Day 9 – Battle Mountain, NV to Elko, NV via Emigrant Pass, 9 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 554 to 629, 75 miles, 2,500 feet of climb, max speed: 41 mph, avg speed 15 mph

The Final Four!

The best part of the trip is the people. We tend to ride with different folks at the start of the ride, but by half way through the day the ‘Final Four’ team was predestined to regroup. In the picture to the side is first Paul, our Marine whom we call Sarge. Next to him is Al, 74 years young and king of the senior citizen centers in his home town. He has 1500 hits a day on his blog, mostly from those acquaintances he has at his senior citizen health club memberships. He is quite the lady’s man. Then next to him is ‘Canada Dave’ from Vancouver. He is a natural talker, being both in marketing and radio announcing. He has many stories of folks he has had a chance to interview and do ‘front work’ for. The final of the final four is me! Each day we get a bit stronger, but so do the fitness kings that ride out front!

We certainly had a real hill today! Emigrant Pass can be demoralizing, rising 2,000 feet from the mountain base. What made it particularly frustrating was the rumble strips across the bike lines every 50 feet, taxing both bike and rider. Regardless, I am so glad we approached from the west. The east side is nothing but straight up. Our approach from the west was very scenic and climbed the summit in ‘stairs’. Our backside run (down the eastern side) was the fastest 20 miles any of us riders have ever done, most averaging over 30 mph. We did have one rider take a tumble over the top of her handlebars, broke her helmet, but she walked away from it – but directly to the SAG Wagon and on to the hospital. Tonight she and her husband made it to Route-Rap. She was sore from an abundance of very ugly road rash from head to toe. The cause was some lumber that had just fallen off a truck.

Overtaken by Tumbleweeds and Time

Last night we went to a Mexican restaurant, and it was wonderful. I had a T-Bone steak grilled up in all those good Mexican peppers, a side of rice, and some tasty beans. My medicine that I am taking does not allow me to have large amounts of calcium, so milk and Tums are out of the question until I am done with the antibiotic. The good news is that I am on the mend, able to ride, and being careful with the two things the doc warned me about: Sunburn and dizziness. Al wondered if the doc could do something about improving my pace. He branded me as the ‘Tourist on a Bike’. I get teased badly how often I stop to take pictures. He told everybody at dinner the other night that I even stopped to take a picture of a gas pump. Everybody got a good chuckle out of it, and mostly because it was true. It was a cute gas pump. I don’t see why it bothers him so. :)

A special event took place today. Gene and Jane, part of the support staff, became grandparents for the first time today. They got the text at 4AM that Grant, weighing over 11 pounds, entered into the world. Champaign was popped tonight after our nightly meeting to mark the event. Likewise, our riding couple from England celebrated their wedding anniversary today. Our group of riders is really bonding together. There is so much more to this trip than pedaling.

Bottom Line: Our country is so blessed with beauty. Our lives are blessed by friends.