Day 4: Monday

Time in motion: 6:37:17
Distance: 87.2 mi.
Average: 13.16 mph.
Maximum: 31.5 mph.
Climbed: 1,840 ft.
Temp: 45-95°F

We woke up early, at five a.m., because we knew it was going to be a long day.  We rode to McDonalds for breakfast before heading east out of Brawley.

It was dark so I put my flasher and headlamp on until the sun came up.  As the sun crept toward the horizon it began to light up the mountains and the palm trees.  It was a frigid 45 degrees as I began the ride, but I knew it would warm up quickly.  Soon I rode past a feedlot.  I thought to myself, “These must be the ‘happy cows’ California advertises on television.

A little farther to the east, I came across a somewhat disconcerting sign at the edge of the U.S. Naval Reserve that practically screamed this warning: "DANGER! YOU ARE TRANSITING A U.S. MILITARY LIVE BOMBING AREA. DO NOT LEAVE THE PAVED ROADWAY." Needless to say, I didn't go jumping any fences.

Before long we saw sand dunes ahead of us.  They are truly massive!  We stopped at a scenic overlook and chatted to a vacationer, a young man tattooed on nearly every inch of his exposed torso and arms.  As he smoked his cigarette and sipped his beer in the heat, he informed us that we were insane.  But we already knew that.  The man was friendly and offered water, though we both were well stocked with Gatorade for the long haul across the desert.

More pictures of the dunes: a closeup, another closeup, a wavy dune, Jason in front of a dune, Jesse in front of a dune.

As I looked out over the sand I saw a few dune buggies and four-wheelers playing in the sand.  I wondered what it would have looked like a day or two before, during the weekend.  From the tire tracks everywhere and what I swear was the faint odor of beer, I imagined it to be complete chaos.  If only I’d had a dune buggy to take for a spin.  I just drooled at the sight of all the fun that could be had here on one of those things.

Once in Glamis, we were happy to see the Glamis Store.  Unfortunately they do not have public restrooms despite being the only place in more than 70 miles of desert highway.  We were told there was an outhouse, back UP the hill, back the way we’d come from.  I imagine the clerk is tired of answering that question, “where is the restroom?”  The prices at the Glamis store were also outrageous.  It was something like $3.70 or more for a bottle of Gatorade.

After Glamis, things became less interesting.  The heat arrived, a headwind picked up, the shoulder disappeared, and we came to miles and miles of “rollers.”  These short hills and valleys hide traffic approaching from front and behind, making for some nervous riding.  I found the rollers tiring.  It never failed that just when I was getting up speed toward the bottom of a dip, ready to carry the momentum up the next hill, a truck would appear and I’d have to frantically pull off the road to avoid becoming roadkill.

Once in Palo Verde I drank a lot of water and ate some delicious ice cream.  I was exhausted, having ridden 70 miles through the desert by that time.  Palo Verde is small, with a population of 236 people, so we rode on another 20 miles to Blythe.  As I pulled up to the side of the road where Jesse was standing, waiting for me, I expected another hour or so of hunting for a room and then waiting to get checked into some motel.  To my surprise, Jesse had room keys in his hand!  I wheeled my bike over to “The Sahara,” a nice, modern Best Western with some great air conditioners and soft beds.

We showered and then walked around the area looking for somewhere to copy the contents of my memory stick to a CD.  I discovered earlier today that I’d left my spare camera batteries and memory sticks at the motel in Ocotillo.  Since my memory stick was full, I was looking for a way to empty it.  Thankfully we came across a computer store that was happy to provide the service.  My memory stick is again empty, ready to refill with pictures from the next few days.  I just hope my battery doesn’t die too soon.  I have no way to recharge it.

Finally, we got some supper at a Sizzler near our motel and then crashed for the night.  It was a perfect way to refuel after a tiring, but very enjoyable day.  I’ll never forget those sand dunes.