August 8- Vegas Heat

Lodging: Tonopah, NV

Riding cross country is ALWAYS an adventure! Today I had to say goodbye to beautiful Utah and Arizona (see first two pictures). I didn’t take the time for any selfies because today was all about surviving the desert. I traveled almost 400 miles from Kanab, Utah to Tonopah, Nevada through sweltering heat with no shade in sight. After passing a 30 mile back-up going the other direction I realized I needed to add another stop to my schedule for hydration in case of emergency. I hit the outskirts of Death Valley in over 100 degree heat. The interesting thing is that the desert is actually kind of pretty if you stare at it long enough. I didn’t realize how many shades of brown there are- green brown, yellow brown, orange brown, gray brown, black brown, yellow brown, and of course dark brown brown (see third photo). I couldn’t get a better shot because the slow lane was moving at 85 and there were almost no pull outs. I’m glad I survived the ride and will have one more leg through the desert tomorrow before hitting Yosemite National Park on Monday.