Day 11: Bicycle ride from Mid Hills campground to Pinto Valley, Mojave National Preserve
After yesterday's relaxing and social day with Sarah and Heather, I'm refreshed and excited to start the final chapter of this trip. I've visited Pinto Valley before, but haven't camped there yet. 16.2 bicycle miles with about 850 feet of elevation gain, another easy day.
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Date: May 25, 2011, 08h37
Size: 45 items
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Howe Spring Road is rather rough in places, but nothing that a high-clearance can't take care of
Being slightly uphill, it's a slow mountain-bike ride, but scenic, enjoyable and not difficult.
Date: May 25, 2011, 16h33
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Ah, another crossroads! The right fork leads to Howe Spring, the left to Bathtub Spring
I take the left fork. It's apparent from the tire tracks here that some motor vehicles do come out this way, though I haven't seen any yet.
Date: May 25, 2011, 16h44
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I pass a big boulder alongside the road to Bathtub Spring
This area of the northern Mid Hills, where they merge into the New York Mountains, is full of boulders and small pinnacles.
Date: May 25, 2011, 16h49
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I arrive at the end of the road toward Bathtub Spring
A row of posts here identify the beginning of the official Wilderness area, beyond which no mechanized vehicles, including bicycles, are permitted. I've been told that there's a nice campsite just off to my right.
Date: May 25, 2011, 17h06
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Ah, there's even a fire pit here, which doesn't look like it has been used in a while
I'm not carrying any wood with me to make a campfire, but someone left a big pile of twigs here that I could burn. A campfire here might spread into the grass though...
Date: May 25, 2011, 17h34
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I go for a walk in the adjacent rock piles to get familiar with the area around my new campsite
I'll stay here a few nights. I've brought water with me, but I've been told by a generous source that nearby Bathtub Spring has water this year (this isn't the same Bathtub Spring that I passed while hiking a few days ago).
Date: May 25, 2011, 18h52
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Time for my evening meal; I'm hungry! Mountain House Sweet and Sour Pork with Rice, predictably tasty
Occasional strong winds interrupt an otherwise tranquil evening. A few flies flit against my tent. Other than a distant glow of light from Las Vegas, the sky is black, the stars are out, and I can see the Milky Way.
Date: May 25, 2011, 19h39
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Bicycle route from Mid Hills Campground to Pinto Valley, Mojave National Preserve
16.2 bicycle miles with about 850 feet of elevation gain, an easy day!
Date: May 25, 2011, 19h39
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Elevation profile of bicycle route from Mid Hills Campground to Pinto Valley, Mojave National Preserve.
16.2 bicycle miles with about 850 feet of elevation gain, an easy day!
Date: May 25, 2011, 19h39
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