Long day in the saddle today! 90 miles through the Imperial desert and dunes. Day started a little late, slept in a bit and was off at the crack of 9:30 (after eating breakfast this time!). I knew it would be a long dry day so I loaded up with water. Unfortunately I must have been dehydrated from the day before because I was sucking down water fast and early. As I started to climb into the high desert (with a headwind!) I was beginning to get very worried I would run out and my spirits dropped. 90 miles through the desert with 60 lbs of bike and gear started to seem unrealistic. There was supposed to be a store 30 miles in at Glamis but it might be seasonal. As my water started to dwindle around mile 30 I crested a hill to see an open store! Not only was it open but there was a nice couple there who were also biking across the US. They were on their way to New Jersey to see their son graduate from Princeton. It was nice to chat with some other bikers. After that I was reenergized, and peddled forth! The Imperial dunes were beautiful but the next 40 miles were tough, hilly, warm, and dry. When I finally arrived in Palo Verde (the first sign of life after Glamis) I was exhausted and still had 20 more miles to go. I decided that there was only one solution: caloric overload. One enormous ice cream sandwich, bag of nutterbutter cookies, and a Gatorade and I was back in business. The next 20 turned out to be great, smoother road, beautiful agriculture and irrigation (remarkable how much water is moved across the desert), and a beautiful sunset. I arrived at my surprisingly terrible motel feeling tired but pretty good! Luckily my exhaustion (and multiple beers) will make the concrete slab they call a bed just fine.
Post Script: no more cheaping out on hotels for me!!
PS2: I need to get out of the agriculture belt soon or system will revolt against the Mexican food onslaught..... but its soooo good!!
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