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.
From my Cima Dome campsite near Sunrise Rock at about 5000 feet, it's downhill to the Valley Wells area near Interstate 15, then up rough roads to 4950 feet near Pachalka Spring.
19.2 bicycle miles with 1370 feet of elevation gain, the last few miles of it walked. Maximum speed for the day is 30.2 miles per hour, but average speed is only 7 miles per hour due to hike-a-biking.
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Date: June 03, 2009, 10h21
Size: 47 items
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It's a pleasant, breezy morning up here on Cima Dome, about 70 degrees, and a bit overcast
Some early sun heated up the tent a little, then clouds blew in to let me sleep in until around 8h45. After two mornings of Bill's cooked breakfasts at Nipton's Whistle Stop Café, it's back to lots of granola and dried fruit today.
Date: June 03, 2009, 10h21
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Nearby is Kessler Peak and an old mining to the north, which might make a nice hike
I toy with the idea of spending another night here. I started the day with about 5.5 litres of water, but I would probably need more to stay overnight. I could ride down to the Cima store to buy some, but there's no guarantee that it will be open.
Date: June 03, 2009, 11h32
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I decide to head to Pachalka Spring as originally planned; my campsite slowly morphs into a well-packed 10-ton bike
On a future trip, I hope to do another hike in the Cima Dome area like I did last year. With only a few more days left on this trip, my goal is to make it to Pachalka Spring in the Clark Mountain Range, which I haven't visited yet.
Date: June 03, 2009, 11h49
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I ride the half-mile up the dirt road from my Cima Dome campsite and reach the pavement of Cima Road at noon sharp
I hiked to Teutonia Peak ahead, and beyond over the summit of Cima Dome to Deer Spring during last year's trip. An excellent hike worth repeating some day.
Date: June 03, 2009, 11h54
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Along Cima Road is a large patch of exposed rock
Somehow, a couple of juniper trees manage to grow in cracks in the rock here.
Date: June 03, 2009, 12h03
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I zoom down the 12 miles of gentle Cima Road grade to Valley Wells at Interstate 15
With the wind behind me, I hit 30 miles per hour while descending from 5000 feet elevation down to 3730 feet.
Date: June 03, 2009, 12h06
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On the way down the Cima Road hill, I stop at an old corral and water tank
Since there are a few ranches in the area, I'm curious as to whether these facilities are still being used.
Date: June 03, 2009, 12h19
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Well, the cistern in this old corral along Cima Road is dry, so I presume the big water tank nearby is empty too
The cistern would still collect water when it rains, hence its rusty bottom, but the corral doesn't look like it's being used any more. The dirt road by the corral leads east to mining areas that I haven't visited yet.
Date: June 03, 2009, 12h21
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I continue whooshing down Cima Road and can now see trucks on Interstate 15 in the distance
The lower part of Cima Road is paved with that brick-red material that one finds here and there in the Mojave. I'm guessing that it's a material native to the area, but I don't know what it is.
Date: June 03, 2009, 12h34
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The bottom of Cima Road exits Mojave National Preserve; I take a break by the monument that folks see upon entering the Preserve
There is a disconnected piece of Mojave National Preserve on the other side of Interstate 15, the Clark Mountain Range area, which I'll enter in a while.
Date: June 03, 2009, 12h51
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Cima Road rises up to a bridge that crosses over Interstate 15 and I stop at the gas station store here to fuel up on supplies
A large grader, or something like that, is coming down off the bridge.
Date: June 03, 2009, 12h55
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I buy three gallons of water at the Valley Wells gas station store at I-15 and take a nice long break
I pour the water into my bottles, Camelbak and water bag. I also buy a can of Coke (which I rarely do) and El Sombroso salsa corn chips that are so good that I go back for seconds. A couple of big bottles of Newcastle beer max out my carrying capacity.
Date: June 03, 2009, 13h20
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The urinal in the washroom at the Valley Wells gas station is truly unique
This epoxy festival is unlike anything I've ever urinated into.
Date: June 03, 2009, 13h41
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The Valley Wells urinal is so unique that an adjacent handwritten sign tells you that, "yes, this IS a urinal!"
They even sell postcards at the store here with photos of this urinal.
Date: June 03, 2009, 13h42
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The washroom sink at the Valley Wells gas station matches the urinal in its unique epoxy tackiness
So much for privacy; the huge mirror at the sink affords a big view of the urinal behind you, the hand-washer.
Date: June 03, 2009, 13h46
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Replenished with lots of water in case there is none at Pachalka Spring, I ride over the bridge above Interstate 15
After not seeing all that many cars during the past week and a half in Mojave National Preserve, these vehicles speeding down the I-15 freeway are quite the spectacle.
Date: June 03, 2009, 14h05
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Looking over to the Clark Mountain Range from the Cima Road bridge over I-15, I try to discern the location of Pachalka Spring
I haven't been to Pachalka Spring before, but it should be at the base of one the mountains in the distance. The woman working at the Kelso Depot visitor centre last week didn't know if Pachalka Spring would have water or not.
Date: June 03, 2009, 14h06
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1.5 miles beyond Interstate 15, I reach the dirt road that will take me to Pachalka Spring and bear right
There are several minor roads in this area, so I've loaded my route into my Delorme GPS and am careful to make sure I take the correct road.
Date: June 03, 2009, 14h15
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