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Mar 15, 2013:
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Mojave Mayhem
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Distance to Date: 18,411 km / 11,393 mi
It was too hard to leave Phoenix! Too hard! We were too comfortable there;
nevertheless, the road beckons and we continue. But after a month of no riding,
we were soft. Friends of ours were going out to Joshua Tree National Park (near
Palm Springs, CA) to climb; therefore, we hitched a ride with them "to get us out
the door!"
The adventure starts almost immediately. From arriving at J Tree N.P. with snow
flurries to leaving it 3 days later and heading into the Mojave heat. That is, Mojave
Mayhem! Who would have thought that mid-March in the Mojave Desert would be
in the mid-90's! WOW!
We had to cross over two passes in the brutal heat. At the moment, we are in
Baker, CA dreading the northward route through Death Valley. This kind of heat is
probably normal a month or two later, but in March?! Northward to Reno we go!
At Hidden Valley Campground in Joshua Tree National Park with Intersection Rock
in the background.
We coast downhill to Twenty-nine Palms and continue on towards Amboy, CA.
One thing good about this route is the open country.
The following morning, we get ready for the heat and first mountain pass up ahead.
One pass down, and also Tauru. No shade to hide from the blustering sun... and
this is March?
We reach Amboy and realize that there's not much there. Amboy was once a
flourishing stop along Route 66, but now it's not much more than one gas station.
There's a motel, but it's abandoned. We were told that we could camp inside one
of the rooms. There's no water and barely any food in Amboy -- we sponge bathe
with the local salt well-water and dine on potato chips for dinner.
The bike takes the main room.
And we take the other room.
There's no electricity or running water. At the price of "free," we were quite happy.
The next day, we climb over 3,000 ft over 19 miles. Yikes! Yes, there was a lot of
walking goin' on.
We make it to the Interstate 40 underpass (en route to Kelso, CA) and take a break
during the hottest part of the day. Tauru is done. Done. DONE!
But we continue another mile or so and enter the Mojave Desert National Preserve
and camp for the night.
Mountains in the distance remind us the following morning that we still have
another couple of hundred feet to climb.
Christi finishes packing up our camp just as the heat climbs to "over-bearing."
The view is nice.
But it all looks the same after awhile.
We focus on the road ahead.
Those mountains are still there.
Not much of a bush to hide under. It's hot... very hot. March in the 90's!? Why?
From the top, we coast 14 miles down to Kelso! Woohoo! There's a train station
and a cafe there, but the cafe is CLOSED!! We were hoping to get some food!!
There was water, but NO food! However, good folks helped us out and gave us
what they could to support us. Beer is much welcomed.
Then another pass to cross. Tauru walks without the bike. No more... no more.
Just kidding. At the top of the pass, there's a 24 mile descent down more than
3,000 ft to Baker, CA.
Down we go... to Baker... for food, food, food...
Christi's view.
Tauru's view.
Ah, this is Tauru's more preferred view. Taco Bell's processed food is like heaven
at this moment.
Baker, CA -- known for it's biggest thermometer in the world. Unfortunately, it's not
working. It hasn't worked for years now. Out here, it's either HOT, REALLY HOT
or HELL.
We take a motel to recover from the heat. At first, we thought it was a Wells Fargo
Bank... but luckily it was a motel, the only motel in town.
Finally, Tauru gets food. Lots of food. A giant pot full of food. Food. Food.
Yum....
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