We quickly realized that, though it was a beautiful day for a bike ride, slightly overcast with a nice breeze, agricultural fields and the aroma of fertilizers and manure get very old, very quickly. But eventually the fields gave way to rolling shrubbery covered hills. Up and down we went, watching as the vegetation became more scarce and suddenly we were at the base of the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area. It looked like it had been pulled from a movie, where the characters are hiking across the endless sand dunes with their camels. We biked through the rolling sands. It was so cool. We decided to bike an extra steep strecth uphill, to view the dunes from an observatory. Definitely worth the effort it took to walk our bikes up the steep incline. The photos of the sand dunes are great, but they can't describe the sheer enormity of the dunes. It was a LOT of sand. I stood next to the base of one and nearly disappeared. I felt so small. This trip has been very eye-opening and a learning experience. The sand dunes and deserts and mountains - all things you never really see growing up in Florida.
From the observatory we could see the Chocolate Mountains, a rich milk and dark chocolate color, sitting in the distance. We watched the road snake through the rest of the dunes and head North, winding around the base of the mountains and near the Naval Reservation Aerial Gunnery Range.
Leaving the Chocolate Mountains, we headed into the Midway Mountains. These aren't particularly tall mountains, but they are frequent and the road found the crest and valley of each one. We would be flying downhill on a quick descent and then crossing our fingers and pedaling hard to get up the other side - so we would do it again. Throw in some semis and occasional traffic, and it was quite the experience.
Needless to say we were exhausted and very happy when we found Mitchell Camp Road. It was a dirt road and loose rock, but we managed our way down to the camp. It was all we could ask for, and it had an amazing secluded spot on the Colorado River at the Arizona-California border. We could see the desert terrain, the rocky mountains, but right next to us were cattails, lush green vegetation, and a flowing river.
Mitchell Camp had a special rate for cyclists, they provided water that didn't taste like the desert ground water, hot showers, and a relaxing evening. It was quiet and peaceful as we cooked our dinner and watched the sun disappear over the western mountain peaks.
I can see why you wanted to bike starting from Cali, great scenery!
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