May 31, 2005
Day 14: Reveille Range to Crystal Springs
What a day! From sublime- to hellish - to sublime again. I woke up to the sweetest desert valley that I have ever experienced - green, soft, with birds calling. The ride up Railroad Valley gave me a sense of endlessness - motion while remaining stationary.
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Heading into Rachel, I hit more Seal-Kote on the highway. I had had about 30 miles of it yesterday, but this was fresher and stickier. I couldn't even stop and put my foot down or else I would get tar all over my shoe. Needless to say my speed suffered as I slogged on through the goo. My tires were coated and picked up all the pebbles - flinging them on my shirt and into my face. What fun!
I sure was glad to get to Rachel. I stopped for lunch at the Little AleInn and had a great burger and lots of iced tea. The waitress and cook were nice, but crusty as month-old bread. They love their guns, but hate the Clintons - - still. I met Trevor, an instructor at Berkeley, and we had a lengthy chat about the sociological implications of rural depopulation. I guess we fit in fine with all the folks who come here waiting for the aliens to land at Area 51.
Finally I just had to get back onto the sticky highway. It was nearly impossible to ride and I was mad as hell. I mean, who was the genius in the Nevada Department of Transportation who came up with this?? Halfway to Crystal Springs, I met a road crew. As I started to kvetch, they chimed in - in total agreement. They said that their boss was a few fries short of a supersize which made me feel a whole lot better. Plus, I could see where the Seal-Kote stopped just ahead.
The elevation dropped enough so that there were Joshua trees alongside the road. But that meant that there was also a big climb ahead to get out of the valley.
Hancock Summit doesn't seem that bad on a map, but it's steep and without any shade. I stopped frequently and took small sips of water, mindful of rationing it carefully. After reaching the summit, it was a superlicious, 12-mile downhill coast. Just before reaching Crystal Springs, there was a guy outside his house watering his garden. I stopped for water and he told me that I could camp right by the springs. Here - in the middle of the desert - was a true oasis, with trees and rushing water. I peeled off my clothes, jumped in, and forgot all my cares.
Today's ride: 78 miles (126 km)
Total: 744 miles (1,197 km)
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