I hang out at the Kelso Depot visitor centre for almost an hour, fill up my water supply, and ask rangers about area conditions

This is my last sure water stop before heading off to the Globe Mine Road area, where a couple of probably-dry springs just might contain water.

With salt stains on my face, I make sure my four 1.5-litre bottles, two-litre Camelbak, and 10-litre water bag are full. This 18 litres of water (4.75 gallons) weighs just under 40 pounds (18 kg). Ugh, heavy.

I chat with two helpful rangers at Kelso Depot. I had spoken at length with one of them during my last trip and he highly recommended a visit to the Piute Springs area, which remains on my list, but didn't make it into my route for this trip. The other fellow recognizes me because he stumbled across my previous Mojave National Preserve travelogues on the web.