patience is a virtue and I figure I should reach Devil's Playground in a mile or two. - After a mile or so, the road rises out of the wash and I have just enough traction to resume riding
It's too dark to see details, but I can tell that I've exited the canyon and reached Devil's Playground. I see a side road that might be the road that crosses Devil's Playground and leads to Sands, but it dead-ends at another transmission tower. - 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. - Bla, I can't ride through this deep kitty litter, it's getting dark, and I'm not down at Devil's Playground yet
Sometimes a downhill is not a downhill. I can make out another connection to the "high road" ahead. Climbing up a steep hill or three might be more fun than dragging the bike through kitty litter. - 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. - 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. - The impending sunset illuminates the distant power lines
Most of Jackass Canyon Road is actually a power-line service road. - 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. - Uh oh, a fork in the power-line road; I have to make a choice that I didn't realize I'd have to make
Power-line roads in the desert sometimes ignore the contours of the land and head straight up or down ridiculously steep slopes. I opt for the low road here in case the high road is one of those that would take me on a series of steep uphills climbs on the way "down" the canyon. - 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. - 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. - 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.