Wednesday April 30, 20.9mi/33.6kmKelso Depot boundary (303.0/2060ft) to Wild Horse Canyon (323.9/4250ft) (CA)I packed up from my little spot nestled in the creosote bushes and walked the easy mile over to the Kelso Depot.It used to be a train station, the passenger service stopped in the 1950s but it still remains in active freight line today. The station was converted to a visitor center in the early 2005. unfortunately the main building was closed for renovations but I still had access to the bathroom building.Which meant I had access to running water, outlets, benches/tables, and trash cans. Most everything a hiker would want anyway. It’s also a popular crossroads for tourists, and I met a man and woman who were driving back to Michigan. When I explained the trail I was hiking, the guy said it sounded like the PCT when he hiked it ….in 1986. And then he gave me a cold beer and an apple!Trail magic on the Desert Trail, I’d never have predicted that! As I waited for my devices to charge, I watched several freight trains go by.And I got a better look at the Depot/ Visitor center, even though I wasn’t allowed to go inside.Since I had access to running water, I also decided to wash out my socks and shorts. I was careful not to use the hand dryer since that outlet was also powering my charger.The brochure for the Mojave National Preserve has a pretty good map that illustrates the different deserts I will be hiking through.Finally at 10am, I hiked out of the visitor center and made my way down the road. I didn’t get far, as I had a fun conversation with a couple from BC, Canada. Martha and Peter are on a long drive back up to Canada, and are enjoying the sites along the way. I’m going to Canada too, it will just take me until September!The Desert Trail follows a paved road for 4 miles, and I entertained myself with the funny road signs.Fortunately after only a few minutes I found a dirt road that ran parallel to this one, so I hiked that instead. It was closer to the train tracks which would frequently feature loud trains, but I didn’t mind that.Finally I left all the elements of civilization and hiked up a wash. The vegetation reminded me that I am truly in the Mojave Desert now.I even got a photo of a jackrabbit!I see like a dozen of these everyday, but they are usually too fast for me to get my camera out. As I climbed higher, the wash became narrower and had a series of fun little rocky dryfalls to hike on.I had fun poking around an old mining site, and even saw some graffiti from 1922.The guidebook lists this as a potential water source called “Summit Spring”. It’s basically just a set of wet cow prints, and no water. It was more like a slurry of mud and cowshit.I climbed out of the wash and to the top of a little ridge, and got a view of my main objective for the day, Wild Horse Mesa.I descended down a little wash for a mile and then climbed up the rocky hillside to reach the top of the mesa.It wasn’t that steep and the navigation was fairly easy, though I did get spooked by the three rattlesnakes I saw within 20 minutes. I think they like all the warm dark rocks on that hillside. Once I had gained the rim of the mesa, I had pretty good views. Looking ahead to the summit of the mesa:It was easy hiking along the top of the mesa, which had little vegetation or rocks. From the summit I had good views in all directions. Looking southwest:And West, toward the valley I came up from:And North:Sunset was quickly approaching, so I didn’t stop and made my way down from the summit, still hiking along the rim of the mesa. I could see my objective for the end of the day down in the valley far below, Wild Horse Canyon Road.It was an easy hike down the mesa, until the very end when it got rocky. That part was tricky as I had to navigate the terrain, lookout for snakes in the rocks, and watch my footing in the loose ground. Because it took me longer than I expected, I had to stop and get out my headlamp for the last half mile. Darn. But the extra light was quite helpful in negotiating the unexpected series of cliff bands that I had to weave me way down through. Finally at 8pm, I was down on the valley floor and quickly setup my tent in a wash.Happy Justin Timberlake day!