A Desert Warm Up

The weather is one of those things that has a significant impact on how any given day will go. With the forecast calling for hot weather for the foreseeable future, I decided to get on the road a bit earlier than usual today. As such, I was packed up and cycling away from the Ma-Tar-Awa campground at 7:45. Sure, that’s a far cry from the 4:00 am departures I hear other cyclists do but, at the moment, I don’t feel the need to start my rides in the dark.

My plan to start early was clearly filled with good intentions but what started off so well went sour almost as quickly. Before my day could actually start I needed to head back to Alpine which took all of five minutes. Getting breakfast took significantly longer than five minutes.

Breakfast was at Subway but unfortunately the store didn’t open until 9:00. That would make getting on the road by 8:00 more of a challenge. With few food options along the way, I decided to wait. On the upside, there were tables nearby so I was able to sit down and work on yesterday’s update.

The time went quickly and Subway eventually opened. I ordered and ate and was ready to go by about 9:20. That’s when I met Don. Don is a local firefighter who had also stopped in for breakfast. His daughter is a cyclist and we ended up chatting about cycling, my trip, my route, and he was even able to clear up a rumour I’d heard about cyclists sometimes setting up camp at fire stations. It turns out it’s true. I’ll have to keep that in mind next time I’m looking for shelter.

By 10:00, Don and I had parted ways and I was officially on the road towards El Centro.

I don’t know at what point the terrain officially becomes desert, but I feel I was certainly in desert-like conditions on more than a few occasions today. There was heat. There was sand. The was very little shade. And there was a complete lack of services. That said, there was also a lot of stunning scenery. Truly stunning. I don’t know what I was expecting but I was truly in awe of some of the vistas.

Much of my route followed Old Highway 80 which basically parallels Interstate-8. Although, there were a couple of times where I was actually on the Interstate. Generally speaking, cycling on the Interstate Highways is a big no-no. But sometimes it’s allowed when there is no other road to use. And then there are times when you end up on the Interstate even when you know you’re not supposed to be. No, that’s not hypothetical.

As I’ve learned on many occasions, Google’s cycling directions aren’t always reliable. That was proven once again today.

As I passed through the town of Boulevard, Google wanted me to turn left to get onto the Interstate. That seemed like a good plan as I was reasonably confident the shoulder on the Interstate would be in better shape than the Old Highway 80 route. There was just one thing standing between me and Interstate-8 – namely the “No cyclists allowed” notice on the ramp to the I-8. Thanks Google.

I consulted the map to see what my options were. There were only two. Return to the Old Highway 80 route (where cyclists are permitted) or pretend I didn’t see the sign banning cyclists and take my chances on the Interstate Highway. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t an easy decision but in the end I knew what had to be done. And so, moments later I was looking the other way as I passed what may have been a sign banning cyclists from the Interstate. I can’t say for sure because I didn’t see it.

During my mildly illegal ride on I-8, both a Highway Patrol vehicle and a Border Patrol vehicle passed me at which point I figured one of two things would happen. 1. Said vehicle would alert the authorities and I could expect police intervention at any time. 2. Nothing would happen. I’m happy to report that #2 seemed to be winner.

The main reason I opted for the Interstate route was time. From a distance perspective, the Old Highway 80 route was only a few kilometres longer. However, I suspected I would be able to go faster on the wide shoulder of the Interstate Highway. The biggest reason I could think of to return to Old Highway 80 was strictly scenic. The Old Highway 80 route heads south towards Jacumba and at times runs parallel to the fence between the U.S. and Mexico. That would’ve been interesting to see but in the end I was satisfied with my decision.

My mildly illegal ride along I-8 ended up lasting for about 25 km. It was a 25 km ride that was very scenic. Who knew piles of rocks and wind farms could be so stunning? After 25 km, the Old Highway 80 route met up with Interstate 8 at which point I was no longer an illegal cyclist.

My legal ride along I-8 also went well, was also very scenic, and lasted for another 35 km before I was greeted with another sign banning cyclists. This time I obeyed. Less because of the sign, and more because it coincided with what I believed to be the official cycle route.

I was now just 40 km from El Centro. The sun and the heat were definitely wearing me out faster than I would’ve thought but I still felt pretty good. What killed me the most was the road. The last 40 km were awful. Okay, maybe just 30 of the last 40 kilometres were awful. But they were very awful. It made me long for the roads in Manitoba! I’m not kidding. These roads were awful. I’m pretty sure there were more cracks and potholes than actual road. The bike shook and by brain rattled. It was exhausting. And a bit infuriating. And not at all pleasant. And it continued like that for about 30 kilometres.

By 5:00 I was beaten up a bit. I was tired. I was thirsty. I was hungry. But mostly I was pretty frustrated with the road. I was also still 12 km from my destination. The temptation to just push on and power through was pretty strong but then I remembered last year’s ride into Halifax and how poorly that ended. And so, despite being so close to El Centro, I took a break.

To say that there wasn’t much shade on today’s ride would be a bit of an understatement. Deserts are funny that way. As such, I was more than a little happy to see large shadows being cast from large stacks of hay bales along the side of the road. I had found my rest stop.

They say a change will do you good. In my case, a rest did me some good. A lot of good. My rest took the form of my final sub and all the remaining water I had. Note to self: For future rides, bring more water. Just to be clear, I had plenty of water for the day. I only finished what I had because I knew I didn’t have far to go.

My rest stop was only about 15 minutes but it made the remaining 45 minute ride to El Centro much easier. My original plan was to stop at Little Caesar’s Pizza because, well … I felt I deserved a pizza after today’s ride. That plan changed when I passed (or almost passed) Wendy’s. A chocolate Frosty always trumps pizza in my book.

As I sat at Wendy’s, darkness was rapidly approaching and the thought of wild camping didn’t really sound appealing. Nor did trying to track down a fire station. A cheap (yet clean) motel sounded much more appealing. Fortunately, I found one.

My night ended at the Coronado Inn. I’d say the place fits the description of “you get what you pay for”. And, since I didn’t pay much, this place was more than adequate (how’s that for a ringing endorsement). It was clean. It was quiet. The WiFi worked. And the bed was very comfortable. As I see it, that’s a great way to end the day.

With the exception of the terrible roads late in the day, today’s ride was very enjoyable. It was also a good learning experience. My real desert crossings are yet to come but today gave me a small taste of what to expect. And what to plan for. Water. Food. Sunscreen. Don’t leave home without them. And if you think you’ve got enough water … take more!

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 141.98 km
Ride time: 6:44:29
Average speed: 21.06 km/h
Maximum speed: 64.22 km/h