Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007, Christmas: Mojave National Preserve Mountain-Bike Camping / Day 6: Water in the Mojave Desert! Coyote Springs round trip bicycle ride from Kelso Dunes campsite, Mojave National Preserve 34
This afternoon's ride wasn't planned, but since I finished my Kelso Dunes hike early, I should have just enough time to discover what's at Coyote Springs a few miles from here on the edge of the Granite Mountains. 16.7 bicycle miles today.
16.7 bicycle miles today, including my earlier short ride up to Kelso Dunes and back from my campsite.
- 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. - 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. - 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. - 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.) - 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. - 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. - At this time of day, Kelso Dunes look like earth rather than huge piles of sand
Light getting dimmer, light getting dimmer! - 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.