Mojave National Preserve Bikepacking and Hiking, Spring 2009
This Spring's 16-day trip starts in late May, a month later than intended due to bicycle problems. I've never bikepacked Mojave National Preserve so close to summer for fear of the hot weather, so my goal is to spend as much time as possible at the Preserve's higher elevations to take advantage of the pleasant weather up in those parts.
During a pre-trip tune up at Bicycle Express, it was noticed that both of my wheels needed to be replaced. Worse yet, a last-minute visit to the bike shop three days before my original departure date revealed a crack in the frame of my aging Trek 8000; after 50000 miles, that's probably not so surprising. The good thing is that Trek bike frames have a lifetime guarantee, but I had to wait a few weeks for the replacement under warranty.
I camp two nights near Cornfield Spring, six nights at Mid Hills Campground, two nights at Nipton, one night at Sunrise Rock near Cima Dome, three nights at Pachalka Spring, and one night near Button Mountain.
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Date: May 23, 2009, 08h00
Size: 17 items
(865 items total)
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Album: Baker, California to Cornfield Spring, Mojave National Preserve (Day 1)
I ride from Baker to Mojave National Preserve's Kelso Depot on the paved Kelbaker Road, and then a couple of miles up an old, rocky track toward Cornfield Spring, incurring a bit of heat exhaustion. 37.1 bicycle miles with 2950 feet elevation gain.
Date: May 23, 2009, 08h11
Size: 46 items
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Album: Kelso Depot and Cornfield Spring Road, Mojave National Preserve (Day 2)
Today begins with an aborted five-mile round-trip hike to Cornfield Spring (I run low on water) followed by a couple of hours browsing the library in the air-conditioned comfort of nearby Kelso Depot. 5.1 hiking miles and 3.5 bicycle miles.
Date: May 24, 2009, 07h06
Size: 45 items
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Album: Cornfield Spring Road to Mid Hills Campground via Kelso Depot, Mojave National Preserve (Day 3)
Today's goal is to get up in the mountains out of the heat and start enjoying this trip more. 27.9 bicycle miles from my Cornfield Spring Road campsite to Mid Hills campground, rising from 2125 feet at Kelso Depot to 5600 feet.
Date: May 25, 2009, 07h06
Size: 46 items
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Album: Mid Hills campground hike to Eagle Rocks, Wildcat Spring, Chicken Water Spring and Silver Lead Spring (Day 4)
Today I'll hike to Eagle Rocks near Mid Hills campground, then down to Wildcat Spring and Coyote Spring. I'll return via Chicken Water Spring, Silver Lead Spring and Wild Horse Canyon Road. 10 hiking miles with 2348 feet of elevation gain and loss.
Date: May 26, 2009, 09h48
Size: 71 items
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Album: Wild Horse Mesa hike and Wild Horse Canyon Road bicycle ride, Mojave National Preserve (Day 5)
I ride down Wild Horse Canyon Road to Bluejay Mine Road and hike around Wild Horse Mesa. I'll ride back up Black Canyon Road. 24.3 bicycle miles with 2300 feet of climbing, plus 3.2 hiking miles with 1384 feet of elevation gain.
Date: May 27, 2009, 11h02
Size: 61 items
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Album: 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. 32.8 bicycle miles.
Date: May 28, 2009, 10h50
Size: 59 items
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Album: Macedonia Canyon, Mojave National Preserve, from Mid Hills campground (Day 7)
I've wanted to visit Macedonia Canyon since my first Mojave National Preserve trip almost 10 years go, but just never managed to fit it in. 14.9 bicycle miles with 1650 feet of elevation gain, plus 3.8 hiking miles with 640 feet of elevation gain.
Date: May 29, 2009, 12h42
Size: 48 items
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Album: Live Oak Spring hike from Mid Hills campground, Mojave National Preserve (Day 8)
Live Oak Spring is one of the springs in the northwest Mid Hills that I haven't seen yet. Today is my chance; this should make for a good hike. 14.1 hiking miles with 2585 feet of elevation gain (and drop).
Date: May 30, 2009, 10h33
Size: 67 items
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Album: Mojave National Preserve Mid Hills campground to Nipton by bicycle via Cima and Morning Star Mine Road (Day 9)
It's almost all downhill today on this route that I've ridden before. Whoooosh! If I didn't have to stop at the Cima post office to put my mortgage payment in the mail, I would consider taking a longer route that I don't know so well. 42 bicycle miles.
Date: May 31, 2009, 07h37
Size: 39 items
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Album: Nipton to "Black Palisades" and back hike, Mojave National Preserve (Day 10)
The thermometer hits 90 degrees today. Nipton is just a few feet from the northern boundary of Mojave National Preserve, but most of today's short hike is actually within the Preserve's borders. 6.5 hiking miles with 700 feet of elevation gain.
Date: June 01, 2009, 10h09
Size: 42 items
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Album: Nipton to Sunrise Rock on Cima Dome, Mojave National Preserve (Day 11)
Bike ride to Cima Dome (Sunrise Rock) at 5000 feet from Nipton, back up Morning Star Mine Road, the same way I came down two days ago. 32 bicycle miles with 2630 feet elevation gain, average speed 6.8 miles per hour.
Date: June 02, 2009, 08h15
Size: 41 items
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Album: Cima Dome (Sunrise Rock) to Pachalka Spring by bicycle, Mojave National Preserve (Day 12)
I've wanted to visit Pachalka Spring at the base of the Clark Mountain Range during previous Mojave National Preserve trips; today I'm finally doing it. 19.2 bicycle miles with 1370 feet of elevation gain, the last few miles of it walked.
Date: June 03, 2009, 10h21
Size: 47 items
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Album: 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.
Date: June 04, 2009, 12h29
Size: 50 items
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Album: Clark Mountain Range day hike (north side) from Pachalka Spring, Mojave National Preserve (Day 14)
If I were really ambitious today, I'd attempt hiking to the summit of Clark Mountain, but I'm curious about a canyon on the north side of the Clark Mountain Range that I noticed on my maps. 8.7 hiking miles with 2970 feet of elevation gain.
Date: June 05, 2009, 12h11
Size: 43 items
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Album: Pachalka Spring to Button Mountain, Mojave National Preserve via Aiken Mine Road (Day 15)
Today's goal is to ride part of Aiken Mine Road and camp somewhere west of Cima Dome. 4 litres of water, plus 22 bicycle miles, parts of it walked, from 4875 feet at Pachalka Spring down to 3400 feet, then up to 4235 feet.
Date: June 06, 2009, 08h20
Size: 49 items
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Album: Button Mountain to Baker by bicycle via Aiken Mine Road, with a stop at the Lava Tube, Mojave National Preserve (Day 16)
It's almost all downhill on this final day of the trip, with over 3100 feet of elevation drop (but much of it is slow riding due to rough road). Tourist visits to the Lava Tube and the abandoned Aiken Mine along the way make for a great day. 33.9 miles.
Date: June 07, 2009, 07h58
Size: 59 items
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Album: Mojave National Preserve hiking and biking maps from this trip
Mojave National Preserve hiking and biking maps from this trip.
Date: June 08, 2009, 10h28
Size: 35 items
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