Thursday 19 April 2012 ~ Las Vegas to Alamo, NV
I was not mentally prepared to ride today, and it didn't help that the road we were to ride on was a 70-mph single-lane highway with basically non-existent shoulders. A number of times I, as well as other riders, were almost blown over by semis and other large vehicles passing literally two feet away from us. I quickly developed a strong aversion for inconsiderate drivers/truckers and bike-unfriendly roads. Adding to my frustration and lack of desire to ride this day was a cruel headwind that dogged us for the entirety of the day, so even though the route itself was relatively flat, my legs felt like they were climbing all day. A few pictures from the day...
Rest Stop #1: Coyote Springs
Vibrant blooms in an arid land.
Pahranagat Valley, our first view of water since leaving San Diego two weeks ago.
The Rattler no longer rattles :)
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Such a relief to be on crew today after yesterday's terrible riding experience. Some pictures of our team in action...
Brad, taking the start of the 10-mile climb with a smile.
Erin and Rosenfeld, two miles into the climb, still in good spirits :)
Oak Spring Summit, highest elevation of the ride to date. What a legit group of riders, great smiles and all. Robbie and Chris approaching the summit.
Jess and Laura at the peak. Amanda and Reena goin' strong.
The saving grace of a solid climb is the thrill of flying downhill on the other side of the hump. You'll notice Jess as she waves to me (I'm parked in the Budget truck with A/C blasting and chilled drink in hand).
The town of Panaca, NV was our last stop in Nevada. These little towns all have excellent high school facilities, at least better than my suburban high school back in Seattle. Notice the impressive rock formation behind LCHS (where we spent the night).
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Saturday 21 April 2012 ~ Panaca, NV to Cedar City, UT
I know I was done with the desert landscape of Nevada, and I was in high spirits to resume riding after a restful day on crew. Right off the bat we were greeted with an 11-mile climb ascending over 2,000 feet...small fries for fresh legs.
Brad and Nicole, all smiles at the top. The Rattler. Posing with the sign, which if you pay close attention, isn't exactly at the peak of the hill...there's another 200 yards to go.
The Beehive State, my first venture into this ruggedly beautiful land.
I really liked the clouds soon after entering Utah. They looked more unusual than what I'm familiar with.
More green than any landscape we passed in Nevada.
Amusing/frustrating story for the end of my day: Amanda and I had one goal in mind when we reached Cedar City - to take a shower at the aquatic center, which closes at 18:00. We arrive at St. Jude's Episcopal Church at 17:30 and have more than enough time to drive the Budget truck to the pool. Rob decides to join as well because he wanted to shower after a long day on crew. With two seats in the truck, Rob jumps into the cargo hold for the 5-minute drive. With Google directions in hand, we head out. Unbeknownst to us, the streets in Cedar City have multiple names, and we promptly miss our turn, instead driving blindly onto the longest freeway on-ramp. No big deal. I'll just turn the truck around at the next exit and look more closely for Royal Hunt Drive. But no, not in rural Utah. The next exit turned out to be nine miles away, and even when we got back to Cedar City, with three sets of eyes (Rob's now in the front and Amanda's sitting on luggage) scouring street signs for Royal Hunt, we still miss it. At this point I'm beyond frustrated, and am convinced that Royal Hunt Drive does not exist. We pull into Knight's Inn, where R4WH booked one room for riders to shower as they reached the city. Right as we pull in, Amanda and I see two other riders on their merry way to shower. Total fail. I couldn't remember the last time I was this frustrated :(
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