Yaqui Pass

December 27, 2022

It’s 6:30 and Rachael sits down by the window with her first cup of coffee, looks out through the blinds, and announces that there’s a sunrise worthy of attention. I jump out of bed, quickly dress, grab the camera, and walk out into the desert just far enough to get an uncluttered view to the east.

You won’t be surprised to hear that we’ve ridden today’s ride before. No surprise, because we’ve brought our bikes to Borrego Springs five times now and there aren’t all that many roads to choose from here unless you hop in the car and broaden your reach. This time through though we’ve only got three days so there’s no need to leverage the Raven. We’ll just roll the bikes out the motel door and start biking.

As do our near neighbors, a Swiss couple from somewhere near the Black Forest who are in the southwest for a couple of months. They’ve brought bikes with them too, a pair of 16” wheel folders of a brand I haven’t seen before. When we leave our room this morning the guy is sitting on the chair outside his door, patching a tube from yesterday’s flat. It’s a reminder to us to be careful in the coming month when taking our bikes off the pavement. We’d like to keep our streak going and make it out of Tucson unpunctured.

Today’s ride begins with the by now familiar run up Yaqui Pass. It begins with a basically flat five mile ride along the valley floor to Desert Lodge, the junction that’s more or less the entrance to town along the valley floor. After that, it’s a steady five mile climb to the summit of Yaqui Pass. For the most part it’s a very steady 4-6% grade through open desert. With every mile the view broadens and the vegetation gradually evolves as we climb. Toward the top we’re surrounded by cholla, barrel cacti, and distressingly dry ocotillo, many of the giant spindly plants uprooted and lying prone in the sand, victims of the previous drought years.

Down here on the valley floor a high chair helps you get a better view of the mountains.

Some desert cones. Today’s come in two flavors, mocha and tangerine.

Looking back on Borrego Springs from Yaqui Pass Road.

Borrego Springs is nearly surrounded by vast Anzio-Borrego Desert State Park. With 585,930 acres that includes one-fifth of San Diego County, it is the largest state park in California.

Passing through the gap, it’s a steep drop down the west side of the pass to Tamarisk Grove Campground, our traditional stop to use the facilities there. Up to this point we’re repeating the route of last year’s out and back to San Felipe Road, which continues from here west and uphill on Route 78. Today though we’re going the opposite direction, dropping eastward down 78 for eight miles to the junction with Borrego Springs Road where we’ll turn off and reenter the valley. It’s essentially all downhill from here for the next fifteen miles when we’re back at Desert Lodge again.

The eight miles along Route 78 are fast, dramatic and exhilarating as we follow dry San Felipe Creek on its way east where it will eventually disappear into the Borrego Badlands. It’s a modest downhill, dropping at roughly 1% most of the way; but unexpectedly we have a strong tailwind today so we fly most of the way to our turnoff, seldom needing to turn the pedals at all. Our work consists of feathering the brakes to control our speed, and keep an eye out for overtaking cars. And, as you can see in today’s video, the ‘cars’ are an issue here, and worrying enough that we’re not sure we’ll repeat this ride again. Traffic is light today, but fast moving and generally large. These ‘cars’ are virtually all huge, and mostly RV’s or giant mobile homes, often hauling an ATV behind them. Everyone gives us an abundance of rom so it’s really safe enough, but the curves definitely keep our attention so we time our riding to make sure no one is behind us in case there’s an oncoming car around the bend.

Today, as was the case when we rode this stretch two winters ago, the highlight is seeing a Desert Agave in bloom. It’s a beautiful brilliant sight and a rarity for us - these two sightings on this road are the only ones ever for us. Once again, we’re just lucky in the timing:

This common agave grows in dense clumps on rocky hillsides below 6,000 feet. The plant has an elusive flower, it only appears after approximately 20 years of growth. The parent plant then dies once the flower appears.

Riding east on Route 78 is mostly a beautiful ride, looking like this most of the way. A bike lane would be a welcome enhancement though.

Admiring the swan song of the Desert Agave.

It’s giant feathery blooms make a brilliant contrast with the desert surroundings.

Descending Route 78. Originating in San Diego and crossing nearly the entire width of the state, it’s one of the original state highways in California.

Chuparosa (Justicia californica), also known as the Hummingbird Bush. Another desert plant we’re lucky to see in bloom at this time of year.

Route 86 has some dramatic stretches as it follows the course of San Felipe Creek. Ahead it bends sharply to the left into a narrow gap in the ridge.

Here in particular a bike lane would be welcome, but there’s no room for one.

It’s a stress release when we come to Borrego Springs Road and leave Route 86 behind. The remaining 20 miles feel completely safe, beginning with the next five miles on Borrego Springs Road. There’s a broad shoulder, virtually no traffic, and it’s nearly all downhill except for the short but steep climb up away from San Felipe Creek as it bends south for the Badlands.

I hold back to get a zoomed shot of Rachael as she executes the climb, and then she disappears over the crest and continues on. I won’t see her again until we’re both back at the motel, nearly two hours later. Soon after I start up again I stop almost immediately when I look to my left and see another blooming agave. Two in one day!

I’d forgotten what a great ride it is down Borrego Springs Road. It makes a fine out and back ride from Borrego Springs, if you want to enjoy it without taking on Route 86.

Video sound track: I Wonder (Song for Michael), by Yasmin Williams

From Desert Lodge the last fifteen miles are an essentially flat circle around the east and north sides of the valley. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but today it’s like nothing we’ve seen before. It’s all due to the weather. Here and there the desert is in bloom, covered with purple verbena just as we saw yesterday. Today though, the sky is astonishing as rows of lenticular clouds develop and hang over the peaks and ridges, looking like squadrons of invading space ships.

And, there’s the wind - for a day when the wind promised to be fairly moderate, it’s ended up nothing like that. At the north end of the loop I’m heading west on perfectly flat Henderson Canyon Road, struggling to maintain an eight mph pace into a fierce headwind that periodically blows great clouds of sand into the sky.

By the time I finally make it back to our room I feel well entitled to crack open a beer and take up my post outside the door and cull through photos from the day. After awhile the Swiss gent wanders over to show me a photo on his phone from his outing. Look at those clouds, he says in amazement. He’s never seen this here either.

I liked this view, when the sun came out briefly and illuminated the tops of the clouds.

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Ride stats today: 43 miles, 2,000’; for the tour: 391 miles, 18,000’

Today's ride: 43 miles (69 km)
Total: 391 miles (629 km)

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