Cake And Ice Cream

Waking up to an alarm clock is not my favourite way to start the day. I’m sure I’m not alone in that sentiment. And yet, that’s how today began. To make matters worse, the alarm was on my phone and my phone was charging on the other side of the room. As such, the mad scramble to turn off said phone was needed. Sure, the end result was that I was awake – and that was the point. But not my preferred way to get there.

With my system jolted into consciousness, I set about packing up for today’s ride into the desert. Packing for today’s ride was more of a challenge than usual because I was taking quite a bit of water with me. And most of it was frozen. If all went well, I’d be enjoying cold water all day without condensation soaking all my gear.

As I was putting the final touches on my packing, Bill summoned me for breakfast. It was a welcome diversion. Breakfast consisted of a concoction of chorizo and eggs on a tortilla shell and orange juice. I’d never had chorizo before but apparently it’s Mexican. I can confirm that it’s delicious. Especially when cheese and Bill’s homemade salsa are added. Yes, I know I mentioned the salsa yesterday but seriously, it was really good. In hindsight I should’ve smuggled some out for the road. As for the orange juice, it too was great. I only mention it because before I started this journey I used to drink a big glass of orange juice almost every morning. But until this morning, I can’t remember the last time I had orange juice. It would seem I missed it.

After breakfast I returned to packing my bags. Bags that were packed to the heaviest they’ve been in a LONG time. This was certainly the most water I’ve carried on this trip. Part of me thought it was a bit excessive but I figured it was better to have too much than not enough. I’ve heard the desert gets hot.

In an attempt to beat some of that heat, I was on the road by 7:30. I followed the directions Bill had given me to get out of town while dealing with as few drivers and potholes as possible. The route was very successful in both regards.

While I didn’t know exactly what to expect from my first full day in the desert, Bill did give me a bit of a primer as to what the day’s ride would entail. Sand, sun, wind, hills, and dips were in my future. Other than the dips, none of that came as much of a surprise. The biggest surprise of the day was the wind. It was a tailwind. And not a gentle tailwind. Needless to say, I was more than a little happy. One might even say ecstatic.

As much as a headwind can make for a miserable day, a tailwind can make you want to cycle forever. I’ve had tailwinds before but not like this. And not on roads like this. Much of the ride was flat but when there were hills they gently rolled from one to the next. Most of the time there was enough momentum from the descent to clear the subsequent climb. Simply put, it was glorious.

My first official stop of the day came around 11:00 at a Border Patrol checkpoint. Clearly I’m missing something as I didn’t really understand why this particular checkpoint was there. I mean, it’s not like the border to Mexico is right there. But I’m sure they have their reasons. Whatever the reason, it worked out well for me.

As you might expect, there isn’t a lot of shade in the desert. One might even say there isn’t any shade in the desert. Where there was shade was at the Border Patrol checkpoint. So, as the officer waved me through (it wasn’t particularly busy), I asked if I could hang out in the shade for bit. Permission was granted.

Despite the ease of the ride to that point, I had long since burned through breakfast and I was more than a little hungry. I was without Subway so instead I feasted on bagels with peanut butter and honey. Maybe it’s because I was really hungry, but it was a very enjoyable lunch. And before I left I was even able to get my water bottles refilled. The Border Patrol people were very friendly – although, I’m sure that would change if one was caught smuggling anything across the checkpoint.

My ride after “lunch” (it was only 11:00) was as glorious as my ride before lunch. The desert may be harsh but it’s also stunning. And with the wind continuing to blow favourably, I was able to relax and enjoy the views. And the views, while a bit stark at times, were incredible in every direction. I attempted a “photosphere” shot with my phone which may or may not be visible below. Please let me know if it works!
[sphere 6750 title=”Welcome to the Desert” autoload]
As mentioned yesterday, my plan for the day was to stay with a host (Nancy) in Palo Verde – about 105 km from where I started. This seemed like a good plan when it was made. But that was before the tailwind revealed itself. When I arrived in Palo Verde at 12:30, the plan was clearly in need of updating.

While Nancy sounded very nice on the phone, I decided I couldn’t pass up the conditions that the wind was presenting. And so I pedalled on. Not having a data plan on my phone (or any other plan for that matter) meant that I wouldn’t be able to advise Nancy of my change of plans until I found WiFi again. Hopefully she would understand. Spoiler Alert: She did.

The only downside to my revised plan was that I no longer had accommodation arrangements. I was too busy enjoying the tailwind to worry about it. Something would come up. Somewhere.

My new destination was Blythe, CA which was only about 50 more kilometres down the road. Given the wind, I figured that would be a piece of cake. It was.

Unlike Palo Verde, Blythe has a full complement of services available. Restaurants, groceries, fast food, motels. The whole works. They also have a Starbucks. I’m still very much NOT a coffee drinker but I knew I could find a decent WiFi connection there. In addition to letting Nancy know of my change of plans, I was also able to send a Warm Showers request out to Wayne, a local host. From there, it was a waiting game.

I decided that going for ice cream would be a good way to play the waiting game, after all, it’s no secret that I enjoy ice cream. Especially after a good day’s ride (or a bad day’s ride). On more than one occasion I’ve uttered the phrase, “You can never really have too much ice cream.” Sadly, none of my “go to” places for ice cream are in Blythe. I needed a new plan. In lieu of a Wendy’s or Dairy Queen I ended up searching for ice cream at the Smart & Final grocery store. It was a very successful search.

With no single serving options available, I thought this would be a good time to put that “You can never really have too much ice cream” statement to the test. I know, I know. It’s a dirty job but somebody has to do it. I returned to Starbuck’s to begin the official experiment. The research was more than a little delicious, but I have to be honest and admit that 1.41 litres of ice cream in one sitting may be too much. Perhaps that’s common knowledge. If it wasn’t before, it is now.

While enjoying my research, I also enjoyed receiving a favourable Warm Showers response. Wayne was in the process of driving home from Mexico, but that didn’t prevent him from offering to host. Wayne has a bait/tackle/convenience store in Blythe but it’s SO much more than that.

I arrived at Wayne’s and was promptly waved in and welcomed by Darcee. Moments later I was being shown around and introduced to the many locals (including the Mayor, who later bought me a beer) that had congregated on the patio to drink beer and otherwise socialize. After setting up my tent, I joined the party.

To say that that everyone was welcoming would be an understatement. It only took a matter of minutes before I felt like I was one of the regulars. It was a great setting to end an incredible day on the bike. There were far too many names to remember so I’ll just say it was a pleasure meeting everyone. I heard amusing stories, learned about the upcoming Homecoming celebrations, was warned about snakes, and maybe even heard a couple of things I shouldn’t have. It was a very entertaining evening. My only regret is that I didn’t get a picture before the group slowly dispersed.

It’s safe to say that today was another day that didn’t go as expected. And in a truly great way – from the chorizo for breakfast to the strong tailwind to the ice cream experiment to my evening with Blythe’s finest. You can’t plan days like this. Well, maybe you can. But it’s more fun when you don’t.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 155.87 km
Ride time: 6:02:09
Average speed: 25.82 km/h*
Maximum speed: 58.33 km/h

* My average speed upon arriving in Blythe was as high as 26.5 km/h. Ah, the joys of a tailwind.