| Distance | 100.37 kms | 62.14 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 876 meters | 2,874 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 5.80 | - |
| Avg speed | 10.7 kph | - |
| Avg climb | 2% | - |
| Max grade | 16% | - |
| Distance | 24,639.02 kms | 15,309.96 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 259,586 meters | 851,660 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 1,750.08 | - |
Monday, March 31st, 2014
62.37
No rush to leave this morning, I lie there luxuriating in this comfortable bed, hoping my stuff that is scattered all over the motel room will magically pack itself. A knock on the door gets me up; it’s the Indian owner wondering if I will stay another day. I never cease to be amazed by these Indian (as in from India) families who have bought motels in the most podunk reaches of America. It can’t be easy… From Mumbai to Parker, Arizona? Talk about culture shock.
I’m on the road at 9, I make a stop at the supermarket to use the water machine outside. I ask a guy if I can get back to Arizona if I head up the California side of the Colorado River to Parker Dam. He says yes; you’ll enjoy the ride just watch out for the wild burros. Wild burros? Cool! I stop at the Arizona Visitors’ Center for some free maps of the state. I leave town with some clean clothes on, showered, shaven, and armed with a full load of water and food.
I do enjoy the ride although I find the ridiculous number of RV’s who have installed themselves on the river shores to be a bit disconcerting. The burros don’t disappoint. I cross back into Arizona by riding over the dam itself, then continue up 95 towards Lake Havasu. Nice scenery with the mix of desert mountains and blue water of the river/lake. There is some climbing but nothing hard. In the afternoon I roll into Lake Havasu City. It’s an awful lot bigger than what I expected; complete with Starbucks, McDonald’s, the works. I check out the London Bridge. I remember having read years ago that it was out in Arizona somewhere… that somewhere is here. I stop at a bike shop to have them look at my front derailleur shifter. It hasn’t been shifting up to the large chain ring since yesterday (yesterday being one of the few days on the trip when I actually really needed the thing). He can’t believe how much my bike weighs. It takes the two of us to lift it up onto the stand. It turns out it was the little ratchet gate that was stuck, a minor fix that takes him just a few minutes to unstick and lube. He won’t accept any payment – thanks!
I stop at Starbucks on the way out of town for an espresso. A woman sees the bike and comes over to talk to me, it turns out her son once rode a bicycle from the west coast of Canada to the east coast of the U.S., running out of money in the process and having to find work on farms along the way. She tells me Lace Havasu City is party/vacation town. It does have that look. On my way out of town I see a sign for a state campground on the beach so I ride down to investigate. They want 30 dollars per night for a campsite! Even with just a bicycle I ask? Yup. No thanks, I’ll go sleep in the desert. 10 miles down the road that’s just what I do. I open a gate on what is surely BLM land and find myself a nice spot to set up on. The sunset is spectacular, only to be eclipsed by my dinner. Dinner is always excellent soon after going to the supermarket, after that it goes downhill as I run out of stuff and things start losing their freshness. There is hardly any moon tonight so the stars are out in their full glory.
After all is said and done I’ve drunk 8 liters today. Quite a lot of water for temps in the 80’s and a light riding day, I must have let myself get dehydrated on that stretch between 29 Palms and Parker.
