Leaving the desert…

Saturday, March 4.

I wake up to frost on my tent. Doves coo in the palm trees. Sunrise is golden on the brown grass. It is calm. Unseen song birds join the morning song. It is the best morning yet. I could linger in this oasis, swim in the warm springs pool, sit in the sun and watch the blue pupfish swim. I am just getting into the groove and I don’t want to leave this strange desert.

High winds are predicted so I am out of camp by 8:10 am. It is 28 miles to Pahrump. The wind is 20-25 mph with gusts to 30 mph, but fortunately it is either a tailwind or off our right shoulders. We climb up out of Shoshone and into the Chicago Valley, then climb out, into the Amargosa Valley. There are all sorts of interesting cactus off in the distance: barrel cactus, cholla, and beavertail. I see tiny buds on one cactus. I don’t want to leave.

Riding up and out of Shoshone Village

It is bitter cold and I am underdressed. Wind buffets my front wheel. Get it done! The last 4 miles into Pahrump are ugly and take forever. There are billboards everywhere and hundreds of plastic bags snagged on sagebrush and fences flapping in the wind. It is dismal, but I also feel a sense of accomplishment and I feel strong after 227 miles.

The road to Pahrump

We meet back at the Best Western in Pahrump. I spend $5.38 for a cup of Folgers coffee from a machine. Those who met us in Pahrump drive off. Some say goodbye and others don’t. For those of us headed back to Las Vegas for flights home, we load up the bikes on the rack on top of the van to drive an hour back to La Quinta.

Here we all are on the first day

My pre-Death Valley life begins to enter my thoughts as the logistics of packing up Miss Blue, finding dinner and scheduling a 5 am ride to the airport take over.

It has been a very long and immersive week. It was often hard and uncomfortable, but it also commanded an attention and presence that is often missing in my day to day life. I rode my bike and let the wind blow me around. I rode my bike and saw wild burros, coyotes, blue birds and pupfish. I rode my bike up and down high mountain ranges; across low deserts; by crazy green rocks, white salt flats and clear badwater. I rode my bike by desert holly, creosote bushes and purple flowers. And, I rode my dusty bike in dusty clothes, dusty shoes and dusty gloves.

I think the dust will never leave; imbedded in my lungs; stuck to my tent; ground into my bicycle chain. But in the right light it sparkles like tiny flecks of gold.

Until next time…