| Distance | 28.80 kms | 18.02 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 309 meters | 1,014 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 2.79 | - |
| Avg speed | 6.4 kph | - |
| Avg climb | 3% | - |
| Max grade | 15% | - |
| Distance | 26,298.01 kms | 16,340.81 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 274,500 meters | 900,591 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 1,858.00 | - |
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014
I sleep in really late today, I don't even get out of the tent until 9am. I needed it. After breakfast I drag the bike out of the thicket, across the wash, and onto the dirt track. The wind is still roaring this morning but now it has swung around, coming from the north instead of the southwest. Good news for me as I have a good stretch heading south today.
After the reservoir the road starts to get worse. The part I've ridden up until now was graded recently, but from here on out it has lots of washboard and areas of thick sand. The goal of today's riding is to remain upright (which fortunately I manage to do...). I wind up and down hills, through valleys, and around mesas. A lone pickup truck with two women passes me at one point and asks how I'm doing. Good thanks.
I reach the San Rafael River around 2pm. It's such a beautiful spot that I decide to look for a campsite here; it has a supply of clear water, I've got lots of food, why not? I drag the bike for a mile down a sandy two-track heading east along the river until I find a nice spot to set up camp.
I take a frigid bath, change into clean clothes, then set about doing some chores I've been neglecting like patching the holes in my air mattress. They aren't so easy to find in the swiftly running stream but I get two - hopefully there aren't any more lurking about.
I climb up onto a rock formation to scout out a place to watch the sunset. After dinner I go back up and am treated to a beautiful desert sunset. It's chilly in the wind so I don't hang around for long after dark, straight into the sleeping bag for an early night.
