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Back to Fast South Meet the Riders Bamacyclist Home Day 02
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Back to Fast South Meet the Riders Bamacyclist Home Day 02
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| ROUTE: Thousand Palms to Blythe CA | DISTANCE: 117 Miles | WINDS: Tailwinds at departure, calm in the middle, and quartering headwind the final 50 miles. |
| WEATHER: Hot and dry...abundant sunshine | TERRAIN: Flat to first SAG, steady climb for 30 miles, then steady drop to Blythe | TOTAL CLIMBING: 2600 feet |
DAILY REPORT:
When I awoke today, the weather channel said, "Calm Winds." But all I could hear outside was something howling that sure sounded like wind. When I opened my door, the palm trees were bending at the middle and fighting to stay upright. The good news was that they were leaning in the direction we were riding...whew, saved my mother nature. We walked next door to Denny's for breakfast in the dark and the walk back to the motel gave us an idea what it would have been like if we were going the other direction. Always have to have a bit of a reality check out here. Actually, the wind normally blows favorably for us on this day out of the motel...luckily, this was no exception.
Today's route took us south out of Thousand Palms toward Mecca (not that Mecca...the one in California). The first 25 miles of our route was on flat, dry desert terrain dotted with irrigated date farms and we found several small venders all along the road selling dates. When I told the riders last night about the date stands, they all wore an extra bit of after shave this morning. Sorry boys...it's not that kind of date!
After Mecca and our first SAG,
t
We
have several interesting challenges when we ride on interstates. Out west, if
the interstate is the only road connecting areas, it is legal for bicycles to
ride on the shoulder. One of the challenges is not getting a flat tire.
Shoulders on the interstate are collecting grounds for debris that play havoc
with bicycle tires...little wires off of radial tires are the biggest culprit,
but there are lots of other sharp things that tear into our tires all along the
shoulders. Another challenge is negotiating the exit and entrance ramps with
high speed traffic. Luckily out in the west, the traffic is usually fairly
light so, although dangerous, maneuvering through these hazards is not too
difficult. Finally, the biggest challenge for the staff is supporting everyone
on divided highways. When we go back to help someone, we cannot just cross over
to the other side anywhere. Sometimes we have to drive an additional 10 miles
before we can turn around. But in spite of all these "challenges" interstate is
relatively safe.
Today I got to ride from the General Patton's Museum at Chiriaco Summit to the finish. This is the area where General Patton held his desert training during WWII. After seeing this area, I can understand why it was an ideal spot. If someone can survive training out here I'm sure they can survive the desert anywhere. I spent the morning taking photos in the canyon and then rode in...I've got to start riding in the cool of the morning...hey, I'm the boss...I should look into that.
Tomorrow we set out to Wickenburg...a much larger town than Blythe. Looking forward to getting out of the desert too. Just one more day of dry...then we start to climb. Tune in and see how we do tomorrow...we'll be here.
| HEARD ON THE ROAD TODAY:
"You never know where you'll see Mike...he's usually off in the bushes taking photos...he usually gets me when I'm blowing my nose." "OK, I've had enough of this 'dry heat.'" "When do we start climbing?" "The canyon was beautiful, but I hate Mike
said this would be the most beautiful scenery we'd see on the trip and
it's only day 2." "When I spit, I only get dust." |
BICYCLE BRAIN BOO BOOS:
Even those who have ridden with us before pull some good ones once in a while. Today, Will pulled out of the SAG without filling his water bottles. In the east that's no problem...but out here it could be very serious. "There's just so much to remember," He said, "Wash your hands, don't lean your bike on the van, sign in, say hello to Barbara...I just got overwhelmed." Luckily, he was riding with others who had plenty of water until he got to the next SAG so he didn't become one of those bone piles we see from time to time. Last time Scott rode with us he was known for wearing a couple pair of biking shorts that had a hole in them...today...well, need I say he's back in the conversation. "But these are new ones, " He said. Looks like he'll be on our staff now because he can't go home. (See Heard on The Road yesterday) |
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DAILY PHOTOS OF OUR ACTIVITY |
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 Just 3 miles from the motel, Christopher and Perry found themselves surrounded by giant native Americans. "Can you show us the way to Mecca?" Perry asked. But he got no response. Christopher noted that it was like talking to a brick wall. |
 Got Milk? Er, sunscreen? Scott uses his rearview mirror to keep track of where he applies his sunscreen. But I used the reflection in his glasses to see in his rearview mirror that he'd missed a spot. |
 Always looking for innovative ways to keep liquids cool in the desert, someone came up with the bright idea of burying their water bottles in the highway pavement. It kept the liquid cool but it became obvious very quickly that it would be hard to tilt the bottles enough to drink while they were in this state. But before anyone could come up with a solution, a passing semi put an abrupt end to the study. |
 These 4 guys were trying to figure out how to attach these discarded motel mattresses to their seatposts. |
 It's hard to describe this canyon to anyone who hasn't seen anything like this. Takes the mind off the climbing to see such beautiful formations everywhere. |
 Barbara even got to ride today...just a neat old tree for a photo op. |
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