High winds overnight at Pinto Valley kept me from getting much sleep on this final night of the trip: miserable

I've been awake half the night, due to the high winds, and now I'm up for good at 6h, way too early for me. I'm looking forward to today's 47-mile ride back to Primm, Nevada, but hope I won't conk out due to lack of sleep and energy.

I dig one final cat hole in Pinto Valley and no flies drop by to disturb me while I fill it up

I hope all these dark clouds floating past won't turn into rain. It's chilly this morning and I keep my heavy clothes on. I have no idea what the weather forecast is.

My tent threatens to blow away while I pack it up one last time (until the next trip, of course)

Since I'm up so early today, and sleep-deprived, I have three cups of instant Starbucks coffee (instead of the usual two) with my granola-and-dried-apricots breakfast. I have almost no food left; this wouldn't be a good day for a breakdown!

Everything is packed up and I'm almost ready to leave Pinto Valley after four nights here

It's chilly enough this morning that I'm wearing my long underwear and bandana while packing, even though these activities generate heat.

I leave my Pinto Valley campsite at 5650 feet elevation and start coasting down Howe Spring Road around 9h

It doesn't look downhill, but I'll drop almost 400 feet during the first two miles. Best of all, that strong, nasty wind is now my friend, since I have it behind me. I especially like this because I didn't get much sleep last night.

I keep looking back at the ominous clouds behind me as I ride down Howe Spring Road

I managed to miss the rain showers that passed through this area during day 4 of this trip, and I'm hoping I'll be as lucky today, should some rain materialize.

I stop to check out the remains of an old building along Howe Spring Road

An old cabin? An old outbuilding?

My route ahead will take me across Watson Wash

I may have to walk the bike up part of that short steep hill on the way out of the wash.

I'm on New York Mountains Road now, and this part of it squiggles toward Drum Peak

Hmmm... could Drum Peak be a future hiking destination?

On New York Mountains Road, I notice strange noises coming from the 10-ton bike, so I pull over to see what's wrong

A couple of bolts on my old Jandd saddlebags have loosened, so I tighten them, which I don't think I've done before. These bags have served extremely well over the years. From here, I can still see Table Mountain over on the other side of the valley.

I pass a few little roads in this scenic area at the foot of the New York Mountains near Carruthers Canyon

I camped near here back in 2006, thinking I was in Carruthers Canyon. I was nearby, but not quite there!

I turn off on an unnamed road, which I'll call the Sagamore Canyon Cut-Off, and leave the better New York Mountains Road behind

I haven't been down this road before, so I'm not sure what to expect, but it appears to be traveled fairly often.

The Sagamore Canyon Cut-Off Road passes through a stand of juniper trees as it begins its gentle descent

I'm at about 5175 feet elevation here, and it will be mostly gentle downhill for the rest of the day.

I reach a junction on the five-mile-long Sagamore Canyon Cut-Off Road

I start riding down the right fork, then decide I should check my maps, in case my intuition is wrong. Yes, my intuition is wrong; I turn back and take the left fork instead.

Sagamore Canyon Cut-Off Road is rather rough in places

... but it's a pretty nice ride on a mountain bike, at least in the downhill direction, even fully loaded with all my travel gear.

Much of the landscape along Sagamore Canyon Cut-Off Road seems to be quite pristine

Tufts of grass provide ground cover in the open areas between joshua trees.

I can see across the eastern end of Lanfair Valley over to the Castle Peaks area, where I spent a few days last week

Miles of joshua trees... Not as dense as the joshua-tree forest in the Cima Dome area, but still, miles of joshua trees.

It's time for a short break to enjoy the solitude of Sagamore Canyon Cut-Off Road without the noise of the 10-ton bike

I've ridden just over three of the five miles of this road, and haven't seen anyone else yet today. I'm enjoying my dried-apricot snack, which is one of the few food items I have left.