Day 1: 29 Palms, CA to Cottonwood Springs Campground, JTNP, CA
Date: October 07, 2012
Miles: 42.43
Time: 5:45:57
Elevation: @3,000
Average Speed: 7.3
Max Speed: 30.7
My goal today was to leave home between 12:00 and 1:00 PM and have a leisurely ride over to Cottonwood Springs at the south park entrance where I would arrive before dark to set up camp and spend the night. I did leave at 1:00 but did not get away from the house until 1:19 because my phone/bike computer would not pick up a GPS signal. I had high hopes of capturing a GPS map of my entire trip using the Velodroid Bicycle App and did not want to start until the phone was recording. Subsequent events proved that waiting was futile but I had no way of knowing that at the time. The loaded bike weighed 80 pounds before I took it out the door. The load included the usual camping gear, some food including very heavy bananas and oranges, just short of a gallon of water in 5 bicycle water bottles, 5 12 ounce Diet Cokes, and what I hoped would be appropriate clothing to cover the anticipated weather for the week, probably about 45 pounds in total. I completely underestimated the time and effort required to peddle this load 2,000 vertical feet to the top of the first climb, at 3850 feet, 14 miles from home and consequently did not arrive there until about 4:00. It was clear that I would not reach camp until well after dark but it was a warm Sunday afternoon, I had ample lighting and I thought that most of the traffic would be out of the park by dark so I took a break and pressed on. The next 12 miles were a nice downhill coast to the low point of the day's ride in "Pinto Basin" at about 1600 feet. As I started across the bottom of the basin I noticed the phone running the bicycle app had gone dark. I stopped to look at it and soon realized that much to my surprise the battery was completely dead as was the Biologic Battery Pack which was supposed to be charged by the front hub "dyno" and keep the whole operation running. In retrospect I realize that at the very slow speed which I had climbed for 3 hours there was no way for the dyno to keep up with the phone especially since I had kept the screen on the entire time (the phone is a battery hog to boot). The Biologic was not fully charged when I left home and to add insult to injury I got worried about over voltage coming down from the top and turned on the headlight to take up some of what I was afraid might be excess current. I discovered when I got home that the phone app had preserved the 26 miles it did record before running out of juice but it is a disappointment to not have the entire ride recorded for posterity. It was a good educational experience though. At this point I was still about 16 miles from camp so I pushed on. I took a break at one of the exhibit pullouts about 4 miles on and then set out in earnest for the top at Cottonwood. At the point where the last serious climb to the top starts I switched on the lights and rode the last 8 miles in the dark. I arrived at the entrance station at 7:55. I had planned to fill all my water bottles there but the campground information poster indicated that there is water at the campground so I rested a bit then rode the mile or so down the hill to the campground. I looked at the map at the registration area then went into the first loop and stopped at the first campsite. It turned out to be fine with a flat area for the tent close to the table. I unloaded the bike and set up the tent. I had considered having a peanut butter sandwich for dinner but decided that hot food sounded good so I fired up my little stove, boiled some water and hydrated a serving of Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef. It was delicious and went a long way towards reconstituting my tired old body. I went to bed about 10:00.
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Day 2: Cottonwood Springs Campground to Font's Wash near Borrego Springs, CA
Date: October 08, 2012
Miles: 67.54
Time: 6:34:31
Elevation:
Average Speed: 10.2
Max Speed: 28.7
I got up at about 8:00, packed up, ate and left the campground at 9:45. I rode up the hill to the entrance station and lingered there until about 10:20 when I started for Borrego. I had to climb over one little hill then had about 30 miles of downhill out of the park and across I-10 and through Box canyon to Mecca (CA not SA). I stopped a couple of times in the canyon to take photos. It is a very interesting area geologically, mud looking many layered hills which appear to have been under the sea at one time but are presently shoved up and ruptured and fractured in many bizarre ways. The road is about 5-600 feet above today's sea level and crosses the San Andreas Fault in the canyon. I passed through downtown Mecca and stopped at a truck stop/gas station/mini-mart and restaurant complex at the junction of Highway 86. I bought two candy bars, a small box of Oreo Cookies, gum and a cold Coke. I devoured the candy bars and to my surprise about 1/2 the box of cookies. I usually do not care for Oreos these days but they certainly hit the spot on this trip. After the snacks and a rest I started down Highway 86 for Salton City and Borrego. The 25 miles to Salton City surprised me because I knew the net elevation loss would be about 150 feet but I seemed to be constantly going uphill. Of course there was enough headwind to aggravate the situation too. I suppose that if one is going to live and recreate in the desert it probably makes no sense to even mention the wind but I like to complain so I am. Wind sucks!
Day 3: Font's Wash near Borrego Springs, CA to Borrego Palm Canyon Campground, Borrego Springs, CA
Date: October 09, 2012
Miles: 20.73
Time: 2:26:38
Elevation:
Average Speed: 8.4
Max Speed: 22.1
I woke up about 6:30, packed up and got on the road early with the intention of going into town and buying a cup of coffee and sitting in the park and enjoying the morning before deciding what to do next. The options I was considering were, 1) go back to Palm Springs on Highways 86 and 111 and get a motel then ride or take the bus home, 2) press on to Temecula and my friend Doug's house via S-22 and Highway 79 which I knew climbs an 8% grade for 9 miles to gain at least 3,000 feet or 3) to go to Temecula via San Diego S-3, Highway 78 and San Felipe Road to Highway 79 which climbs about 1000 feet less and over a much longer distance but is 15 miles longer overall. On the way into town I tentatively decided I would camp at the Anza-Borrego State Park Palm Canyon Campground if they had a hiker/biker site and rest the remainder of the day then decide in the morning. When I got into town I rounded Christmas Circle and headed for the liquor store to get coffee and Coke. A few doors up from the liquor store is a good and inexpensive Mexican food place and the minute I saw it I knew I needed Mexican food for breakfast so I pulled in. I ordered Carne Asada Tacos and coffee and sat outside and had a most delicious breakfast. Afterwards I bought Gatorade, Coke and more Oreos (I had finished the first box during the night) at the liquor store and went to the park which is inside Christmas Circle and sat around for about an hour. Once the food started hitting me I knew I did not want to cover any distance the rest of the day so I headed up the hill to the State Park. The kiosk was unmanned and I did not have a $5.00 bill or a pen so I bought some shower tokens and rode up to the hiker/biker site which is almost at the very top of the campground but in a very beautiful and somewhat secluded area with restrooms and showers nearby. I unloaded and set up the tent then took a shower. I set out to make a cup of coffee and discovered my propane canister was empty. I sat and poked around for a time then got my sleeping pad out of the tent and took a nap on the picnic table as it was the only place around with shade and it was a warm day. After the nap I lolled around until about 5:00 when I coasted back into town to try to locate a propane cartridge and some more coke and Gatorade. The only open store was out of propane so I got the drinks, a pen and a $5 and rode back to camp. I stopped at the entrance station and registered and paid then went on up the hill to camp. I discovered there was a 110 volt outlet on the end of the restroom building so I took my dinner and phone over and let the phone charge while my spaghetti dinner was soaking in cold water. I exchanged some text messages with Doug and told him I was inclined to head to Palm Springs in the morning but that I would keep him informed as the situation unfolded. The spaghetti was a bit crunchy but delicious. I ate it and stood around enjoying the beautiful evening awhile then went back to camp and went to bed. All in all a nice day. PS For reasons I do not understand I have no pictures from this day. I know I took several but I cannot find them on my phone or in my online photos. It is a puzzle. * * * * * * * *
Day 4: Borrego Palm Canyon Campground, Borrego Springs, CA to Temecula, CA
Date: October 10, 2012
Miles: 49.13
Time: 6:32:21
Elevation: @4,000
Average Speed: 7.5
Max Speed: 29.5
