Don't give up!

It has been said that everything is futile under the sun. Here the sun can be oppressive. The bright UV rays tear at my skin, and it is easy to get skin cancer. The dry air wicks the moisture out of my body. Riding into the wind, up the terrain tires out my legs. And then something unexpected happens, a flat tire. Resistance is futile in this unforgiving place. But I love it! I am in my element here. It is quiet and away from the crowd. I am cycling to my own rhythm, I make my own cadence. If I spring a flat, I walk. No one is timing me here, I am my own boss. Sometimes the powerlines sing and crackle in the winds.

On the River Mountain Loop Trail

I got on the trail this morning at mile marker 6.5 near Ithaca. There, a tall lady wearing a pink bikini top and running shorts was standing with a clear plastic bottle of water. Her hair was cut very short, like a military buzz cut, and had a metal shopping cart with supplies. Vegas definitely has its share of crazies. You could classify her in the marching to a different drummer category. I imagined what emotional cataclysm had resulted in her choice.

The day brought relief with clouds sheltering us at 35C (95F). I rode counter-clockwise into a stiff southeasterly wind. Up the hill once more, I shifted to the lowest granny gear. I made it with some difficulty and a big sense of accomplishment.

At the top of the hill is the junction to powerline road which is a rocky dirt road that leads toward Lake Mead. It, however, dead ends at the mountains. The powerlines continue over the ridges. At the junction is also a water pumping station and a solar array. The collectors follow the Sun's arc -- at this time of day they were all facing east.

There is a rest area near mile marker 4, and available water.