Day 34: From the desert to Grants.

September 21, 2024

Today was a challenging and exhausting day.

We decided to get up early so we could ride as soon as it was light and try and beat the predicted winds. I was awake at 5 am so I popped onto my phone and updated my journal and then started getting stuff organized in the tent about 5:30. I was excited about breakfast because we had yogurt and granola and coffee. I know that doesn’t sound spectacular but hey we were in a desert.

We were gone at 7 before there was any activity from the other bikers. The views in the morning were very nice with the sun highlighting all the different rock formations and caverns. We were making good progress and then we started thinking about water. We each had about 5 L to start but again we were in a desert with roughly 115 km planned and significant elevation to gain. That meant we were not 100 % confident that we’d achieve our goal.

The first “possible water” was a bust. Then we hit one that seemed promising. It was this tower that looked like a tall metal Christmas tree from a distance. In the past it had a windmill on top but that was gone. We had to leave our bikes on the path and walk on a foot path obviously travelled by many. At each side of the path were some nasty prickles so you had to keep your head down and it get tangled up in them. When we got to the tower there was a pipe running out what looked like a well and then two huge basins. The basins looked like something for cows to drink from. There were solar panels with wiring running down into the well, presumably to a pump and then a wooden handle to pull. I pulled and pushed the handle but nothing happened. So, unfortunately that venture was a bust.

Back on the trail. The trail we were riding was dirt and at times unfit for vehicle traffic. At one point there was a chasm about 3 feet wide across the whole road. We had to go off road like the ATVs before us and back onto the road. Other sections were really loose sand. If you came in hot the bike moved all over the place but it was reassuring that a crash would be soft.

Peter said there was another possible water stop. I was riding ahead and looked back and he was pointing into the desert. So I hightailed it back and we both spotted a spigot spewing water out. We grabbed the empty bottles and our filters and hiked over. It was strange. Because the spigot was running it was a veritable plethora of water plants and black mud around the whole area. We treaded softly and filled our filters several times and we were full up again. I honestly felt better having a huge margin of water supplies. The desert feels very vast and a bit ominous without a life line. At one point I was thinking I have my bike but what if that fails. It would be a long walk out of here!

We decided that instead of lunch we’d just snack. I have been out eating Peter on the snack front. By that point I’d eaten my last snack so I made 6 or 7 fold over peanut butter/honey sandwiches. Basically, the bread was just a vehicle to eat the centre that I smothered on.

About 15 minutes after the water fill there were two motorcycles. These were off road style and the first people we encountered all day. They stopped to chat and said we were hardcore. We laughed and found out they were Canadians as well from Ottawa. They were very self deprecating about how much they were carrying and their riding skills. To be fair they had a lot of stuff. I couldn’t tell how the one guy could steer because he had this giant bag in front of him.

We rolled on for a bit and then felt drops of rain. I had checked the forecast and this was predicted right between 12 and 1. We put on our coats and hoped it would stop very fast because we already were noticing our tires getting sticky and this was a very light rain. Fortunately, a grader had passed through recently on the stretch and they left a patch of road bare dirt so we could ride there and it pick up much. I was still looking at all the blue sky and hoping it would stop fast. And then we had a stroke of good fortune as we turned onto pavement which was not identified on the map. That solved that problem and promptly the rain stopped. I hope the other bikers were as lucky.

Once on the pavement we started climbing and climbing and climbing. The pavement went to gravel after a turn and we climbed for hours. We entered a national forest of ponderosa pines and some other trees that were dropping pinions. We kept seeing people in the woods on the ground. At one point I stopped and asked what they were doing and they said picking pinions. Apparently they are like a nut and they must be good because we saw at least 30 people throughout the day.

We finally got to the top with limited energy and it was cold again. I had to put on two coats and winter gloves for the descent. We still had some climbing to do including one long road hill before descending into Grants. I was not happy with that last hill.

Once in Grants we searched for a motel on our phones and then navigated through a few neighborhoods where every house seemed to have an angry dog. And I mean if there weren’t fences it would have been dicey. I saw one dog head over a fence he was so excited.

At the motel by 6 pm. What a long day! Riding from 7 am to 6 pm. We cleaned up a bit and went to Denny’s for a huge all day breakfast. Should sleep well tonight.

New map and the last one with the least climbing. Yay!

Distance - 118 km / 1620 m elevation gain

Today's ride: 118 km (73 miles)
Total: 3,840 km (2,385 miles)

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