Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Day 54: Fernley, NV Elevation: 4,153

Miles:  60.48
Average Speed:  12.28
Max Speed:  25.57
Total Miles:  1,945

A little Lovelock color -

Pershing County Courthouse

At the courthouse entrance

Opportunistic Lovelockians

Didn't count the locks....

....looked like thousands

Left pretty early and it was chilly - wore a jacket first 23 miles.  Should be the last of the desert today, I certainly hope.  Not too much of note along the way.  Hustled a bit to try beating the worst heat.

I converse with my shadow now

Not even scavengers will eat white bread

The Humboldt River which I've been following for 300+ miles does a curious thing here - it disappears into the Humboldt Sink.  These days so much water is extracted from it for irrigation it is about dried up by the time it gets here.  In days gone by it was the last water before the dreaded 40 Mile Desert.

Humboldt Sink

This speaks for itself - fix eyes straight ahead and ride

Desert

Desert

I think this is a geothermal plant about 15 miles from Fernley
The unforgiving
Very unforgiving

Don't know if this guy is wild - guessing from his location I'd guess so - ribs quite prominently evident

Tomorrow head for Carson City and maybe Minden depending on how it goes.  No more interstate for the rest of the ride.  Can't wait for the higher altitude, cooler climes and trees.

Had fried rice for dinner tonight - this was the fortune in my fortune cookie -


 
Posted by at

6 comments:

  1. TL BaxterAugust 30, 2011 at 5:41 PM

    What a lovely county courthouse. I know it seems redundant, but we are enjoying every day of your journey, albeit vicariously.

    Approaching the last leg.

    Stay safe.

    ReplyDelete
  2. chuckAugust 30, 2011 at 7:58 PM

    Fried rice! Now there's an energy-packed meal. That's only good for about 2 miles, man.
    As for Lovelock, NV, I guess that's better than Chastitybelt, NV.

    ReplyDelete
  3. KurtAugust 30, 2011 at 8:10 PM

    Looks like you've got another adventure ahead of you then, good! Perhaps you should ride back to Minn.

    ReplyDelete
  4. big louieAugust 30, 2011 at 8:22 PM

    The ten commandments at the courthouse door! Considering the 5th commandment they must not have the death penalty in Nevada.

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownAugust 31, 2011 at 3:12 AM

    Such desolate country, I remember making the trek in 1985 via automobile from MN to CA with the three kiddos thinking, 'I'm glad that I'm not in a covered wagon.' Take Care, Ann

    ReplyDelete
  6. mark fourreAugust 31, 2011 at 5:41 PM

    40 miles in the desert.
    40 days and 40 nights.
    Coincidence?
    I'd walk a mile for a Camel.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)