Copper World Mine day hike from Pachalka Spring, Mojave National Preserve (Day 13)
Copper World Mine is one of three hiking routes from Pachalka Spring that I pre-recorded in my GPS, but I'll probably only have time to do two of them. 2090 feet of elevation gain (and drop) over 7.4 miles with an average grade of ten percent during 4.5 hours.
|
Date: June 04, 2009, 12h29
Size: 50 items
|
|
Strong winds roll my tent over at Pachalka Spring just as I'm thinking perhaps I should put some rocks inside to weight it down
It was quite windy overnight and I had strange dreams before finally getting up around 10h. The wind has been keeping the tent cool inside despite the morning sun trying to heat it up.
Date: June 04, 2009, 12h29
|
I've learned my lesson and walk around looking for large rocks to put inside my tent
It's ironic that it actually takes some time in such rocky surroundings to find rocks of just the right size to go in the tent: not too big, not too small.
Date: June 04, 2009, 13h19
|
My backpack is prepared for the day and waits for me to take it on a hike over the hills to the old Copper World Mine area
I bring 4.5 litres of water, three energy bars, a bag of almonds, a sweater, a flashlight, batteries, my GPS, a couple of maps, and EpiPens in case of yellowjacket sting.
Date: June 04, 2009, 13h25
|
|
Pachalka Spring Road drops down into a gravelly wash that drains from the Clark Mountain area in the background
I'm not going all the way up to the Clark Mountain summit; I would need to start that hike earlier in the day than this. I passed through this wash yesterday on the way here.
Date: June 04, 2009, 13h33
|
I walk across the unnamed wash and discover what I was hoping I might find: rock art
The many banana yuccas and low pricky cacti make walking quite slow and circuitous in some parts of this wash.
Date: June 04, 2009, 13h41
|
I get a close-up of some of the designs
There's a lot to look at here; some of it is getting a bit weathered.
Date: June 04, 2009, 13h42
|
|
More rock art to ponder
While pondering, I need to constantly look down and around to avoid getting pricked by the thousands of cactus needles pointing at me from all directions.
Date: June 04, 2009, 13h42
|
I find I'm too busy photographing it all (and watching for cactus needles) to actually look at it closely
The designs are usually abstracted to the point of being indecipherable, but one at the top right in this photo looks like a depiction of leaves on a plant.
Date: June 04, 2009, 13h43
|
This one looks a bit like an acorn
It could also be an outstretched hand passing something to something. Who knows...
Date: June 04, 2009, 13h44
|
|
I walk around the rock outcrop to see if there's any obviously visible rock art that I've missed
Well, maybe I've seen it all, or maybe there's more somewhere nearby.
Date: June 04, 2009, 13h47
|
Happy to have stumbled across the rock art, I start the one-mile climb up the hills ahead on the way to Copper World Mine
I'll gain 800 feet elevation during that mile, so it's fairly steep, especially at the top. If it's too slippery for me up there, I may have to turn around and walk the long way to Copper World Mine, around the hills instead of straight over them.
Date: June 04, 2009, 14h00
|
Just as my route leaves the wash, I notice a bone fragment on the ground
I haven't seen any large mammals in the area yet, but it seems like the kind of place where bighorn sheep would live. I would expect to find deer and coyotes, and perhaps wild burros too.
Date: June 04, 2009, 14h02
|
|
My route up the hill is as steep as anticipated and has great views back down toward the wash
One of the rewards of climbing steep hills in open terrain is that the views change and improve quickly, reinforcing your sense of accomplishment.
Date: June 04, 2009, 14h18
|
A little higher up the hill, looking west toward Valley Wells, where I stopped at the store yesterday
Valley Wells should be that small spot in the valley in the distance, the one with the vertical line (a dirt road) sprouting out of it, about 5.5 miles away. The Sawtooth is visible in the distance just right of centre.
Date: June 04, 2009, 14h29
|
A northwest view beyond three agave stems toward Pachalka Spring, with Kingston Range in the distance at the right
Pachalka Spring is the larger of the two small green patches on the rippled plateau at the centre-right.
Date: June 04, 2009, 14h31
|
|
I've reached the top of the hill and Pachalka Spring's green spot is still in view at the centre-right
It has been a slow, careful climb, slippery with quite a bit of loose rock in places. I don't feel like I have much energy today, but I've made it this far with no real problems, so I guess I'm OK.
Date: June 04, 2009, 14h39
|
Up on the ridge, I find myself staring straight at Clark Mountain
I probably wouldn't have enough time to hike to Clark Mountain today, but the route along the ridge from here looks like it might be feasible for a cautious hiker (I'm not a mountain climber).
Date: June 04, 2009, 14h46
|
From the ridge, I look down into the steep canyon that descends from Clark Mountain
Prior to this trip, I plotted a route partway up that canyon in case I decided to do a hike toward the summit of Clark Mountain.
Date: June 04, 2009, 14h50
|
|
