Day 31!

One month and one day on the road!

With the wind and the late start, I didn't make much distance yesterday - probably no more than 55 miles. Fortunately, there are still plenty of juniper-type plants around, so I pulled off on a road in the middle of nowhere, dropped down the side of the road a bit, and set up camp between a set of three junipers. After a decent night of sleep (some critter wandered under the plants exploring once or twice, but I never got a look at it), I woke up to find my front tire flat. Sure enough, a fast check found a bit of tire wire debris sticking out of it. I pumped it up to see if the leak was slow enough to let me keep rolling on it, and things looked good (I was hoping to hold off on putting in a new tire until I got off of the interstate and into less tire-dangerous territory). After a few miles, I stopped to pump up the tire again, put on the pump, and promptly managed to tear the end of the presta valve completely off. Oops! With great care, in went a new tube - I was a bit worried since I still had a lot of distance to go on the interstate, and only 50 miles had given me a flat, but the tires have held up so far, with one more bit of wire getting stuck in the tire, but not penetrating to the tube. Grabbing breakfast at Seligman, I also loaded up on fluids (over 50 miles till the next shop) and was off for the long part of the day.

Today was supposed to be windy, but my good fortune with the weather held up, with it never getting too bad, and occasionally even turning enough to give me a bit of help, although along with it came plenty of dust. Cacti continued to increase, and I found myself generally passing through rolling hills and attractive country. While 50 miles isn't too far by car, at my rate on a bicycle, I figured I had about six hours of exercise where there would be no fluid resupply (unless I got desperate and went to a home or waved down a car to ask for help). I probably overdo the fluids I carry, but better safe than sorry! Despite the rolling hills, I still was losing elevation overall, and also had cooler weather in the morning, so I made good time, rolling into a truck stop (the first new resupply place) with about half my total fluids supply left.

The truck stop was a combined store, gas station, restaurant, and movie theater (yup, an actual mini-theater). I love these spots because they provide shower facilities for truckers, and an automated voice is always announcing that driver number XYZ's shower is now available - number AB... The restaurant had a lunch buffet going, and so I sat down to better food than I'd been eating recently - fruit, rice, potatoes, baked chicken. Biking all day will do great things for your appetite too! The truckers are fun, friendly people too. While I didn't chat with any of them as I sat eating, I enjoyed the conversations going on around me.

After eating and restocking supplies on the bicycle, I was about to leave when a guynamed Randy started talking to me. Randy and his wife had apparently just finished up a 6000 mile motorcycle tour, so he was a local to the area. He gave me suggestions on camping and told me about the road ahead. After chatting a bit, I was off. The truck stop I was at was still about 10 miles outside of Kingman, and I had hoped to take I-40 through it and a bit further on before camping out for the night. That plan had to change as the wind finally hit with a vengeance. It was still mainly blowing out of the south, with myself heading west, but even with the wide interstate median, I was getting blown around a lot, having to lean heavily to the side so as not to be blown over. I was also constantly worrying about hitting gravel and skidding out off the road. Finally, I managed to get to the first Kingman exit and started down to the local McDonalds to check the weather.

As I hit the exit ramp, there was a sign advertising a motel at only 35 dollars - a tie for the best rate I'd used yet, and tempting despite only one day of camping, given how dirty this weather has tended to make me. The McDonalds internet failed me, but a call home to give an update gave the parents a chance to give me a heads up - gusts in my area reaching 50 mph out of the south. Riding getting hit from the side by gusts of that speed would not be fun or safe. Also, right after Kingman, the road turns south, so I'd be fighting a very strong headwind. Tomorrow was supposed to be calmer, so I've decided to hotel for the night, given that I did almost 100 miles today. I normally check for the best priced hotel in town, but I had had no internet at the restaurant. This time, luck was really with me, and as I headed across the street to the first hotel, noticed another one advertising for only 30 dollars! Huzzah for the off season!!!

Having a hotel with electricity and internet has also let me keep working on my route, now that I've changed it again. The interstate median has been rough at times, as well as leaving me worrying about debris, so I was hoping to get off of it. Also, by my last plan, I was going to have to backtrack east alongside a river before crossing into California. With free time to spare, I've made what I hope are some better changes.

Tomorrow, I'll head west on a county route into Mohave Valley, then drop into California (YAY!) at Needles (BOO! - The only police officer I've ever met who was a jerk to me was from Needles so I was hoping to avoid it on general principle), then get on US 95 and head south to meet up with California 62, then to assorted roads taking me north of LA, and finally dropping into Malibu. Almost exactly 400 miles to go! Once again, depending on the shoulder conditions this could change, but that's the current plan (plan 3 or 4, I believe) A cooler front is supposed to move into the area starting tomorrow as well, so things might even stay under 100 for most of the time. Excellent! I expect that I may end up doing some night riding as this route will take me into the Mojave desert tomorrow, then promptly have me heading south through the Sonoran Desert - one of the hottest in North America!