Day 63, 111 miles, Parker, AZ, to Twentynine Palms, CA
Day 62, 58 miles, Salome to Parker, AZ
Day 61, 97 miles, Prescott to Salome, AZ
Day 60, 0/work day, Prescott, AZ
If there’s an activity that defines loneliness more accurately than riding a bike through the Mojave at 3:30 a.m., I don’t know what it is.
Lonely, yes, with no cars, no sound, no buildings, no…nothing, really. But also serene, spiritual and beautiful. No cars, no sound, no buildings, etc. I can’t accurately describe the feeling of absolute freedom and peace. Here on Day 63 of my now-68-day xUS bike trip, I wanted the darkness to last longer.
Two minutes out of Parker, AZ, I crossed the Colorado River in the dark, and entered California.
I silently celebrated the welcome to my final state of this trip, and with some trepidation, because I knew before me lie 100 miles of Mojave desert without any breaks for rest, shade, refills, interaction. Just desert all the way to Twentynine Palms. It turned out to be the hardest ride I’ve ever had.
It wasn’t an ideal plan, this Mojave crossing in July, and I wouldn’t recommend it, but there really was no choice. The only way to L.A. from where I am is through the Mojave. The 3:30 a.m. departure was an attempt to beat the heat. When I left Parker, one of the hottest towns I’ve visited, the temperature was 90 degrees, with a high of 115 forecast.
Soon the sun rose behind me and offered a gorgeous panorama.
But I knew that meant the relative cool of the night was soon to end. Temperatures began to rise quickly, and I focused on staying hydrated, fueled and moving forward on California 62 West.
It took about everything I had, today’s ride, especially about 60 miles in, when 62 West entered the Sheephole Valley Wilderness and climbed more than 2,000 feet in the upper-90s heat. At least, with the climb, the temperature dropped a couple degrees.
The Mojave is beautiful in its way, and 62 West offers some interesting attractions, like the Rice (that’s the local name of the road) Shoe Fence, a random assortment of shoes, each pair adorned with a story:
and the Rice desert signpost, which displays notes and stories contributed by passersby:
But of all the notable signs and attractions of today’s difficult desert ride, I’m afraid my favorite was the “Welcome to Twentynine Palms” sign, which I failed to photograph because my phone/camera was too hot. It was 105 when I entered town.
The good news for me is that my 111-mile Mojave crossing was the last long ride of my xUS trip. Long Beach, my final destination, is a mere 160 miles from here, and I have five days to ride it. I’ve gotten a good dose of the desert, and I’m ready to leave it.