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Hiking, camping and 4WD in the Mojave Desert, Death Valley and Eastern Sierra
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A few days hiking Nevada July, 2018
439
Solitude and social days in Death Valley, March 2018
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Back to Eureka Valley to see more, November 2017
588
White Mountain Peak and Glass Mountain, Inyo National Forest, September 2017
340
Destination Moho Mountain in Nevada's Excelsior Range, July 4th week, 2017
296
Let's see more of the Saline Range in Death Valley Park, April 2017
694
Argus Range and Panamint Valley, January 2017
491
Eureka Valley and Saline Range, Death Valley Park, October 2016
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Inyo National Forest, south and north: July 4th week, 2016
453
Northwestern Death Valley National Park: a week in April 2016
551
Around Panamint Valley, Death Valley National Park, a week in January 2016
479
Bodie Ghost Town and Crater Mountain (Mono Craters): an October 2015 weekend
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Mono Craters and Glass Mountain Ridge: a September 2015 weekend
125
Granite Mountain Wilderness, east of Mono Lake, an August 2015 weekend
126
Owlshead Mountains and Johnson Canyon, Death Valley National Park, May 2015
479
Mojave National Preserve and Owlshead Mountains, February 2015
535
South Death Valley National Park and area, Fall 2014
480
Burt Canyon, Mono Lake and Mount Patterson: another Eastern Sierras weekend, September 2014
193
Emma Lake and Mount Patterson: a weekend in the Eastern Sierras, August 2014
122
Highland Lakes: Carson-Iceberg Wilderness Day Hike, July 4, 2014 weekend
96
Mojave National Preserve and Death Valley National Park, Spring 2014
624
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Related keywords
+ Bladderpod
+ Buckwheat
+ Cactus
+ Cholla Cactus
+ Clark Mountain
+ Clipper Mountains
+ Corral
+ Cottonwood Spring (Granite Mtns)
+ FJ Cruiser
+ Juniper
+ Kelbaker Road
+ Kelso Dunes
+ Kelso Peak
+ Mistletoe
+ Mojave National Preserve
+ Pipe smoking
+ Providence Mountains
+ Silver Peak
+ Sunset
+ Van Winkle Mountain
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Granite Mountains (Mojave Preserve)
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Now it's time to drive up Kelbaker Road into Mojave Preserve and find a campsite for the night
Some yellow-flowering buckwheats also grow around here
I drive down a dirt road into the Granite Mountains and pass by a gate
A nice place to walk around and enjoy the backdrop of the Providence Mountains
Granite Mountains are full of interesting rocky scenery
I drive on down the road toward Coyote Spring
In a few spots, Mojave yuccas grow right up to the road
Here, a Catclaw bush grows out into the road
And here, a Cholla cactus threatens to poke the FJ as it slowly rolls by
I drive slowly to savor the views of the Kelso Dunes down below
The road dips as it begins to approach the Coyote Spring area
Weee, here we go down the little hill
The Coyote Spring area is down around that corner behind that hill, I think
A showy bush that grows in the lower area here is Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)
Sometimes mistletoe grows on Catclaw bushes
Another showy bush that grows out here is Bladderpod
The road approaches Coyote Spring
I stop to trim a creosote bush that's growing out into the narrow road
Once past Coyote Spring, the dirt road turns toward Kelbaker Road
I drive for a while and then turn down a narrow 4WD road that skirts around the Granite Mountains
I park the FJ by this Wilderness marker and start my hike into the Granite Mountains
Looks like we have some corral remains here
A short distance up the trail affords an overview of the old corral
My trail here is actually an old road, like many Mojave Desert trails
Two boulders dance with each other, frozen in time
How do these two dancers look from the other side?
Smaller rocks have been piled under this boulder
Manuel Lopez
A.L.
Cottonwood Spring should be over in that brushy area somewhere
This seems to be Cottonwood Spring, but I'm not seeing any significant moisture here
Here I come across the remains of an old rock wall
The trail is just high enough now that I'm starting to see a few junipers here and there
The trail then passes a little rock wall
The Yerba Santa bush here reminds me of coastal chapparal landscapes
It's time to look back and see that, yes, I have risen a little from the valley
I pass a patch of reddish buckwheat shrubs as the trail climbs higher
Another moment of looking back at the trail that's taking me upward
Up we go!
So many boulders
I keep rising, with great views over to the Providence Mountains right now
That should be Silver Peak up there
The trail passes scattered junipers and pinon pines
Here's a really old juniper trunk, twisted and mangled by time
The views behind me keep improving, as I get closer to the top
However, a short distance remains before I reach the top of the old road
Wow, I can now see across the Kelso Dunes area over to distant places that I've visited
I'm not quite at the top of the old road yet though
I arrive at a switchback on the trail looking down into canyons in the Bighorn Basin area
The old road ends at an overlook with incredible views over the Providence Mountains and southern Granite Mountains
After my rest and contemplation, I start the hike back down
Before I descend further, I stop to enjoy the views across the Kelso Dunes again
This old mining road is today a scenic perch overlooking the Providence Mountans
I need to take a look at this broken boulder before I go back down
Downhill we go!
Hmmm, a big buried can
And some sort of e-waste...
I stop to check out a couple rock formations that I noticed on the hike up here
Hiking downhill can be so much fun!
Hey, I snapped a photo very similar to this two hours ago on the hike up the hill
In silhouette, this upright rock at center-right reminds me of a hawk
Back down on the desert floor, hiking the old road
I've got that view over to the Providence Mountains again as I hike back to the FJ
The FJ has a few bumps to drive over as it leaves the Silver Peak area
The upper peaks of the Providence Mountains catch the final sun of the day
When I turn my head to the left, I'm looking at the jagged Granite Mountains
A lot of mistletoe grows around here on the catclaw bushes
This area is surprisingly green, perhaps water collects here occasionally
Creosote bushes crowd the trail at times
I'll drive across the pavement of Kelbaker Road and pick up that dirt road over there
I've never explored the dirt roads on this side of the Granite Mountains previously
I get out to spot this short dip, in case there's an unseen hazard
The Granite Mountains are authoritarian regardless of the approach
Another junction... I'lll follow the fence
I find myself heading toward the Van Winkle Mountains again
I was camped over on the other side of the Van Winkle Mountains over there last night
I'm getting close to Kelbaker Road, I-40 and the Clipper Mountains, time to look for another dirt road
Now heading toward the Granite Mountains from a different angle
I roll past a blooming Bladderpod bush
This area is sometimes referred to as the Willow Springs Basin
My road splits into two, not an optical illusion
Another junction, time to check my map!
The road seems to be getting a bit rougher
A brief off-camber stretch passes some boulder piles
Nice fire pit!
A sweet and sheltered campsite I've just found, but it's too early for me to set up camp
Let's drive on!
I like roads like this that meander between rock piles
Now I'm driving gently downhill toward the Clipper Mountains
I spy someone camping over there!
Sun pokes through the clouds as we rise up Kelbaker Road toward the Granite Mountains
Kelbaker Road approaches the low edge of the Providence Mountains
I pull over near the summit for a few minutes to enjoy the changing Granite Mountains scenery
Gentle plumes of Orlik pipe tobacco smoke imitate the fluffy clouds
Kelbaker Road descends under a surreal grey blanket toward the Clipper Mountains and the I-40 freeway
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