Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2009, Fall: Mojave National Preserve / Day 3: Devil's Playground to Cornfield Spring Road via Jackass Canyon by bicycle 34
- The cold I caught last night is pretty bad, but I'm up by 8h making coffee anyway; today I pack up and leave Devil's Playground
I'm expecting a long day, with several miles of walking the bike. Two good, strong cups of coffee are in order in addition to my breakfast of assorted dried fruit, granola, tamari almonds and vitamin-C drink. - Enjoying the views down to Cowhole Moutain and Soda Lake, I ponder camping another night here at Devil's Playground
It's quiet and still this morning. I have enough water to get me through the night, but there's nowhere around here where I would be able to refill my reserves tomorrow morning. Oh well, time to pack up and move on... - The last items to remove are the large rocks that I placed inside the tent last night to keep it from blowing over again
I'm carrying a number of cold-weather items on this trip to help me survive the evenings, and this has made my load a bit bigger than during my warm-weather Mojave bikepacking trips. - I like the patterns that my sleeping pad has imprinted on the sand through the floor of my tent
With all the sand that blows around down here at Devil's Playground, traces of my campsite should disappear fairly soon. - The bike all packed up, I begin the 5.5-mile trek down Old Kelso Road along the east side of Devil's Playground
Here's a sandy stretch (with some of my footprints from yesterday's hike) that's a wee bit too sandy for riding the bike, but I can see some firmly packed gravel just ahead that should be good for riding. - Old Kelso Road occasionally crosses dry washes where it is suddenly rocky instead of sandy
This little wash crossing here would be fun on an unloaded mountain bike, but the 10-ton bike slipped in the loose gravel here and lost traction. I'm sweating a bit already, so I'm not wearing a sweater. - I pause on Old Kelso Road to admire the views back toward Cowhole Mountain, Soda Lake, and my campsite of the last two nights
This road was graded many years ago, judging by the pile of rocks along the left side of the road. Creosote bushes have grown in the right-of-way since then. The surface here is nicely packed and rides well. - I like this slightly downhill part of Old Kelso Road that heads toward the Old Dad Mountain block
... because it's slightly downhill and because it's a well-packed surface for riding. This road is otherwise mostly a slight uphill. - Long and straight, Old Kelso Road heads toward the power lines that I can see three miles ahead, where I'll enter Jackass Canyon
The riding is slow, but going well here. However, I presume that I'll encounter more soft sand somewhere ahead. After all, this is Devil's Playground! - I stare intently at the Old Dad Mountain block as I pass by, wishing I had enough time and water to do a day hike here
An orange post here marks an official Wilderness boundary, beyond which cars and bicycles are technically prohibited, but people obviously just drive around it. There's probably a nice campsite up there. - A bit further down Old Kelso Road I notice another Wilderness marker that people drive around and ignore
There's probably a nice campsite at the end of this "illegal" road too, nestled against Old Dad Mountain. Too bad this road wasn't kept open as a "cherrystem" into the Wilderness like many others. - Old Kelso Road has proven to be more rideable than I expected, but this final part before the power lines is a bit rough
It's bit uphill on this stretch, so I end up walking the 10-ton bike again. Old Kelso Road would be a fun mountain-bike ride for someone not carrying so much gear! - Near the end of the slow 5.5 miles on Old Kelso Road, I stop for an energy bar and take in a final glance at Devil's Playground
It has been a fun couple of days down here and I'm glad I made it this time. I wanted to visit this area during my Mojave trip this past spring, but skipped it because it gets incredibly hot down here once the warm weather starts. - Tire tracks go everywhere at the end of Old Kelso Road where it meets Jackass Canyon at the power lines
It's hard to tell exactly where the road is at first, but one easily joins up with the Jackass Canyon Road after a few minutes. - Entering Jackass Canyon from Devil's Playground, Mojave National Preserve
This part of the Jackass Canyon Road is rideable, and there's even a bit of old pavement here and there, hiding under the dirt. However, I was here on my Xmas 2007 Mojave trip and know that a couple of miles of this road will be hike-a-biking. - Nice wiggly tire track behind me as I ride slowly up Jackass Canyon Road from Devil's Playground
I again stare longing at the dark Old Dad Mountain bulwark at right, wishing I had enough time and water to explore more in this area today, while I'm here. - A final glimpse of the Old Dad Mountain block as I get on with the trudge up Jackass Canyon
The occasional day hikers who climb Old Dad Mountain sometimes park over by the power-line towers and climb up the back side of the mountain. - I try riding the worn-out paved track along the wash to avoid the deep sand and gravel in Jackass Canyon
This marks the start of two or three miles of mostly unrideable gravel in Jackass Canyon. I travelled Jackass Canyon during my Xmas 2007 Mojave National Preserve trip, so I know what to expect this time. - The faded paved track to the left is rather washed-out and grown-in, so I abandon it and return to the gravel of Jackass Canyon
Time to get those arm muscles working by dragging the 10-ton bike. Bicycling isn't always all about leg work! - Another old residual-pavement road rises out of Jackass Canyon, this time on the south side of the wash
I follow the faded road up a small hill and look back down behind me to the wash. Jackass Canyon is really scenic, but I'm so busy with the work of travelling that I'm not appreciating it as much as I could. - At the top of my little hill, I now get to ride back down the old paved road and return to the gravel of Jackass Canyon
It has been a brief, but fun, detour out of Jackass Canyon, and it has probably saved me a few minutes of dragging the 10-ton bike through gravel. - Back in the wash of Jackass Canyon: more sand and gravel ahead!
It's slow work travelling here, and I keep telling myself that I'm getting better at it. On this stretch of road, it would be easier to backpack than bikepack. - I take a lot of short 30-second breaks to stop and enjoy the scenery in Jackass Canyon
I have no choice, really. My arms aren't nearly as strong as my legs, so pushing the 10-ton bike through so much gravel is starting to fatigue me. I eat another energy bar (yummy cherry Larabar). - After another half hour, the gravel is finally thinning out and it looks like I can try getting on the bike and riding again
There will be a bit more gravel ahead, but not much. I am able to pedal my way, at a slow speed, up most of the gentle grade ahead in upper Jackass Canyon. - Approaching the top of Jackass Canyon, finally!
The last 1.5 miles to the top of the canyon road is pretty easy, compared to the last hour-and-a-half of hike-a-biking. - Up out of Jackass Canyon for good, I'm now on the plateau, heading toward Mojave National Preserve's famous cinder cones
Time to put my sweater on. I have 1.5 miles to ride on this nice flat road (slightly downhill, actually) before reaching the pavement of Kelbaker Road. I can't take this road too quickly due to the slippery sand, but it's a fun ride. - Hey, sunset is spinning its wheels faster than I'm spinning mine, and I haven't quite reached Kelbaker Road yet
I was hoping to reach the Mojave National Preserve's Kelso Depot visitor centre before it closes at 17h, but I guess that won't happen. - Here it is: Kelbaker Road, Mojave National Preserve, approximately 3100 feet elevation; pavement again, I'm so excited
I'll make a right-turn here and start the ride to Kelso Depot. Straight ahead on the other side of Kelbaker Road is Aiken Mine Road, a 20-mile-long dirt track that I rode a few months ago for the first time. - Riding up Kelbaker Road in the sunset is pleasant; of course, it helps that there is no traffic, which is often the case
For some reason, I'm feeling energized now; must be today's energy bars kicking in. I have 600 feet of elevation gain ahead over the next 3.5 miles and a slight tailwind cheering me on for moral support. - My cheap digital camera picks up some of the glowing pinks and blues of this Mojave National Preserve sunset
Still pedalling heartily up the gentle hill here on Kelbaker Road, thinking about places over yonder that I've visited, and some which I haven't been to yet. - I'm enjoying the fleeting sunset along Kelbaker Road as I slowly approach the summit, looking back to the cinder cones
A few joshua trees grow along this stretch of Kelbaker Road, which are especially picturesque at sunset. - Darkness sets in as I arrive at the summit of Kelbaker Road at 3700 feet, ready for the 12-mile descent to Kelso in the dark
It's chilly up here, so I stop to put on my outer shell and warmer gloves for the long downhill ahead, which is a lot of fun. I'm a bit cold when I reach the bottom.
I arrive at Kelso Depot visitor centre at 18h, an hour after closing, hoping that they've left the garden hose outside (but they didn't). However, staff is still on-site and offers to fill my water bottles so I don't have to fuss around with the small sinks in the 24-hour washrooms in the parking lot. A huge thank-you for that!
I'm invigorated by the long downhill ride, but still rather pooped from all the hike-a-biking earlier today. After Kelso Depot, I ride and walk the bike almost two miles up the fan on Cornfield Spring Road and set up camp at a spot where I camped a few months ago.
I was hoping to set up camp a mile or two closer to Cornfield Spring in preparation for tomorrow's hike, but this will do just fine. I'm hungry and can't wait to eat supper, which is 800-calorie Mountain House Chicken and Rice: very soothing.
The cold that I caught last night is still with me. I can't tell if my aches are from the day's exercise or not. It's a tad colder here than it was at Devil's Playground, so more layers of clothing go on as the evening progresses. I fall asleep easily, but don't sleep all that well.
Recorded temperatures at Baker, CA today are a high of 63F and a low of 32F.
- Bicycle route from Devil's Playground to Cornfield Spring Road via Jackass Canyon and Kelso Depot
31 bicycle miles (several miles walked) and 2739 feet elevation gain. - Elevation profile of bicycle route from Devil's Playground to Cornfield Spring Road via Jackass Canyon and Kelso Depot
31 bicycle miles (several miles walked) and 2739 feet elevation gain.