Our goal this morning was to hit the highway fairly early to try to beat the heat. We failed. The plan was to gas up and grab a quick bite at the local Mickey-D's and be on the road before 10. Well, that didn't work out as planned. It was well after 10:30 by the time we started the ride west.
Luckily, the weather was pretty mild (all things considered) in the morning, so we slathered on the sunblock and pointed the bikes toward Austin, NV. As usual this trip, the morning temperatures were comfortable and the ride was pleasant.
By the time we stopped for lunch in Austin, the desert oven had preheated, and my arms had been baked a very nice shade of red -- despite the bottle of sunscreen that I had applied. So, I donned my mesh jacket.
When we reached Fallon, NV, the temperatures had soared to 105° -- again. As luck would have it, we rode through Fallon during rush hour traffic. Did I mention that it was 105°? Yeah, it was that kind ride through town.
We were close to spent by the time we reached I-80 and the last 30 miles of the day. Three days of 100°+ temperatures had us pretty drained, but the road had one more adventure to throw at us -- rain, and lots of it.
The temperature dropped about 30 degrees in a matter of minutes. It was a welcome relief from the heat, but the deluge made the ride through the pass into Sparks very tense.
Tomorrow is a rest day. We will hang out in downtown Reno and take some time to gamble. Wish us luck.
Phew! A well-deserved, much needed rest day by the sound of it! I'm sure you had some great moments and saw some great sights even in all the heat and rain. Enjoy & good luck :)
ReplyDeleteYour definition of "early" is about 5 hours away from mine... Glad you made it though. How are you heading to Tahoe? I'd highly recommend 395/89 through Markleeville. Stop at the Stone Fly if you go that way.
ReplyDeleteOur definition of "early" doesn't match with many folks. :-) You know me, not much of a morning person -- at least when I'm on vacation.
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