-
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
