Day 42 August 4

Today we survived America's Loneliest Road and it wasn't lonely at all. There were coyote, burros, wild horses, elk and antelope sharing it with us.

Leaving Carson City at daybreak to get a head start before the oven rebooted, we headed out Highway 50, not only the "Loneliest Road" but also a part of the historic Pony Express route. A surprise of a slinking coyote darted in front of the bike.

We rode past casinos and "gentlemen's boutiques" one aptly called Squeeze Play, complete with red light flashing. Those weren't the only red flashing lights we saw - we had our first run-in with the law on the trip. "Too fast", he said. "Sorry", we said. No ticket - phew!

A brilliantly painted sunrise was our next excitement. Reds and pinks flooded the valley as mountains and trees stood darkly silhouetted in the waking sun. Cool wind rushed over the bike as we dug into the day. Dressed in leathers, we were comfortable as the ride progressed.

On a five hundred mile stretch of highway, there are 4 small towns between Carson City and Delta, where we ended the day. Gas was scarce and we needed to fill up several times. One stop was at a whimsical bar/ motel/ gas station and convienience store named Middlegate. Originally built to service travelers along the Pony Express route, it is filled with historic memorabilia (plus t- shirts and such that claim the wearer survived the Loneliest Road in America.)

Into the desert. All my fears of crossing this space were unwarranted. It was a lonely road, but we felt like we owned it. Part of the Great Basin, the flat arid expanse, spotted with sage brush, was bordered by carved purple and rose colored mountains. The desert was cut perfectly by the highway that we could see continuing ruler straight before us into the horizon. The changing mountain shapes kept our interest. A few wild horses, coyotes and free range cattle kept their distance.

A mountain to climb. A pass to traverse. Sudden curves for Jules and Magic to negotiate added a new wrinkle to the journey. Then back into the arid basin.

Ate lunch in Austin, then continued on as the oven door opened.

Finished Nevada and entered Utah. We were still in the basin, but the terrain changed to chunky gray formations, so like those in Zion National Park. Conspicuous in its whiteness, a huge salt flat opened before us.

The last 100 miles were the most difficult, but we are now in our air conditioned motel and the day is a memory of yet another adventure.

I learned today that the hard reality of the desert is where its intrinsic beauty lies. That anything survives under such severe conditions is miraculous and we were allowed to be part of that miracle.