June 1, 2005
Day 15: Crystal Springs to Cathedral Gorge
What a miracle!! There were bullfrogs croaking all night in the middle of the desert! The frogs were accompanied by the rush of the springs. But there was also the everpresent idling of diesel motors of trucks parked in the rest stop across the highway. We are dangerously close to losing the sounds of the natural world - - even in the middle of Nevada.
I left all my panniers and gear at the springs and biked down to Ash Springs to wait for Itty. The Gas Mart had country music blaring from speakers everywhere - - at the pumps, inside the store, even in the restrooms. You couldn't escape it - constant noise. When Itty arrived, I was ready to go. He had stocked up in Alamo, so we rode back to Crystal Springs on the old roadbed. A few more bumps, but nice and quiet.
I had intentionally chosen this route for Itty to get him acclimated to touring. We took our time riding up the first grade to Pahroc Summit. The weather was gorgeous and there was a light tailwind. We flew across the Dalamar Flats - stopping only once to mooch some chilled water from a road crew. Then we had a much longer and steeper climb up to Oak Springs Summit. At the top, we took a long lunch break under the pinyon and juniper trees.
Back on the road again, we - or should I say I - zoomed down the pass into Caliente. Actually, Itty was still uncomfortable with the combination of speed and a loaded-down bike. Yours truly doesn't believe in brakes on a downhill run unless absolutely necessary. We stopped at a cafe on the other side of the railroad tracks. Itty had been thinking about food all day and had two meals. I had a sandwich and a jumbo chocolate shake. The waitress was delightful - poking fun at our appetites. Then we went to the town park and took a nap in the shade of cottonwood trees.
As usual, we rode the last section in the evening. We had a nice tailwind going up the valley, but we got into Cathedral Gorge just about dark. Itty wasn't too keen on this, but I love evening riding. Plus, I don't think Itty would have been able to have covered the mileage any more quickly than we did. Maybe he'll bike more in the afternoons and I'll bike more in the evenings and we'll meet at a prearranged campsite. There are no hard and fast rules, you know.
Today's ride: 70 miles (113 km)
Total: 814 miles (1,310 km)
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