We rode out of the hotel at 6:20 with bagels and lots of water. We also thought it was time for us to ditch the tent that I have been carrying since Del Rio, TX (we never actually used it). Watching the sun rise in the desert was really beautiful. There was a haze in the distance that lasted the entire ride - not sure what it was - sand, smoke, etc.... The temperature stayed below 100 until around 9:30, and we pulled into a gas station, in Sentinel (the middle of nowhere - see pic below) just as it started to get hot (it was already hot, but it had been relatively cool). We got water, and headed out. Another 30 miles down the road, we hit a town called Dateland. Apparently, they are famous for their dates... we didn't try any. We rested there for 30- 40 minutes, drank, and re filled our water bottles. By the time we left, the desert was slow- cooking at a steady 111 degrees! We battled the head winds, and stopped every 5-6 miles to drink. At one point, a man pulled along side us and asked "Hey are you guys the 2 Iranian bikers sponsored by Pepsi, who are riding through the Yuma Desert?" We told him we were not, and declined his gracious offer of water (we had plenty). So now we look like bikers that Pepsi would consider sponsoring, and we also look like Iranians! Having a Pepsi truck behind us with cold drinks would be very appealing, but half the fun of this adventure has been going it alone (unsupported). We made it to Tacna, bought some food for dinner, then took showers. We look forward to taking tomorrow off, and resting our tired legs.
Thanks for coming along for the ride!
Check out our route at the link below:
Gila Bend, AZ- Tacna, AZ
glad you got out of Maricopa County without a run-in with Sheriff Joe!
ReplyDeleteKeep those documents in order, boys!
Ride on!