Day 1: Primm to South McCullough Mountains Wilderness area, Nevada by bicycle
Starting at Primm, Nevada, where the Amtrak bus left me yesterday evening, I ride to the Pine Spring area and set up camp next to the South McCullough Mountains Wilderness, Nevada. 29.3 bicycle miles plus roughly 3500 feet of elevation gain.
Primm is a strange place to start a wilderness-oriented bicycle-camping trip because it's the exact opposite in almost every way. However, the Amtrak bus stop at Baker, California was discontinued last year, and Primm is the next-closest stop to Mojave National Preserve.
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Date: May 15, 2011, 08h38
Size: 54 items
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Yesterday, I boarded the Amtrak train with the 10-ton bike at Stockton, California, after a short Amtrak bus ride from San José
My large rear saddlebags get checked in as baggage here, while my bicycle rolls into the San Joaquin train and sits in a nice bicycle rack during the trip. Many Amtrak trains do not accept unboxed bicycles, but this route does.
Date: May 14, 2011, 08h55
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After the Amtrak train ride to Bakersfield, an Amtrak bus shuttled me to Primm, Nevada to start this bicycle-camping trip
The Primm bus stop is at Whiskey Pete's casino-hotel. It was too late in the day to start my camping trip, so I signed up for an expensive room after a quick ride to check out prices at the other two casino-hotels. One is full due to a Thai fight show.
Date: May 14, 2011, 18h29
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After settling in at my hotel room at Whiskey Pete's Casino, I ride the monorail across the freeway to the other two casinos
I had already ridden the 10-ton bike through this area and it's not very friendly to non-motorized transport, which isn't surprising. The monorail is a lot more fun!
Date: May 14, 2011, 20h45
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On the east side of the freeway at Primm, Nevada are two casino-hotels, and one is built with an interesting barn-like shape
The two casino-motels are connected, so I go inside to explore. The casinos are open, but the shopping mall inside is mostly closed at this hour, providing a place to roam uselessly.
Date: May 14, 2011, 21h08
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The shopping mall at Primm, Nevada is full of fake architecture evoking a real city, rather than the freeway exit that is Primm
I didn't check it out during business hours, but these are supposedly "outlet shops," where you can buy brand-name items for less than retail. That is, if you want any of the things that they sell in the first place...
Date: May 14, 2011, 20h54
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Also inside the Primm shopping-casino complex is a fake stream with fake wildlife
Fake wildlife is probably better than real for some folks, judging by the odd reactions I sometimes get when I tell them that I'm on a wilderness bicycle-camping trip in Mojave National Preserve (and risking contact with real wildlife).
Date: May 14, 2011, 21h15
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The casinos at Primm are quite a visual spectacle, with brilliant lights everywhere
Of course, there's lots of noise too, from the beeping of the gambling machines to the cheesy background music to the buzz of people talking. It wasn't that busy here last night, perhaps because of the Thai fighting show.
Date: May 14, 2011, 21h20
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Outside the two high-rise casino-hotels at Primm, Nevada is a luxurious gas station with a bay for each vehicle filling up
I stopped at the store here, perhaps the only person without a car, and bought a couple of Newcastle beers to take back to my room. I was happy to see they have a couple of good beers on sale here!
Date: May 14, 2011, 21h26
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I wake up this morning at Primm, Nevada and peek outside across the swimming pool to a cool and extremely windy day
High winds were forecast for for the first couple of days of my trip ("local winds may be damaging"), so I'm not surprised, but I am disappointed that the forecast has become reality!
Date: May 15, 2011, 08h38
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I eat breakfast at the McDonald's downstairs in the Whiskey Pete's casino; there's more garbage than food on my table
Everything is yellow to brown, no vegetables. What I would really like right now is not this, but an iron bowl of sizzling Korean bibimbap with rice, a fried egg, and vegetable and meat garnish... (but this is the California desert)
Date: May 15, 2011, 08h57
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I pack up the 10-ton bike, and roll it out down the hall to the Whiskey Pete's elevator
I was hoping for a ground-floor room so I could avoid using the elevator, but I ended up with a second floor room. It turned out not to matter much, since the packed 10-ton bike fits perfectly in the elevator.
Date: May 15, 2011, 10h04
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After escaping Whiskey Pete's, I begin the trip for real by riding through Primm toward the dirt roads that lead out of town
See that narrow dirt road straight ahead at the end of the pavement? That will be my road. The bend on the silly palm trees indicates how windy it is here today in this part of the Mojave Desert.
Date: May 15, 2011, 10h49
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Just outside Primm is one of the entrances to the Ivanpah Dry Lake recreation area
Ivanpah Dry Lake is mostly used for wind-sailing. Regulations state "non-motorized use only," so it might be a fun place to ride a bicycle too. I don't have time for that today, nor do I have a permit, so I continue on toward Nipton.
Date: May 15, 2011, 10h52
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I take a look back at Primm as I leave town; I considered riding on the freeway for a smoother ride toward Nipton
After all the traffic and activity around Primm, it's nice to be out on a lonely dirt road and getting started with this year's trip. Glad to not be on the freeway. Sometimes I like riding on the big roads, but today I'm itching to get away from all that.
Date: May 15, 2011, 10h55
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After 1.5 miles, my road ends at the train tracks; I make a right turn for the 10.5 mile ride to Nipton on Nipton-Desert Rd
As soon as I turn here, I cross the state border and enter California for part of the day.
Date: May 15, 2011, 11h07
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Soonafter, the first train of this trip passes me on bumpy Nipton-Desert Road
Nipton-Desert Road hugs the train tracks all the way to Nipton, and into Mojave National Preserve. The road is rough, but not as sandy as it was during a 1999 ride on Nipton-Desert Road.
Date: May 15, 2011, 11h12
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From Nipton-Desert Rd, I can see across Ivanpah Dry Lake to the huge BrightSource solar plant under construction
The BrightSource solar plant is plowing down quite a big chunk of Ivanpah Valley here, transforming it from wild land to an industrial park. What a waste.
Date: May 15, 2011, 11h42
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The bumpy Nipton-Desert Road is starting to give me a headache, so I'm happy to take a break by this prickly poppy
I eat an energy bar and enjoy the quiet out here and the views of Castle Peaks in the distance. I'll visit there in a few days. I haven't seen a car or a person since leaving pavement back at Primm.
Date: May 15, 2011, 12h32
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