Unfortunately, I am unable to upload any pictures right now due to website problems. But if you go to my facebook page you can see all the pictures there under the photo album "Bike Across America" . I upload pictures there daily.
Today was our longest day yet. We started out this morning at 7am to beat the heat, as it was going to be 100 today. It were doing really well until after lunch, then the heat just drained our energy. But we continued on to make it to our goal--Ehrenberg, AZ, which just across the Colorado River into AZ from Blythe, CA.
We had a very interesting ride. First we rode through the Imperial Sand Dunes, where many people come with their RV's and off-road vehicles and enjoy riding in the sand dunes. Then we went through the Chocolate Mountains, because of how dark brown they look. The road was narrow with no shouler and many rolling hills. But with the cars driving fast and big trucks passing it could be dangerous, so we thank the Lord for protecting us.
This ride from Brawley to Blythe is the loneliest stretches of roads we will travel. With no services for 60 miles going through the desert. Dave Ryder has only two bottles that he carries with him and when it is hot that doesn't last long. Not thinking, we sent the Knellers on ahead to the next town. I carry two bottles plus a camelback filled with 3 liters of water. But Dave was running out and he was thinking he might have to call ahead to the Knellers to have them bring him some water. But about 5 miles later there was a Border Patrol checkpoint (our third one of the trip), and he asked them if he could have some water. They were happy to give plenty of cold water in their little building. Afterwards he prayed with the two guards, and thanked them. What a blessing to see how the Lord provides for our needs.
Once out of the sand dunes and through the mountains we came to another valley full of agriculture. It's amazing to see all this fertile land in the middle of a desert. Yet there is plenty of water to grow so much. They use many canals to bring the water to the fields and then flood them to irrigate them. I think the source must be the Colorado River.?
On our journey through California here is what I saw growing--Calif is so rich in agriculture: avocadoes, citrus, dates, figs, sorghum, lot of hay and alfalfa, sugar beets, lettuce, spinach, kale, cotton, and many other things we couldn't identify.
We were hoping to do 100 mi. today, but was so hot so just stopped at 94, where there was a motel we could stop for the night. Enjoyed Dave and Faith's cooking in the motel room. Had pasta with marinara sauce, cooked carrots, and a nice salad.
When we stopped for lunch a man gave us many bottles of water and gatorade. He felt really sorry for us I guess. We gave him a Steps to Christ.
Tomorrow we go through more mountains in AZ. Hope it won't be as hot. I'm definitely getting my share of vitamin D.
I sure do miss my family and all my church family back home. After riding through these desolate hot areas the past few days (and many more to come) I definitely am blessed and thank God for where I live--in such a beautiful, green, moderate climate such as Dunlap, TN.
I hear it is quite cold back home now. Wish you could send some of that cold our way and we could send you some of our heat.
Need to go to bed now--very tired out.
By the way, Ryder must be feeling a whole lot better now. He is all wired up! Eating all sorts of weird concoctions. He started eating 6:00 and he's still going even now at 9:00. Can't seem to get enough. Faith is cooking up some lentils and rice for tomorrows supper, but the smell of it is making his mouth water, so he's helped himself to more. Not sure if he is ever going to fill up.
So glad he is came to ride with me, especially the hardest part of the whole trip, which is all that he will be riding during his two weeks, from San Diego to El Paso.
He encourages me and makes things fun and interesting. He's a great person to poke fun at.
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