Day 7: Keystone Canyon area (Trio Mine Road) to Hole-in-the-Wall Campground via Cedar Canyon Road
It was pretty cold last night up here near Keystone Canyon at about 5000 feet, with temperatures near or below freezing. I had a hard time sleeping, and I got up at 3h to make something hot to drink.
Toward the end of the day's ride across Cedar Canyon Road, approaching Mid Hills Campground (my original destination for the day), I notice a few light snow patches here and there that apparently didn't melt during the "warmth" of the day.
I decide it's going to be too cold up at Mid Hills, which sits around 5500 feet, so I ride past and drop down to 4500 feet at Hole-in-the-Wall Campground, hoping that it might be a tiny bit less chilly.
40.3 miles, 3:49 hours, 24.4 mph max speed, 10.5 mph average, all maintained dirt roads. From 5000 feet down to 4100 feet at the junction of Ivanpah Road and Cedar Canyon Road, up to 5400 feet near Mid Hills, then down to 4500 feet at Hole-in-the-Wall Campground.
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Date: November 11, 2000
Size: 15 items
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Morning frost at sunrise at Trio Mine Road near Keystone Canyon
I don't usually get up at sunrise, but I'm sleepless from the cold. I was awake at 3h to make something hot to keep myself from freezing. The yellow rays of sunrise and the light frost on my tent and bike make for a beautiful morning.
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The frost is especially thick on my bicycle tires
My sleeping bag wasn't adequate for last night's cold, but now that the sun's up, I'm happy to be here again. There's just enough heat that I manage to fall back asleep. I get up for good at 9h30.
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After a hot ramen breakfast and fixing my flat tire, I go for a short walk in the area of my Trio Mine Road campsite
I haven't seen nor spoken to anyone since yesterday afternoon. So I'm astonished when two cross-country horse riders, ignoring the little road through the area, break the silence and pass by while I'm packing up.
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Trio Mine Road, on the way back to Ivanpah Road, 1/4 mile or so away
Despite the cold, I really like this landscape and should spend more time here exploring. There are even a few juniper trees growing here, which makes it feel very different from the lower desert areas.
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I ride down the almost imperceptible slope of Ivanpah Road toward Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road will be about 11 miles down from Keystone Canyon Road and 800 feet lower. I stop along the way to tighten the bolt of my rear rack, which had come loose and announced itself with a loud clunk.
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Street sign in the Mojave Desert at the junction of Ivanpah Road and New York Mountains Road
The New York Mountains sit in the background; last night's campsite next to Trio Mine Road is off to the right in this photo.
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This very gnarled old tree on Cedar Canyon Road gets my attention
I'll rise slowly for the rest of the day from about 4100 at the junction of Cedar Canyon and Ivanpah Roads to about 5400 feet on Black Canyon Road near Mid Hills Campground.
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For about six miles, Cedar Canyon Road heads straight westward, after which several sharp corners appear in the road
This short stretch of Cedar Canyon Road points north toward the New York Mountains before turning sharply left and aiming west again.
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Cedar Canyon Road crosses the historic Old Mojave Road
The Old Mojave Road runs parallel to nearby Cedar Canyon Road in much of this area.
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Taken east to west, Cedar Canyon Road is a slow route due to its occasional deep wash crossings, and ever-so-slight uphill
Gradually, my speed on Cedar Canyon Road slows to about 6.5 miles per hour and, oh, I remember this area so well from last year's ride out here, when it was already dark.
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Kitty-litter sand and gravel on Cedar Canyon Road in the Watson Wash area
I have to walk the 10-ton bike in some of the areas like this if there's not enough traction.
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Further beyond Watson Wash, Cedar Canyon Road rides across firm ground again
Of course, there's still plenty of that teeth-rattling washboard texture on the road.
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