Scientists who study butterflies and moths are called boring Lepidopterists. The order lepidoptera is the third largest order of insects with approximately 160,000 – 300,000 species. (Why the range? Common with the most highly specious groups, scientists are busy describing new species regularly. So with 160,000 species described or “known to science”, experts are able to estimate, through widespread collecting, how many species may have yet to be described. Get busy, you lepidopterists!) Lepidoptera are very important pollinators, prey items, herbivores, and iconic charismatic species for conservation. What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth, you ask? Well, don’t. Become fascinated with leps, and whatever distinctions you thought there might be, diurnal vs nocturnal, pretty vs ugly, or wings-up vs wings-down will quickly disappear. I don’t really think Lepidopterists are boring.
But you know the silhouette of a butterfly… and that is the shape you see in the outline of this route by Doug A. As drawn on Ride with GPS, 144 miles, 10,000’ of climbing. The start is on the right hindwing at the Hole-in-the-Wall Visitors Center. The land is managed by the National Park Service as the Mojave National Preserve. National Preserves are established by Congress, sometimes by executive order and have fewer restrictions on land usage. Travel on designated roads and routes is essential as most of the preserve is Mojave Wilderness.
Day 1 We traveled northeast through Gold and Round Valleys, we visited springs including Government Holes (I got my windmill fix), mines and the historic homestead, Bert Smith stone house. There were rock formations that reminded us of Joshua Tree NP and looked like a great spot for dispersed camping. We finished the day off Ivanpah Road, above the valley containing the once largest solar installation and hopefully a good distance from the Union Pacific Railroad.
Day 2 We traveled along the railroad tracks on a service road that traversed numerous washes. We were in a garden of cactus and creosote bushes. This lasted from Ivanpah to Cima. Then at Cima we transitioned to the paved Kelso-Cima Rd, downhill with a tailwind. Suddenly slowpacking became regular speed, but with light traffic. In Kelso the visitors center, a historic train depot, was closed for remodel, but the bathrooms were open with great water bottle fill stations that would fit tall bottles. Also to note, the bathrooms had power outlets if you needed to charge electronics. Leaving the depot we started a 10 mile climb, 1,600’ of climbing, crossing two washes, Kelso and Cedar. This is a part of the Mojave Solitaire route that is recommended in the opposite direction. Fat bikes were definitely the right tool for the job. We finished the day at the intersection with the historic Mojave Road.
Day 3 Let’s keep climbing in the sand! And washboard. Ha, I know I am not selling this, but it is just a fact of the trail conditions. Now we are tracing the left forewing of the Butterfly. The first stop was Marl Spring, and there was water. I took an extra liter. Law of the Desert: never pass up an opportunity for water. We had a nice chat with Chris King at the Mojave Mailbox. The next stop was the Cinder Cone Lava Beds. Of special note, the lava tube, that was super cool. We made the extra climb to the cinder pit gravel mine. Then we traveled through the Cima Dome Joshua Tree forest that had succumbed to the 2020 Cima Dome Fire. There is nothing sadder than a burnt Joshua Tree. We made our way to the paved Cima Road and on to Kelso-Cima Rd. Our day ended camped on the edge of Macedonia Canyon Rd. Which is like a “secret” road with obscure access, perfect for bikepacking. The last night was finishing off the last of the dinner, hot chocolate, and bourbon. I have tried peanut butter whiskey in my hot chocolate (delicious) and the bourbon was just as good. I might have to start bringing more bourbon on trips, ha!
Day 4 In my mind it was a short day. I didn’t bother with confirming with Ride with GPS. For this last slow climb and last opportunity I decided to focus on the distinct Mojave flora and tried to take a picture of everything I saw. Progress was measured by climbing the apron of the Providence Mountains then entering the enclosed Macedonia Canyon. This was a great climb, I recommend the canyon as a plant/flower hike. From the top of juncture with Wild Horse Canyon Rd we began our descent into Wild Horse Canyon. This was our mini Grand Canyon. It was about a 6 mile descent to the paved road and return to the visitors center. Just before the pavement was a collection of boulders with petroglyphs and an interpretive panel.
Our time in the visitors center was great. We got a few questions answered and picked up a couple of books. I wonder how it would be to arrive at the visitors center and build a route based on their recommendations?
By the Numbers According to Ride with GPS we rode 145.2 miles with 10,683’ feet of climbing. Making the trip over 4 days was ideal. We ended our days based on day length, fatigue, and camp suitability. Days 1-3 lasted 7.5-9 hours with plenty of stopped time. Day 4 was short, about a ⅓ of the first 3. But that was a great split, we had a full day of driving ahead. It was really nice Doug did the driving. Camp selection on night 1 was to stop away from the train, night 2 was at the end of a long climb, and night three was a bit close to the train but off the paved road at the end of a long day.
What we Rode, What we Carried This was a fat bike route. The USGS maps show the stippled marks of sand throughout. While the Mojave Solitaire route recommends at least 2.6” tires (this is a fantastic route and description) we rode fat bike tire widths 4.4-4.8” and had no issues in deep soft sand. I rode my Meriwether Longtail and Doug rode his Binary Gordita.
The primary logistic was water with resupply at Kelso Visitors Center on Day 2. The temperature forecast was mild to warm so I traded the weight of my tent for that of a bivy and left behind a bag of extra warm clothes to carry up to 8L of water. It was great to have ample water for cooking, and drinks. I finished the ride with about a liter of water. I should have drank it but I was having too much fun looking around. I had some snacks left over but I had finished all I brought for dinner and breakfast.
The rest of my kit was fairly standard. I just carried my summer weight quilt as I wasn’t expecting freezing temperatures. I did have wool socks and down booties as well as a puffy jacket for extra warmth. The conditions were ideal for a bivy, dry and temperatures above freezing and above the dewpoint.
My kitchen was the kettle/plate/cup set from Sea to Summit and Soto Amicus canister stove. The items continue to work perfectly for my needs. I have made the switch from coffee to chai tea and I enjoy hot cocoa with my dinner. My goal is to prepare my dinner and breakfast with about a liter of water each to improve hydration. I added LMNT to my drinking water throughout the day.
My clothing kit is fairly standard as well. I was debating on wearing sandals on this trip. I had a hard time not believing the morning temps wouldn’t be too cold for my little piggies. So I went with shoes and Creepers toe socks. I wore Kuhl long pants for sun and brush protection. I wore a short sleeve wool base layer from Icebreaker and a long sleeve button down shirt from Kuhl as well. I wore a buff around my neck for sun protection and one on my head to control sweat. I wore the Craft Hybrid gloves for warmth in the morning, and for sun and skin protection the rest of the day. This kit sees minor variations in weight/warmth depending on temperatures but otherwise is the same in all four seasons. I wore a wind breaker for the cool morning hours.
Highlights There were a few outstanding features each day. On Day 1 we visited springs that were now wells for ranchers. Some windmills were pumping to fill storage tanks. We passed abandoned mines. We camped above the controversial Ivanpah Solar Project. On Day 2 we traveled along the railroad and the Kelso Depot Visitors Center. On Day 3 we traveled into the Cinder Cone Lava Beds and visited a lava tube. From the lava beds we traveled through a Joshua Tree forest. On Day 4 we were treated to a flora and geologic expo in Macedonia and Wild Horse Canyons. Every morning we were treated to glorious sunrises and our evening and nights were marked with sunsets and stary heavens. We had great pre- and post-ride burritos in Barstow. Details matter!
So many of these pictures came from Doug A. We have a collaborative photo album that really enhances these stories.
If you haven’t seen it, my March Newsletter is available on Substack.