Great Outdoor Images

Today’s Highlights:
We had another epic day on our cross-country journey! We covered 118 miles from the Nevada-Utah border to Salt Lake City. We are on Mountain Time now, although it doesn’t matter much since we really operate on sunshine time. The 4:15 am alarm came much too soon this morning after yesterday’s long ride. I had to fix a flat tire in my hotel room, then had a very quick breakfast, and we were once again on the bikes at sunrise. I took a few pictures leaving town with the sun just coming over the horizon.

Our ride started on the salt flat, and we passed right by the Bonneville Salt Flats State Park. It is really amazing to see that white basin stretching out to the horizon or to the mountains. It was especially pretty at sunrise with a backdrop of purple mountains and high puffy clouds. After about ten miles, I joined up with Gene, Jane and Mark to form a pace line. There was a stiff wind from the south as we headed east, and it helped quite a bit to team up. We pressed on to our first rest stop which was a long 42 miles from the start. I didn’t take many photos during that stretch since I was concentrating on the group ride. It was nice to have company.

We continued our pace line after the rest stop, but I eventually dropped out so I could take pictures and move at my own pace. Pressing on in the wind alone was worth the extra work, because the landscape changed as a small climb raised us above the salt flats, and I stopped much more often to shoot. Winding through a low mountain pass, there were nice scenes of mountains and grasslands. Once over the pass, I picked up another pace line with Gene, Jane and Dave this time, and rode with them for about ten miles before venturing on my own again.

The route dropped down into salt flats again, southwest of the Great Salt Lake. I came to a small, very salty lake, which I assume was a southern-most branch of the Great Salt Lake. It was pretty to see, but not so nice to smell! The wind was very strong here and a struggle to ride against for several miles. Luckily, it shifted to a crosswind after a while and was not quite so difficult.

Our second and final rest stop was at ninety miles. I made it there feeling pretty good, and was not concerned about riding only thirty more. The crosswind continued as I rode on I80 where it dissects the southernmost tip of the Great Salt Lake. However, seeing the mountain range directly ahead and knowing the road would turn northeast, I knew that things would improve around the bend. And they did. The last twenty miles of the ride had a nice tailwind, and I was comfortable stopping as much as I wanted to take pictures since I made good time while pedaling. At 108 miles, I reached the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake, which I was really glad to see up close. The route was on a frontage road off I80 and I was able to stop often to enjoy the view. I rolled into the hotel around 3:15 pm. It was a very long day in the saddle, but another great day to be out experiencing natural wonders.

We have now ridden for eleven days straight, covering 869 miles, climbing 30,000 feet, with almost 60 hours of saddle time! Tomorrow is our first rest day. Hooray!

Pictures Of The Day:

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Today’s Highlights:
We had another early start today, on our bikes at 6am. It was a cool 60 degrees and we had a nice tailwind to help us cruise along with ease. It was a great start to our longest ride so far – 107 miles. We spent the first seven miles on a nice frontage road, followed by one hundred miles on I80. The first forty miles gained a little elevation, and it was quite easy with the tailwind. We passed some picturesque ranches along the way, but the mountains in the background were veiled in haze today. Photo opportunities were limited without the clear blue sky we had on previous days.

We had our first rest stop at mile 40 and our second one at mile 70. Between the two, we had a significant amount of climbing, almost 2000 feet, reaching a summit at 6919 feet. Most of the landscape approaching the climb was the usual sagebrush and occasional grassy pastures. However, as soon as we hit 6000 feet, low growing pine trees appeared, creating a very distinct change in the ecosystem. As we neared the summit, large granite walls rose up from the valley. The ascent up the canyon was very scenic and accompanied by a cool breeze. It was an enjoyable climb. The summit opened up into grassy meadows with yellow flowers.

After a quick rest and snack at the summit, there was a big, fast descent down the east side. Our luck with the wind changed, and a strong hot crosswind from the south added significant work to the last thirty miles. There was construction along the way, and we traveled fifteen miles in the closed off left lane. Near the end of the work zone, I rode along side fresh pavement and fragments stuck to my tires making a real mess.

After ninety miles, we reached a valley that had a lot of patches of salt. There was some mining in the area. At 100 miles, we had one more small climb. After cresting that hill, the town of Wendover appeared below. Beyond that was an amazing site. It looked like an ocean that had dried up (well, that’s really what it was). Unfortunately, it was still very hazy and I could not get a good picture of it. Tomorrow, we will get a close look at it as we ride through it.

I think today’s 100 miles was my fastest century ever. I finished it one hour faster than my usual century time. However, it still felt like a very long day. It’s actually hard to remember much of what I cycled through. I’m glad I took pictures to help remember it even though the lighting was not favorable.

Pictures Of The Day:

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Today’s Highlights:
In order to beat the afternoon heat for today’s 75-mile ride, we were up before 4:30 am, had breakfast at 5 am, and where on our bikes before 6:00. A thunder storm had blown through the region last night, leaving behind a nice cool morning with high thin clouds. I welcomed the 57 degree start and filtered sunlight since we have had a lot of sun over the last few days. A couple miles out of town, our route took us on a frontage road for 21 miles. It was very peaceful being off the highway and feeling far from any civilization. Only a few cars passed me on that entire stretch, and at times it was quite enough to hear the birds singing. Our valley ride followed the Humboldt River, which we saw occasionally throughout the day. The rail system also follows the same general route through Nevada and we saw several trains today. We had our first rest stop at mile 25, then the real work for the day started.

On I80 again, we started climbing a 15 mile hill, accompanied by a very strong crosswind. It took a lot of work to ascend, but the views along the way were splendid. I also saw three birds of prey nesting near the road. I think they were Kestrels. Once over the summit (Emigrant Pass), we had a great eight-mile downhill. I easily cruised at 35 mph, but it was a little dangerous with the strong crosswind pushing me to the left. Still, I enjoyed the reward after the long climb.

The descent brought us off the interstate and into the town of Carlin to our second rest stop at mile 50. A few miles later, we had a real treat riding through a canyon along the Humboldt River. It was only two miles, but had some of the best scenery of the day. This little jaunt bypassed the tunnels on I80, which cyclists are not allowed to ride through. Once around the tunnels, we hopped on I80 again and we picked up a significant tailwind for our last 15 miles to Elko.

I reached Elko just after noon. I saw a Subway shop one mile before the hotel, so I stopped to get a sandwich. I used the drive thru, because I’m not one to dillydally. They probably never had a biker come to the drive thru window before. I stuffed the sub in my pack and finished my ride to the hotel, then enjoyed it in the shade of a tree while I waited for the luggage truck to arrive.

Nevada has surpassed my expectations so far. The scenery was very interesting again today. We traveled through wide open spaces with a big sky and beautiful clouds. Mountains are always present in the distance and in every direction, and a river always flows somewhere nearby, creating a little oasis here and there. Besides occasional farm animals and cattle, we have seen snakes, lizards, rabbits and several types of birds. Most of all, this Nevada landscape is incredible peaceful and it can set one free when traveling on a bike in the middle of nowhere.

Pictures Of The Day:

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Today’s Highlights:
It was another beautiful sunny day in northern Nevada, and we enjoyed a 55-mile Sunday stroll along I80 from Winnemucca to Battle Mountain. It was a cool 60 degrees when we left the hotel and a breeze was blowing in our smiling faces. The wind was not a problem today though, as it was light and mostly at our backs when our route shifted to the southeast.

The landscape was mostly a flat sagebrush plain with dry desert mountains to the north and south. Ranches were very sparse, and I only saw a few cattle in a couple places. There was one large well irrigated farm where I also saw a lone lama in the field. We had one nice climb today, only 600 ft in three miles, and a rest stop at the summit of it. Going down the east side of Mt Golconda was a nice treat – a 5-mile easy descent. At mile 28, we entered Pumpernickel Valley, and from there it was a flat twenty-five mile ride into the town of Battle Mountain. The valley was a little greener than what we traveled through in the first half of the ride, but still mostly sagebrush. There were a couple more ranches along the way, and some mining areas on the far distant hills. Like yesterday, there was a section of I80 that had rumble strips every twenty feet or so, but they did not extend to the white line of the breakdown lane, so we were able to avoid them for the most part. All the trucks moved to the left lane before passing us, so I rarely had to move into the strips to avoid traffic.

I reached the town of Battle Mountain around 10:40 and stopped for ice cream with Ken, Bud and Mark since our hotel rooms were not yet ready. We have some time this afternoon to chill, and for the all-important laundry chore. It is about 100 degrees this afternoon and we are glad for a short day.

Pictures Of The Day:

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Today’s Highlights:
Good old headwinds! They don’t call this a “cross-country challenge” for nothing. Today we traveled 73 miles NNE to Winnemucca into a strong, steady wind from the north the entire way. The morning was particularly grueling, and I struggled with all my pedal power to reach 10 mph on flat, straight, open roads. On slight inclines, it was sometimes tough to go 8 mph. The morning temperature was a comfortable 66 degrees, but it quickly climbed to 80 an hour into the ride and to mid-nineties within three hours. The combination of the heat and wind was like a convection oven, and I needed a lot more water than usual. The roads were generally good today, either on Interstate 80 again, or some frontage road along side it. For several miles on the interstate, the shoulder had rumble strips every twenty feet to add to the discomfort.

On the bright side, the north wind cleared the air, and we had a bright blue sky and miles of clear visibility. There are low mountain ranges on both side of our route and it’s interesting to see their different colors and the vegetation changes across them. One particular mountain was noticeably green, and once further from it, I also noticed it still has a little snow on top. We passed an large lake where the Rye Patch State Rec Area is – another surprise in the desert. Occasionally, we passed ranches with some open range cattle, and some corrals with lama, sheep, goats or horses. Even more rarely we passed farms with irrigation, producing lush green fields that are such a rare sight here.

We started our day with breakfast at the Cowpoke Cafe, where we also had dinner the night before. The food was very good and the staff was especially friendly.

Even though today’s ride was twenty miles shorter than yesterday, it took me twenty minutes longer to finish. I reached the hotel around 1:30 with only a 13.3 mph average.

Pictures Of The Day:

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Statistics:
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Today’s Highlights:
Today’s challenge was a 92-mile ride through the Nevada desert. I was told that there would be no photo ops today – just take one picture of the desert and the rest looks all the same. That was far from what I experienced. There was beauty and variety all around.

We all met for breakfast at 5am and were on the road around 6am so that we could make some progress before the hottest part of the day. It was a very comfortable start, around 65 degrees. A few miles out of town, we got on Interstate 80 east and traveled on it for 70 out of the 92 miles. There are no other roads through much of northern Nevada, and we will be on I80 a lot until we reach Salt Lake City in another five days. For the first 25 miles, the highway followed the Truckee River. The vegetation, farms and ranches along the river were a pleasant contrast to the surrounding arid hills and mountains. We got off the highway briefly around mile 27 and rode through the little town of Wadsworth and then Fernley.

At mile 33, we had our first rest stop. I arrived there around 7:30 am and the temperature was already 80. Then we hopped on I80 again. Now far from any rivers, the desert scenery changed dramatically. There were areas where some grasses thrived. Otherwise, sagebrush was the predominant vegetation. In one area there was some kind of red growth, but I don’t know what it was. I passed one wetland and saw an egret there. The hills varied from redish to yellow, and various shades of brown.

In the middle of nowhere, I saw a big smiley face that someone had made out of rocks. I had a big smile on my face too. I was having a great ride.

I rode mostly by myself today. with only short encounters with other riders. I was able to get a few pictures of Andy (the mechanic) and Andy (from Sacramento) and David and Mark. I caught up with Mark on the highway and we rode together for about five miles. Then I got my first flat. Yep. In the middle of the desert on the highway. We walked a short distance to a safe place and started the tube change. Luckily, the SAG van showed up about 10 minutes into the situation, and I got help from Gene and Michele. I lost about 25 minutes due to this. Up to then, I was averaging 18.8 mph.

After the flat fix, I was on my way, but slowed down by a head wind. The wind was an issue for part of the day, although in general I made good time on the relatively flat roads. Our second rest stop was at 68 miles, which I reached before 10:30. Now the temp had climbed to at least 90. We rode on the highway for another 10 miles, then finally on a frontage road for the last 12 into the town of Lovelock. On the last stretch my bike computer registered 107 degrees, and that is how hot my feet felt too. I was running out of water, so I rationed it for the last seven miles with one sip per mile. I was somehow able to average 18 mph during the last 12 miles of the 92-mile ride. I was determined to get to the hotel and out of the heat. I reached the hotel at 12:08, a little more than 6 hours from my start. Even with a flat and many photo stops, it was the fastest 90 miles I have ever ridden.

Pictures Of The Day:

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Today’s Highlights:
We had an exceptionally scenic ride today over the Sierra Nevada mountains. Leaving Truckee before 7:00, we enjoyed some very crisp 45 degree mountain air. It was quite chilly riding in the shade of the tall pines since I dress lightly anticipating a quick warm up. Our route followed the Truckee River for several miles on the road. Then after reaching the Olympic Village, we got on a bike path that continued to follow right along the river’s edge. It was very tranquil and scenic. The trail ended in Tahoe City where we got our first glimpses of Lake Tahoe. The town was very nice, and the lake views were great. It had warmed up by then, and was sunny and clear. We could see the mountain range all around the lake, some of their peaks snow covered.

Some of us stopped at a bakery in town to get a quick treat of energy before our big climb of the day. Shortly after that we entered Nevada. From there we started climbing Mt Rose, rising almost 3000 feet in eight miles. As we climbed, there were more views of Lake Tahoes, including a spectacular vista at one highway pullout. The surrounding mountains and forest were also beautiful, making the climb even more fun. Just before the summit was a mountain meadow that I stopped to admire for a while. I reached the summit around 11:20 where we had our one rest stop for the day. It was a comfortable 75 degrees there.

Leaving the summit, we had eighteen miles of steep winding downhill. That was really fun. As we dropped down, the scenery change dramatically to a desert landscape. The temperature rose into the 90’s. I reached the hotel before 2pm, happy to get out of the heat.

Pictures Of The Day:

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Today’s Highlights:
Today’s ride was epic! We climbed almost 8000 feet in our 72-mile ride from Auburn to Truckee, cresting at Donner Pass around mile 62. The magnificent view from the top made the climb all worthwhile.

We started our day with a 5:00 am luggage load and 5:15 breakfast. I started my ride at 5:45, just as the sun was coming up and rode alone to the first rest stop. The morning was cool and just right for climbing. We traveled country roads that paralleled close to I80 and I saw a little wildlife along the way. At 18 miles we dropped down into a forested canyon and had to climb back out. It was very peaceful in there, and what I noticed the most was that I could no longer here the I80 traffic and finally heard the birds singing. At our first rest stop I met up with Bud and Ken. From there we leapfrogged each other throughout the day, but mostly I rode alone. At 36 miles we entered Interstate 80, and by then the temperature was in the 80’s and climbing. There was a nice shoulder, but a lot of traffic, especially trucks, which roared by as they climbed the unending grade. It was nice to get off there after 16 miles.

Fifty miles into the ride we started climbing Donner Pass Road which was a little steeper than earlier sections. The scenery got better, traveling through tall pines. Ken, Bud and I crested the pass together and stopped for pictures there. The view down to Donner Lake was very beautiful. It was unusually warm today, about 80 or 90 (it can sometime snow this time of year up there), and you could see for miles under the clear blue sky.

The next five miles was a steep winding downhill. I did not make up any time through, since I stopped very often to enjoy the view and take pictures. The ride along the lake was flat and pleasant, and the mountain lake homes along its shore were very nice. Our route also went through the center of the town of Truckee, and I wished there was more time to explore it. I stopped in several places for pictures. Leaving the edge of town, we crossed over the Truckee river and climbed for 1.5 miles to the hotel. Ken, Bud and I reached the hotel around 2pm, about two hours before the next rider arrived. It was a long, hot, strenuous day for everyone.

We are staying in a nice lodge tonight. They greeted us with cold bottles of water and delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Pictures Of The Day:

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Today’s Highlights:
I’ve already lost track of what day of the week it is. It’s just “day 3” of the adventure. We had a nice easy ride today. Only 50 miles, mostly flat with a good climb at the end, and beautiful comfortable weather. We left Sacramento at 7:00 and got right on the American River trail. It meandered along the river in the shade of the trees for about 25 miles, then continued above the dam and a little more open for another 10 or so. There were open fields along the way, and I saw turkey, quail, lots of birds and squirrels. One squirrel tried an attempted suicide under my front wheel. I went over it with both wheels, and the biker behind me winged it also. It kept running, and I’m sure it’s pretty sore right now. I was glad it didn’t go through my front spokes, because the outcome (for me) might have been bad.

I rode with Diego for most of the river trail. Along the way, I started chatting with a local rider to make sure we were headed in the right direction, as there were many intersections in the trail. It turned out that her husband was born in Poughkeepsie and worked for IBM there for many years before transferring to San Jose. They had visited Poughkeepsie just a few months ago and visited the Walkway, FDR, Westpoint and other sites. Small world.

We had a rest stop at Beal Point, Lake Folsom. From there, I rode alone to Auburn and enjoyed a nice hill climb. I met up with Mark at the edge of town, and we stopped for lunch there around 11am. We reached the hotel around noon. It’s nice that we have more rest time this afternoon, because tomorrow will be a killer day. The schedule calls for breakfast at 5:00 and on the bike by 6:00 am. Awesome!

Pictures Of The Day:

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Statistics:
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Today’s Highlights:
Our second 70-mile ride was great. We had a little delay getting started due to the personal attention the lone cook at the little diner paid to each and every person’s breakfast. Some riders waited almost one hour to get served, but it was yummy. We finally got on our bikes at 7:50 am. After a short ride through town, we turned east into the American Canyon. It was a nice steep climb through ranch country. After cresting the hill, our decent was accompanied by a strong tail wind. We coasted down at over 30 mph with no effort. The rest of the ride was flat and we continued to enjoy a tailwind for half the ride, averaging over 17 mph.

The first rest stop was set up at the Jelly Belly factory. Some people took a tour. I didn’t hang around long because I wanted to get to Sacramento early. From there, we traveled through a flat valley dotted with huge farms. California grows a lot of food! After 40 miles, the wind shifted and we had to pay back some of the help we received by pushing against a headwind. Fortunately, the last ten or so was again helped by a tail wind.

We rode several miles on bike paths along side freeways, which was not very scenic, but still a good ride. We also rode through the UC Davis campus.

After crossing the Tower Bridge, we entered Old Sacramento. It is a very interesting place to visit, with old cobblestone street, wooden boardwalk, and period architecture. After a brief visit there, I rode the last mile to the hotel. I spent most of the day riding with Bud, Ken and Mark.

This evening, my sister June visited me. We went back to Old Sac and toured around some more. Checked out the Delta King and a few shops. Evangeline’s (my granddaughter’s name) had a lot of oddities for fun and strange events. June joined the group for route rap and dinner. We eat at the New Blue Sky Chinese restaurant, recommended by Andy (one of the riders), and it was outstanding!

Looking forward to another nice ride tomorrow. It’s getting hot here.

Pictures Of The Day:

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