Distance: 96.28km
Average Speed: 17.8km/h
3 huge climbs, 3 descents and 3 flats (the 3 flats were mine, I'm trying to catch up with Ryan). We left the Utah Salt Flats and casino town of Wendover to enter the Nevada desert. We didn't pass any towns, shops or petrol stations along the way. After a few hours we saw a big M sign in the distance. We were thinking "Why would they build a McDonalds in the desert?" and we were right. It was just a sign saying next McDonalds, 1 hour. After another while we saw a sign for a rest stop. We read a sign saying "last rest stop for 114 miles". There would be a water fountain here surely! When we arrived at the rest stop all they had was a hole in the ground toilet. No water, not even to wash your hand's. As Ryan pointed out, if you were driving through the desert for 114 miles what is the first thing you would like to see at the rest stop? A WATER FOUNTAIN! After I fixed my second puncture of the day we were passed by a man wearing a top hat cycling through the desert. Once we got to a hill we passed him. He had headphones on so we didn't get to ask him how far he was going with just a backpack and a top hat. When we arrived in Wells we sat down to eat and just happened to be a the table next to the top hat man. His name was Mitch and he was cycling to the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert from Salt Lake City. He had a tuxedo in the backpack and had posted his tent ahead to the festival.
Funny! I've been driving west and saw that Mcdonalds sign, pulled over with my friend , and then ....oh .... yeah ...no Mcdonalds! We were scammed just like you! I imagine it would be way worse on a bike though. Glad to hear you made it across the desert ok!
ReplyDeleteAmanda