Today: 71.4 Miles – AVG Speed: 10.1MPH – Top Speed: 34.3MPH
Total: 4,909.80
It’s Matthias and I on the road again. Are you getting a good feel for his character, yet? If not, I’m going to ignore the standard literary advice of building a character over time through dialogue and just give you a run-down.
1. At aged just 21 Matthias has already completed two long tours around California and this is his third and longest tour.
2. He always has pancakes for breakfast, despite advice on the contrary.
3. “They have wi-fi, but it’s very poor” has become somewhat of a catchphrase.
4. “I hate Nevada” is another.
5. As is “You call me disgusting”. I’ll leave this one to your imagination.
We started in some kind of religious delicatessen for breakfast where I had a burrito and Matthias had some you-know-whats. After some unsatisfactory internetting we were on our way, beginning with a gentle downhill and into a 45 mile flat. I’ll admit fault here, this road has become considerably lonelier the further we travel on it, maybe it is even the loneliest. I feel terrible about advocating the sacking of this wonderfully accurate employee now, and even musing on whether they're still alive. If sir/madam, you are still alive and reading this, I can't tell you how happy that makes me (very).
Today, we were in the desert proper and there wasn’t much to see except for big skies and sand, although we did get to spot three antelopes chasing each other by the road, it was pretty impressive watching these sprightly mammals kicking up dust so close to us yet so far away from anything else, but the splendour was too rapid to be captured by my spaz hand searching for a camera. Still, the eyes have it.
The final 20 miles were spent grinding uphill, and yet again, I enjoyed it. Firstly, the temperature cooled as we were gaining elevation, and also, the landscape had more vegetation than earlier in the day. As impressive as the high desert is, it signifies death, so the trees and shade made a welcome change.
We could also hear explosions near us. At first, I assumed it was a quarry, but the noise was too great for it to be mining. Then we noticed fighter jets ahead and guessed they were test-dropping bombs, but eventually, we came to the conclusion that this was the sound of fighter jets hitting sonic boom - please bear in mind this conclusion was drawn with zero year’s cumulative aviation experience. If anyone with experience of the air-force and/or the audibles of the Nevada desert can confirm or deny this, then please, step-forward.
After 70 miles we began the winding descent to Austin and it is a strange place. It’s a little like Eureka, but without the niceties. I went into a bar to get a couple of take-way beers and was treated with as much disdain as I have been subject to so far, then the same thing when we went for dinner. Despite this indifference towards us, I still like the place in a curious sense. It has character. It clearly doesn’t have much industry or wealth, an observation cemented with knowledge that that the population is 160. Down from 8,000 during the gold and silver rush. Not exactly booming.
Finally, those of you who follow International news will be aware of the enormous wildfire near Yosemite National Park. So far it has scorched 350 square miles of woodland. The smoke is visible for hundreds of miles in every direction and can already lay claim to being California's fourth largest fire of all time. When we arrive in Fallon tomorrow we’re told the smoke will be in our faces and up our noses, but we can see in the valley below that it is already arriving. Whatever the experience tomorrow it should be novel, and most likely, crap. But with 7 days remaining, I’m just trying to enjoy every moment on the bike, obscured or otherwise.
Total: 4,909.80
It’s Matthias and I on the road again. Are you getting a good feel for his character, yet? If not, I’m going to ignore the standard literary advice of building a character over time through dialogue and just give you a run-down.
1. At aged just 21 Matthias has already completed two long tours around California and this is his third and longest tour.
2. He always has pancakes for breakfast, despite advice on the contrary.
3. “They have wi-fi, but it’s very poor” has become somewhat of a catchphrase.
4. “I hate Nevada” is another.
5. As is “You call me disgusting”. I’ll leave this one to your imagination.
We started in some kind of religious delicatessen for breakfast where I had a burrito and Matthias had some you-know-whats. After some unsatisfactory internetting we were on our way, beginning with a gentle downhill and into a 45 mile flat. I’ll admit fault here, this road has become considerably lonelier the further we travel on it, maybe it is even the loneliest. I feel terrible about advocating the sacking of this wonderfully accurate employee now, and even musing on whether they're still alive. If sir/madam, you are still alive and reading this, I can't tell you how happy that makes me (very).
Today, we were in the desert proper and there wasn’t much to see except for big skies and sand, although we did get to spot three antelopes chasing each other by the road, it was pretty impressive watching these sprightly mammals kicking up dust so close to us yet so far away from anything else, but the splendour was too rapid to be captured by my spaz hand searching for a camera. Still, the eyes have it.
The final 20 miles were spent grinding uphill, and yet again, I enjoyed it. Firstly, the temperature cooled as we were gaining elevation, and also, the landscape had more vegetation than earlier in the day. As impressive as the high desert is, it signifies death, so the trees and shade made a welcome change.
We could also hear explosions near us. At first, I assumed it was a quarry, but the noise was too great for it to be mining. Then we noticed fighter jets ahead and guessed they were test-dropping bombs, but eventually, we came to the conclusion that this was the sound of fighter jets hitting sonic boom - please bear in mind this conclusion was drawn with zero year’s cumulative aviation experience. If anyone with experience of the air-force and/or the audibles of the Nevada desert can confirm or deny this, then please, step-forward.
After 70 miles we began the winding descent to Austin and it is a strange place. It’s a little like Eureka, but without the niceties. I went into a bar to get a couple of take-way beers and was treated with as much disdain as I have been subject to so far, then the same thing when we went for dinner. Despite this indifference towards us, I still like the place in a curious sense. It has character. It clearly doesn’t have much industry or wealth, an observation cemented with knowledge that that the population is 160. Down from 8,000 during the gold and silver rush. Not exactly booming.
Finally, those of you who follow International news will be aware of the enormous wildfire near Yosemite National Park. So far it has scorched 350 square miles of woodland. The smoke is visible for hundreds of miles in every direction and can already lay claim to being California's fourth largest fire of all time. When we arrive in Fallon tomorrow we’re told the smoke will be in our faces and up our noses, but we can see in the valley below that it is already arriving. Whatever the experience tomorrow it should be novel, and most likely, crap. But with 7 days remaining, I’m just trying to enjoy every moment on the bike, obscured or otherwise.
That's me blogging and chilling. It's what I do.
Matthias just chilling. It's what he does.
If you need any cars further screwing up then pop in.
Things are looking smoky below.
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