Last night, we went to bed exhaUsted, as per usual, and as we were shoving fruit snacks and candy into our mouths, (hmmm which we are also doing right now) we decided that we would get up early and get a hold on the desert before it's heat could get a hold of us. We didn't really get along with 6:15, and 7:00 didn't sound good either. 8 was better, and we stumbled over to the restaurant across the street that served us a delectable double cheese burger the night before. we had some much needed coffee, and a big bowl of oatmeal and eggs to kick start the day, accompanied by a few laughs, naturally.
Eureka, like Austin, was horrendously planned and was built on a hill. So, day number three of the desrt, we had to warm up to a climb of 7400 feet. I can't say it enough, but it is no way to start a 77 mile day. That being said, at least we got it out of the way. We got to the top and took or usual pictures of the elevation sign, and Lindsay made me laugh so hard i started crying and could hardly hold the bikes up. I was able to gain composure on our beautiful descent. As much as i "complain" about starting the day on a climb, the descent was totally worth it. The sky was incredibly blue, and the sun was shining with it's morning glow. There is nothing better than sitting back on your bike as you speed down a mountain, taking in everything you can, all of the new sites, finding the subtle differences between that and the mountain you just came from. Looking at the plains ahead, wondering how far your momentum will carry you this time.
Even though it was hard to leave our comfy beds, the hearty oatmeal gave us so much fuel. It was a night and day difference between getting started today and yesterday after the 112 miles. We are seeing first hand that putting the right amounts of the right things into it yields great results.
Our second climb was shorter, and was called Pancake summit, but it didn't live up to it's name. Another beautiful descent and we immediately met our third climb of the day up Little Antelope summit, and it surely wasn't little at 7438 feet. At this point, the oatmeal and snacks had worn off and we stopped for lunch, and had a few uninvited guests for lunch: flies and bees. They come out of no where and are so attracted to us. We honestly don't smell that bad. We had our 5 star meal of tuna, lemon, avacado, and ramen (we really do look forward to it!! It makes for a lovely picnic). we always crack up at meals, and generally get into hysterics mid bite or loose control of our ability to use our silverware. Today, while washing out the stove, i dropped everything in my arms on the ground while trying to hold on to the stove and our water for dear life as i caught my breath.
We came to a conclusion about camping vs hotels, and decided that safety is our number one priority, and with that comes along "feeling safe." Saving money on campgrounds (that are virtually non existent in these towns, and for a reason i think) will never outweigh the security behind a locked door at the end of the day. Our reasoning is that a lot of these towns are literally in the middle of nowhere. There is no where to go. The population is low and the drinking rates are high. When we enter the town and see the dilapidated buildings and out of business signs on dusty storefront windows, it doesn't scream "welcome we will take care of you." Not even close. Add the fact that we are two young women on bikes, with few clothes and the look of exhaustion on our faces to the equation, and a safe room never sounded so good. I'm sure that there are wonderful people in these places
,and are harmless and i am not trying to be quick to pass judgment, as i really don't know any of the people here, but we embarked on this journey with a purpose, which doesn't include taking unnecessary risks and ignoring our intuition.
Annnnywho, our final descent: at mile 52, the last 7588 climb and downhill to Ely... Sounds glamorous, right? We were bound and determined to climb as fast as our fatiguing bodies would let us, so we could glide down the mountain to our destination sooner than later (a recurring theme, i know). At this point i would like to take a moment and mention the cows. The landscape had been getting greener throughout the day, but i am quite certain that these cows may have been exempted from Darwin's survival of the fittest theory, as who would put completely black cows in the desert with literally no water in sight. In addition, they graze on the thistle weed and shrubs at 7600ft, where oxygen in thin. We didn't see any ranches nearby, so i guess it may be every cow for himself. Poor things!
The descent was peaceful as we watched the dragonflies, birds, and butterflies play in the dimming light of the setting sun, creating new shades of blue and purple on the mountains. The last 10 miles were tough, as our muscles were reaching their limits. All of them. They got smart when they built Ely, as it is in a valley. We appreciated it, but tonight even the downhill approaching the town was tough to get through. Our muscles are getting stronger daily, and even though we may start and end sore, there are brilliant moments, like the climbs when we can notice a difference from the day before. We were actually remarking tonight that while we are proud of the more than 600 miles that we have covered so far and all that had come with it, we would never want to be back at Day 1 and start over, because it has been so tough, which is partially why we have so.much to be proud of.
We began our meal with a milkshake, and still couldn't eat fast enough. We left snacking on candy to go next door and restocked on fruit snacks. Our days are long, the desert makes sure of that, but they are fulfilling and fun. We make it through by setting little goals: one hill at a time, one climb at a time. Eventually they all add up and we find ourselves fueling up to do it again, tomorrow.
We have a shorter day tomorrow, and it will be our last full day in Nevada, which won't let us leave with out just a few more climbs.
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