Day 4- Indio, CA to Blythe, CA
125 miles (oops)
7:35 minutes
3,886 feet of climbing
average heart rate-131 bpm, 6,200 calories burned
Indio to Blythe.
What a day. A long one at that. The day seemed to start fine. We were scheduled to do 101 miles for the day with a long climb at the beginning. Officially the climb was 11 miles. Unfortunately we took a wrong turn and ended up on Highway 86? Instead of the Interstate. We went 11.5 miles until we realized it. Hmmm? There were seven of us, three of them with GPS systems and all of us with route sheets. This was going to make the day a 125 mile day. Most interesting is the fact that there was not a female amongst our group. We are all men. We can’t get lost.
The day was long and hot with temperatures at 115 degrees a record for the area. Palm Springs was officially 111 degrees an all time record.. I noticed an outdoor café and he was cooking on a griddle without gas or electricity. A farmer told us he had to gather the hen’s eggs within an hour or they would become hard boiled. OK, I suckered you in on that one. But it was incredibly hot. We had a headwind as well. Riders dropped with several taken to the hospital in the afternoon. One long time rider and staff member said it was the hardest day of riding he had ever encountered. Mike T. and I were able to finish and were the only two out of our original seven. I think I drank fourteen 24 oz. bottles and poured many more over my head. Mike is a biking machine and if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have made it either. The heat was just too much for humans to be out in.
I took a few pictures so you can see the terrain. It was very desolate. Tomorrow as we move toward Wickenburg the terrain is less arid, but still desert. Also, tomorrow we get off the Interstate. And not a second too soon.
Well it is getting late. After biking, laundry and route rap where we discuss the next day, I am exhausted. The next few days and pretty tough, so I am signing off.
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Not a good place for a flat tire.
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.This gives you an idea of how desolate the landscape was..
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These are some of the hills we were climbing. They look almost beautiful in a way. On second thought-NO. I hate the heat and the hills. Laughing out loud.
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