June 7, 2010
Day 8: Great day!
Last night was wild and wacky in the great town of Austin Nevada. It was high school graduation night. Not only were all the hotel rooms booked but there seemed to be no end to the excitement around town, for all seven in the graduating class of 2010.
...from where we were camped, in the Austin City Park's horseshoe pit, everyone seemed to be having a grand time--sound really carries in that town!
It wasn't enough to keep us awake though and this morning we got an early start in an attempt to beat the heat. The riding started with a steep climb out of town, followed by more spectacular scenery of wide valleys and snowcapped peaks. Halfway through we started looking for the highway 50 'rest stop' between Austin and Eureka, which consisted of a picnic table and cover that provided some shade. It doesn't sound like much, but after being baked in the sun like a lobster for 3 days, with barely a tree in sight, it was indeed an oasis.
...there we met a really nice family of 6 (mom, dad, 3 girls, 1 boy) and had a nice chat about our tour and their trip to Great Basin National Park.
The afternoon ride was a little rougher as temperatures began to rise. By the time we got to the last climb into Eureka we were DONE! But people in this town seem really friendly and we found a nice RV park to camp.
Even with the afternoon temps and late in the day climb it was a great day. Life would be great if it was all 75 degrees and downhill but you have to take the good with the bad. And every time I coast for miles and miles on end, through open valleys with blue skies, on good road surface, with little to no traffic, and snow capped peaks in the distance, I really do forget about all the work that it took to get to the top of that hill.
Tomorrow we are planning a 6am start in an attempt to, once again, beat the heat. It will be a hard day but I think we are up to the challenge.
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Today's ride: 75 miles (121 km)
Total: 682 miles (1,098 km)
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