| Distance | 83.81 kms | 52.20 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 1,703 meters | 5,587 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 6.08 | - |
| Avg speed | 8.5 kph | - |
| Avg climb | 4% | - |
| Max grade | 12% | - |
| Distance | 28,186.48 kms | 17,513.96 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 296,450 meters | 972,605 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 1,999.12 | - |
Friday, May 23rd, 2014
Max Speed: 47.00 mph
It was windy overnight but mercifully no blowing sand. This morning I take a closer look at the back rack: one of the support posts is broken. That makes broken back rack number 4 for the trip. Well this changes things, I was going to head north to do some more back-country riding but with a broken rack and no spare tire it's not a good idea. I decide to head south to Stovepipe Wells where the road will be paved all the way out of the park to Lone Pine.
I've got headwinds but the 20 miles to Stovepipe Wells go quickly. It is really hot there. I down a liter of Pepsi and a Twix bar in short order. Afterwards I feel queasy... I load up on water at the closed campground then head west up the mountain.
This turns out to be the most climbing I've done in quite a while: 5,000 feet from Stovepipe Wells to the top of the pass, and it is hot. I consume 5 liters of water during the climb.
The downhill to Panamint Valley on the other side is great fun but is over in a heartbeat. I hit 47mph even though I've got headwinds. The valley floor is less fun: hot as hell with direct headwinds. I still have some daylight but once I reach Panamint Springs and see the campground with showers and restaurant I give up. It turns out to be a good idea because I meet three Belgians when I pull into the restaurant who are doing a 3 week tour of the big parks in a rental SUV out of San Francisco. We go for drinks at the restaurant then meet up again later for dinner. Good to have some laughs and long conversations with someone other than myself.
