Howe Spring and back by bicycle from Mid Hills campground, Mojave National Preserve (Day 6)
After visiting Butcher Knife Spring and Cottonwood Spring in the northern Mid Hills last year, I've been wanting to check out other springs in that area. Today I'll ride to Howe Spring, stopping at Rock Springs along the way.
I will bring six litres of water for the day and drink 4.5 of those.
32.8 bicycle miles and 2000 feet of elevation gain (and drop) that feels like less because the average grade is just two percent. I'll drop down from Mid Hills campground at 5600 feet to just under 4800 feet at Rock Springs, then up to 5600 feet again at Howe Spring.
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Date: May 28, 2009, 10h50
Size: 59 items
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Morning at Mid Hills campground, Mojave National Preserve, before starting today's ride to Howe Spring
I woke up to hot sun baking the tent around 8h, but a few dark clouds, a refreshing cool breeze, and a few stray raindrops have since moved in. It's a pleasant 77 degrees right now.
Date: May 28, 2009, 10h50
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I ride out of Mid Hills Campground and down Wild Horse Canyon Road into Round Valley
On the way out, I stop at the entrance kiosk to adjust my seat. These first few miles are fun today, but they can be quite a chore in the uphill direction with a fully loaded 10-ton bike.
Date: May 28, 2009, 12h03
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Windmill near the junction of upper Wild Horse Canyon Road and Black Canyon Road, Mojave National Preserve
There is a lot of private property in this area and it looks like this windmill might still be in use.
Date: May 28, 2009, 12h11
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I ride almost two miles north on Black Canyon Road before turning right on a shortcut road that I've not ridden before
The shortcut to Cedar Canyon Road will remove about a mile of riding and 100 feet or so of descent and elevation gain. Unknown roads like this one are best taken in the downhill direction the first time in case they turn out to be impassable.
Date: May 28, 2009, 12h23
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Just off Black Canyon Road on the shortcut road lies a campsite with a juniper tree
The woman that I met driving an RV on the way up to Mid Hills campground a few days ago asked me if I knew the whereabouts of a particular campsite in this area. I didn't, but this must be the one she was referring to.
Date: May 28, 2009, 12h25
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Beyond the campsite, the Black Canyon-Cedar Canyon shortcut road deteriorates
It's a fun mountain-bike ride, at least in the slight downhill direction that I'm travelling, but a motor vehicle would require a four-wheel drive and high clearance.
Date: May 28, 2009, 12h35
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I see Cedar Canyon Road just down the hill
The Black Canyon-Cedar Canyon cutoff road is only about 3/4 mile long. I'm enjoying it enough that I wish it were longer.
Date: May 28, 2009, 12h38
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I arrive at the junction of Cedar Canyon Road too soon
I see another track heading up on the other side of Cedar Canyon Road, and maybe a campsite. I think I'll ride up there and check it out.
Date: May 28, 2009, 12h41
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This appears to be an old alignment of the Mojave Road, running parallel to Cedar Canyon Road
This road, still occasionally used, isn't marked on any of my maps. I'll ride up and see how far it goes.
Date: May 28, 2009, 12h43
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And there is a nice secluded campsite up here, again with a juniper tree
This would be a great place to camp, with the view of Pinto Mountain in the background. But there's no water source nearby.
Date: May 28, 2009, 12h53
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I continue along this stretch of the old Mojave Road, wondering how much further it goes
Hopefully the road won't prove to be a dead-end that will force me to backtrack.
Date: May 28, 2009, 12h58
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This old segment of the Mojave Road abruptly ends when it reaches a fence and turns 90 degrees to the right
It apparently leads back to Cedar Canyon Road. Perhaps the reason that this stretch of road ceased being part of the Mojave Road at some point in history is due to the private property on the other side of the fence.
Date: May 28, 2009, 13h08
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Here's the road that hugs the fence and connects this segment of the old Mojave Road with Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road intersects in the low area ahead. This road continues onward to who-knows-where; it doesn't appear on my maps. This is one instance where I wish I had loaded aerial photos of the area into my Delorme GPS.
Date: May 28, 2009, 13h08
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I ride about three miles down Cedar Canyon Road toward Watson Wash
Despite the washboard surface, Cedar Canyon Road is the main east-west artery in this central part of Mojave National Preserve. A few motor vehicles pass me along here.
Date: May 28, 2009, 13h19
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I turn at the short road leading to the historic rock house above Rock Spring, Mojave National Preserve
When I visited this location in 2006, the area was closed and work was being done to the old rock house. It's open now, so I'm anxious to see what there is to see.
Date: May 28, 2009, 13h36
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Mojave National Preserve's Bert Smith Rock House has been meticulously restored
The rock house was built by a World War I gas victim named Bert Smith, who homesteaded here in 1929 and didn't expect to live long. However, he lived in the house until 1954.
Date: May 28, 2009, 13h46
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The Bert Smith Rock House sports deeply recessed windows and an unusual lack of a roof line
I spend some time peering through the heavily screened windows and see that the interior has been restored as nicely as the exterior, complete with a few furnishings. The rock fireplace looks as interesting inside as it does from the outside.
Date: May 28, 2009, 13h47
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Behind the Bert Smith Rock House is a recently built trail down to Rock Springs, Mojave National Preserve
I check my maps, and Rock Springs sits a 1/4 mile down the hill, so I decide to ride down via the road into Watson Wash instead of hiking down to Rock Springs on the trail.
Date: May 28, 2009, 13h50
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