Thursday December 14, 36.4km/22.6mi
Providence Mine (632.9/3920ft) to Base of Granite Mountain (655.5/3660ft) (CA)
We slept surprisingly well in our little wind-sheltered campsite, and by morning the wind had ceased. It wasn’t as cold, either. Our usual 5:45am start was much more pleasant, and we hiked downhill on an old road toward the sunrise.
After a sharp turn onto a westerly dirt road, I started climbing toward a pass, and noticed all these gourds growing nearby.
I picked one up, and it felt very lightweight, almost hollow. Weird. I looked behind me, and finally the sun had risen.
The climb up to the little pass involved some burro trails, which were almost impossible to find, but eventually we found a set of tracks that worked. Morning view to the west:
After a short descent, we hiked by some old mines. Usually the pits are filled in or covered, but this one was wide open!
Looking down along the hillsides, we could see more mining ruins and structures.
I’m not sure what this structure used to be, but I could tell from its construction style that it was relatively modern.
We soon came to an old miners cabin, which had been restored on the outside.
And of course there was a hilariously old car parked out front.
The inside was actually partially restored as well.
The main room was really quite nice, and we signed into the visitor logbook, and enjoyed a snack on the warm sunny porch. The little book collection above the fireplace was an interesting combination of titles.
And it even had an old-timey fridge! Someone had left a few foods inside, presumably to keep them safe from any rodents.
Back on the trail, we kept hiking west, towards these granitic mountains.
The rock type around here is so interesting, it reminded me of Joshua Tree, which is Monzogranite.
It makes the coolest shapes and formations!
After we had climbed another short pass, I could see something else up ahead, sand dunes!
The Kelso Dunes are a massive collection of sand, and are quite popular with tourists. Unfortunately, our route didn’t go near them. We hiked down from the pass, and had lunch in a wash. These little spots are great, protected from any wind, and usually vegetation-free so our solar panels can recharge our phones. After lunch we hiked thru a little cluster of boulders, more Monzogranite!
The rest of the afternoon was basically spent walking along a fenceline, which encircled the California State University’s “Granite Mountains Research Center”.
We hiked along it for almost two hours, and it felt a little tedious, given that there was basically no path or road. Eventually we arrived at our first water source for today, a quail guzzler. It was already 4pm, so we refilled quickly and continued onwards a couple more miles.
We hit our mileage goal, and then hiked a few more minutes to find a camp-able spot. It felt great ending before darkness!