Mojave National Preserve Mountain-bike Camping (Bikepacking) and Hike 2008
My fifth Mojave National Preserve bicycle-camping trip lasts 14 days in April-May 2008, starting and ending at Baker, California, yet again. I'll camp at Globe Mine Road, Coyote Springs, Butcher Knife Canyon, Nipton, Keystone Canyon and Sunrise Rock near Cima Dome, Mojave National Preserve.
Five days will be used for day hikes using my campsite as home base, instead of packing up camp and moving on. Except at the campground at Nipton, I don't come across any people at my chosen campsites and I won't see another person for a day or two or three at times during the trip.
I will drink bottled water, brandy and beer from stores in Baker and Cima, tap water from Kelso Depot and Nipton, and filtered spring water from Butcher Knife Spring, Cottonwood Spring (New York Mountains, not Granite Mountains) and Keystone Spring.
I'll take a shower, have two restaurant meals, and do laundry at Nipton in the middle of the trip. Other than that, I live off backpacker-style food and am rather sticky and stinky during the trip. Eeuuww!
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Date: April 23, 2008, 10h00
Size: 16 items
(651 items total)
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Album: Day 1: Baker, California to Globe Mine Road, Mojave National Preserve
I ride from Baker to a campsite near the end of the middle fork of Globe Mine Road, stopping at the Mojave National Preserve visitor centre at Kelso Depot. 43.7 bicycle miles with elevation changes from 925 feet to 3800 feet to 2100 feet to 3000 feet.
Date: April 23, 2008, 10h00
Size: 39 items
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Album: Day 2: Eight-mile day hike from campsite on middle fork Globe Mine Road to Tough Nut Mine via Good Hope Mine and back
I won't see any people today. On a hill at 4100 feet about 4 miles from my campsite at 3000 feet, the old Tough Nut Mine sits in a Wilderness area. I fumble cross-country over hills and into washes and eventually find the old grown-in road to the mine.
Date: April 24, 2008, 10h00
Size: 58 items
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Album: Day 3: Six-mile day hike from campsite to Bolder Spring, then over ridges to old mine site off Globe Mine Rd
I won't see any people today again. I have just enough water to stay at my campsite another day, so I'll hike over to probably-dry Bolder Spring, about two miles away, just to explore, and to see if any extra water exists over there.
Date: April 25, 2008, 10h00
Size: 68 items
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Album: Day 4: Globe Mine Road to North Coyote Springs, Mojave National Preserve
A warm day in the 80s: in preparation for a day hike tomorrow to Bighorn Basin, 18.8 bicycle miles from my campsite off middle fork of Globe Mine Road (3000 ft), down to Kelso Depot (2100 ft), then up to North Coyote Springs (near 3200 feet).
Date: April 26, 2008, 10h00
Size: 30 items
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Album: Day 5: Late-morning walk to Coyote Springs, Mojave National Preserve
I wake up hot in the tent from the morning sun, peel off my sleeping bag and open the windows at 8h30. To start the day, I go for a short walk to Coyote Springs to explore a little, a half mile up the road from my campsite.
Date: April 27, 2008, 10h00
Size: 14 items
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Album: Day 5: Round-trip hike (5.25 miles) to an old mine site in the Bighorn Basin hills, Granite Mountains, Mojave National Preserve
I won't see any people today. Elevation gain (and loss) of 1425 feet following the switchbacks of a steep, grown-in road up a hill, down into the secluded gorge of Devil's Playground Wash, then up a mountainside in the Bighorn Basin hills.
Date: April 27, 2008, 13h00
Size: 49 items
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Album: Day 6: Coyote Springs to Butcher Knife Canyon via Kelso Depot and Death Valley Mine Road, Mojave National Preserve
From North Coyote Springs near 3200 feet, I drop down to Kelso Depot at about 2100 feet, then end the day at the old corral below lonely Butcher Knife Canyon around 4600 feet. 38.8 bicycle miles.
Date: April 28, 2008, 09h00
Size: 43 items
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Album: Day 7: Mojave Desert springs: Butcher Knife Spring and Cottonwood Spring day hike, New York Mountains, Mojave National Preserve
No human contact today. After sleeping in late (my goal for the day), my nine-mile day hike takes me to springs in Butcher Knife Canyon and Cottonwood Canyon (5300 feet) on the northwest side of New York Mountains.
Date: April 29, 2008, 10h00
Size: 62 items
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Album: Day 8: Butcher Knife Canyon to Nipton via Death Valley Mine, Cima and Morning Star Mine Road, Mojave National Preserve
Last night's wind storm was quite an event and it kept me up late, so I've slept in late again. I'm looking forward to the facilities at Nipton and my first shower in a week. 33.1 mostly downhill bicycle miles from 4600 feet to 3000 feet.
Date: April 30, 2008, 10h00
Size: 51 items
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Album: Day 9: Day ride from Nipton to Nevada State line and power-line road, Mojave National Preserve
I'm still affected by last night's beer. I'll spend another night here at Nipton and just go for an afternoon ride through a nearby area that I haven't visited yet: the power-line road from Nevada State line to Nipton-Brant Road. 12 bicycle miles.
Date: May 01, 2008, 10h00
Size: 39 items
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Album: Day 10: Nipton to Keystone Canyon, Mojave National Preserve, via Ivanpah Road
I leave pavement and civilization again today and ride from Nipton at 3000 feet to the mouth of Keystone Canyon at about 5300 feet. My rear rack breaks around mile 20 on Ivanpah Road. 28.2 bicycle miles.
Date: May 02, 2008, 10h00
Size: 47 items
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Album: Day 11: Keystone Spring and mine day hike, New York Mountains, Mojave National Preserve
Leaving the ailing 10-ton bike at my Keystone Canyon campsite at 5300 feet, I hike up to Keystone Spring in search of water, then up to the old mine below New York Mountain at about 6000 feet. 5.5 miles round trip. No humans sighted today.
Date: May 03, 2008, 10h00
Size: 49 items
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Album: Day 12: Keystone Canyon to Sunrise Rock near Cima Dome, Mojave National Preserve
Hoping that the repair on my rear rack will hold, I ride from Keystone Canyon at 5300 feet, down to Ivanpah Valley at 2650 feet. My destination is not planned, and I end up at Sunrise Rock off Cima Road at 5000 feet. 40.3 bicycle miles.
Date: May 04, 2008, 10h00
Size: 28 items
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Album: Day 13: Day hike up to Teutonia Peak then looping around the west side of Cima Dome via Deer Spring, Mojave National Preserve
Too bad my camera is broken and I don't have photos of most of this excellent hike! I start the day not knowing exactly where I'll go, since this stop on the trip wasn't planned. 12 miles round trip.
Date: May 05, 2008, 10h00
Size: 15 items
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Album: Day 14: Cima Dome to Baker via Kelso Depot and Kelbaker Road, Mojave National Preserve
In preparation for tomorrow's bus/train trip back to the world of employment and mortgages, I ride from Cima Dome to Baker "the long way" (via Kelso-Cima Road, Kelso Depot and then Kelbaker Road). 63.2 bicycle miles.
Date: May 06, 2008, 10h00
Size: 28 items
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Album: Mojave National Preserve maps
Date: July 22, 2008, 22h53
Size: 15 items
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