Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / Fall 2010: Route 66 and Kelso Dunes Wilderness Bicycle Camping / Day 6: Broadwell Dry Lake to Ludlow by bicycle 27
I seriously oversleep this morning, which changes my plan to ride some miles on old Route 66 toward Barstow today. I pack up and ride back to Ludlow for a warm motel room instead, enjoying another desert sunset along the way. 10.5 bicycle miles.
- Wow, I've really overslept this morning, just woke up at 11h30 after a rather sleepless (and cold, low 20s) night
I fell asleep before midnight, but two vehicles drove up the road past my tent to the Old Dominion Mine site at 1h15. I couldn't get back to sleep after that until around 5h. They're still there this morning (white blot on ridge at upper left). - I'm hearing noises, not too distant, and notice that it's coming from vehicles riding on Broadwell Dry Lake
That's quite a dust storm down there! I'm sure it's fun, but I'm glad I'm not hiking across Broadwell Dry Lake today in a quest for solitude like I was yesterday. Note to self: avoid potentially popular places like this on holidays! - If I zoom in on Broadwell Dry Lake, I see a number of ant-like items on the playa that might be a convoy of 4WD vehicles
Today is the day after Thanksgiving, which most people have as a vacation day, hence the extra traffic in this otherwise quiet area. - I've already made two cups of hot coffee, but I decide that I need a more substantial breakfast today
I was planning to walk up to the Old Dominion Mine site before packing up, but my "neighbours" are still there. Instead, I'll make a pouch of instant Mountain House Beef Stew, if I can get water to boil. - The wind has picked up, and my water just won't boil, so I bring my propane burner closer to my tent, hoping to block the wind
Finally, my water does boil, and I make my instant Mountain House Beef Stew. Tasty, and I can tell that I needed the calories. - I'm about to start packing up when I hear the two vehicles from last night driving down the road away from Old Dominion Mine
I wonder if they noticed me nestled in the creosote-bush scrub when they passed by... They've been noisy all morning, banging on something up there. Now that they've left, I'll go for a quick walk up that way before packing up. - I don my hiking gear and go for a short walk toward the Old Dominion Mine site
When I reach this clearing, I start hearing more of the banging sounds I was hearing earlier. Oh, nobody is demolishing anything, this is the sound of gunshots, and someone is doing target practice or other random shooting up here. - I decide that it might be best to turn back since there were no gunshot sounds until I reached this area
Yeah, nice fire ring. - I start walking back to my tent, wondering if maybe I should have ignored the gunshots and continued with my short hike
Maybe those gunshots weren't intended to scare me away. At any rate, this part of the road is much clearer than further down where I couldn't even find it in the dark a couple of nights ago. - OK, there's my tent, today's abortive one-mile hike to Old Dominion Mine comes to an end
I still wonder whether the gun folks up by the old mine site have seen me or not... - It's not my routine to be breaking camp late in the afternoon, but here I am
I still have water remaining, probably enough for another day, given the cold weather. But perhaps not. - It's almost 16h and I'm just now starting today's bicycle ride out of Broadwell Dry Lake?
Maybe I should have gotten up eight hours earlier? But no, sleeping all morning in the warm tent this morning was sooo nice. I don't think I woke up once. - We're ready to ride the half mile down from the Old Dominion Mine area to Crucero Road
It still bugs me that I couldn't find this road two nights ago, even though I was sometimes on it! - I ride down the faint road from the Old Dominion Mine site at sunset
I'll turn right as soon as I reach Crucero Road, just ahead. - Back down on "the main road," I look north on Crucero Road near Broadwell Dry Lake
There's more worth exploring further up that road. I didn't expect this road to be passable by bicycle, so I didn't plan on attempting to travel any further up this road. Maybe next time. - I pull over to allow a car to pass by, the first one I've encountered down here by Broadwell Dry Lake
I've seen many recent vehicle tracks, and I could see a car on this road while hiking on the other side of Broadwell Dry Lake yesterday, but this is the first one I've come close to since leaving Ludlow two days ago. - I watch the sun go down on the Bristol Mountains while I ride alongside Broadwell Dry Lake
I've hiked over there twice this week. Definitely worth another visit; I hate to be saying "good-bye." - This stretch of Crucero Road looks like it gets mighty muddy during rainy times
For now though, it's a nice ride for me (it has good traction). The 10-ton bike is willing to excuse the bumps! - I see some pipes sticking out of the surface of nearby Broadwell Dry Lake, but I don't stop to investigate
I'm too busy enjoying the scenery and the sunset on the Bristol Mountains. - What could this old sign be out here in the middle of nowhere by Broadwell Dry Lake?
Like most signs in the desert, this one has been shot at many times. - Ha! This old sign announces a former proposal (from the 1990s) to place a toxic-waste site here at Broadwell Dry Lake
There's not a better desert sign to shoot up than this one. Just because nobody lives here (isn't that much of the beauty and value of this place?) isn't a reason to fill it with garbage! - For further information on the review process for the proposed hazardous-waste site at Broadwell Dry Lake...
For some lucky reason, the proposed hazardous-waste site at Broadwell Dry Lake didn't happen; maybe they were unable to frame it as another "green" project. - Relieved that I don't have to pass a toxic-waste dump here, I get back on the 10-ton bike and pedal onward toward Ludlow
Broadwell Dry Lake survives. - Oh, another stray balloon to collect for disposal!
First one today. - These last few miles up the gravelly slight incline toward Ludlow are slow, but I'm enjoying it
After being out here for close to a week, I'm getting a bit stronger, and this road feels easier than it did a few days ago. Still, I have to hike the bike occasionally due to poor traction. - The sun has gone down for the last mile or so of the trudge up to Ludlow
As I approach the top of the dirt road, a set of headlights creeps up on me at the speed of sunset, the only light in the dark Broadwell Dry Lake valley behind me. It's a slow race and I make it to the pavement near the freeway just before it does. - I decide to spend another night at the Ludlow Motel to catch up on some needed sleep and avoid the cold
Temperatures dropping down into the 20s again tonight! I'm too late to eat at the Ludlow Café, so I visit the other place in town, Dairy Queen, for another hamburger. OK, I'm tired of hamburgers now; I usually rarely eat them.