August 10: Molten Mojave
What a thrilling day! Today’s ride took me along the outskirts of the Mojave Desert, past the Salton Sea, and through the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to the small mountain town of Julian, California. On my almost 500-mile trip I rode through a flash flood, endured oven-like heat, and traveled for long stretches alone.
In plotting my route to Julian, I had three primary choices, two of which would have taken me further south to Phoenix and then west, avoiding the Mojave Desert. But strangely enough, I truly love riding through hot, desolate areas and really couldn’t resist this one, even though it meant more heat and extra time on the road.
Heading west on interstate 40 from Flagstaff this morning, I was struck by the beautiful colors of the fields and farmlands around me. The rolling green hills and meadows and bright yellow flowers stood in stark contrast to the sun-scorched red earth of the previous two days.
Shortly after entering Mojave County, I was struck by a flash flood. Rain pelted me and the bike and bounced off the pavement, obscuring my vision and that of the other drivers on the road. As there were no rest areas or freeway overpasses to provide shelter, I had a difficult choice to make – continue driving at 40 miles an hour with my flashers on, hoping I could see well enough to avoid running off the road or pull over and hope not to get hit by an errant vehicle. I kept moving and fortunately the flood ended soon.
During the downpour I was in no position to take any photos. However, as I continued west through Kingman, I was able to capture a picture of a flash flood to the north of me – a dramatic view of dark grey clouds spewing out water right next to blue sky with white clouds.
The cool air from the flood was short lived and by the time I reached my next gas stop the temperature was in the hundreds. I hydrated and wet my cooler vest and got back on the road, heading south on highway 95 through Mojave Trails National Monument and then southwest on highway 177 past Joshua Tree National Park.
I absolutely love this section of the route as it is filled with dips and surrounded by sand. It was exhilarating to ride on the asphalt with dunes on each side of me, passing signs warning of “drifting sand” and “soft shoulders.” The air around me was so hot, the wind in my face felt like the blast of heat I get when I am broiling in my oven and open the door to check on the food.
As I continued south past the Salton Sea, traffic became sparser, and I had the road almost completely to myself. There is something that feels so adventurous to me about traveling through desert areas in the heat alone. It’s a risk to travel in such hot conditions without a partner but thrilling at the same time. I had planned my gas and hydration stops carefully and fortunately was able to keep moving without complications.
The last 50 or so miles to Julian heading west on highway 78 was markedly different – as I passed through the Anza- Borrego Desert State Park, the landscape included more trees and shrubs and less sand. The road also became much curvier and led from one switchback to another as I wound my way into the town of Julian. What a great day on the bike!
