Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Hello to all of you that still follow! I have a family and a home that are all mine now. It has been more than 3 years since I have posted. Since then I have gotten married and bought a condo! We have two cats, Edna and Cash. We are still unpacking and setting up all of our furniture. It has been an amazing experience that I cannot explain our have you understand unless you have had these feelings. We have had our ups and downs, like any couple will have, but we have made it through ask of our disagreements with more love and understanding than before. In our ups we have grown together to become a strong couple and have an even stronger love for each other than we could have ever imagined. I will leave it at that for now. We are ready for bed and will talk to y'all later! Good night!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Pause for a Second...
Since my last update in Ozona, TX I have made some decisions, traveled on a bus and a plane, and am back in Long Beach, CA. You read that correctly: I have come home from my travels.
I appreciate everybody's support and good thoughts while I was out on the rode. All of your eyes reading my jumbled letters on this page has humbled me in a way I could never explain. I have had an adventure for a couple months and now I will recoup...until I am ready again.
They say that Texas will make or break you. For now, it broke me.
-----I will be back for you Texas. I will return to make a giant sized pancake out of you in the shape of a lone star. That is what I will leave you as: an airy, dry, flat bread with no flavor. All the BBQ sause in the state will not save you from your destiny.-----
I appreciate everybody's support and good thoughts while I was out on the rode. All of your eyes reading my jumbled letters on this page has humbled me in a way I could never explain. I have had an adventure for a couple months and now I will recoup...until I am ready again.
They say that Texas will make or break you. For now, it broke me.
-----I will be back for you Texas. I will return to make a giant sized pancake out of you in the shape of a lone star. That is what I will leave you as: an airy, dry, flat bread with no flavor. All the BBQ sause in the state will not save you from your destiny.-----
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Fort Stockton to Ozona TX...107.8miles!
It only took me 11hrs, with a couple of breaks, to ride from Ft Stockton to Ozona, TX. I hope that is the longest I ever have to ride. There were no towns in between those two on the path I had chosen, just a gas station where I stopped and had my lunch. At that point I wasn't even half way yet!
After I left the gas station I felt it getting harder and harder to ride. I looked down and saw that my rear tire was super low on air. Not even a mile from the gas station I just left! Geez. So I pulled off the road and replaced the flat tube. That set me back about a half hour but I continued on my way.
I stopped at a rest area to fill my water bottles and check a couple of my maps. I found that I had 56 miles until I reached my destination. I had already ridden 50 miles, so I was just about half way there. It was 4pm at this point, so I knew I was going to have to ride in the darkness. I pushed on.
I just kept riding. The wind seemed to come from every direction. At one point it was from the North, then from the East, then SW. Everytime the rode curved I thought I would have the wind at my back but, in the words of my highschool Spanish teacher, 'you thought wrong Steven.' It always seemed to be in my face. It wasn't a really strong wind but it was always there and it was very disheartening. I pushed on.
After a while, I became energetic but I had run out of fuel so I stopped on a bridge. The only place to stop and get off my bicycle is on a bridge (there are quite a few and they are mostly over washes, draws, or things like this) because the gaurd rails are the only things to lean my bicycle on in the middle of nowhere. I sat on the rail and ate a dry pack of top ramen while trucks and cars passed. It is neat to see people passing while I am on this trip. Realizing that everyone is on their own travels with their lives ahead of them is something that I have done. We are here doing what ever it is we are doing. We are all alone together. Finding those worth being alone with is truely special.
I finished eating and resting and continued. I still had about 30 miles to go and the sun was in its desent. It is really neat to understand the nature of nature. I'm not saying I know everything about the sun and moon and how things work, but I have been realizing there are plenty of things to watch for to know what is going on in my own world. Knowing the orange glow of the sun and its position tells me I have about 45minutes to an hour before it is completely out of the sky. I saddled up and continued my ride.
30 miles doesn't seem like a lot when you are hitting 50-70 a day, however when you have already hit 70 miles it is a mountain! It doesn't help when the last 20 miles are a mountain. I had desended a little bit earlier in the day and knew I was going to have to climb back out of the valley I dropped into, but I didn't think it would be so rough. The plateaus I climbed went on forever. It was devestating to my body. My mind was strong though. I had to make it. There was no option. It was dark, there was no tree cover for me to camp in on the side of the road, and I had passed evidence of wild animals in these areas (from wild boars to deer). Stopping was not happening.
There was one climb in particular that wiped me out. I was sizing up all my climbs by how far the tail lights climbed then disappeared. This climb seemed almost straight up and just kept going. It was probably a good 3/4-1 mile climb. I had to stop so many times it was ridiculous. My body was so exhausted that I couldn't keep my handlebars forward. I was swerving all over the shoulder. The good thing about riding at night is that I can see the cars coming from behind by their headlights so I was never in any danger when I swerved. If I saw light coming from behind me, I got over to the right as far as possible as quick as possible. I kept my gearing in a mid-low gear. I wanted to make it easy for me but I also wanted to make progress. In a super low gear, a granny gear, you would spin your feet but not really go anywhere so I kept it a few knotches above that.
I made it to the top of that hill and found a slight down hill to another climb. This is how it was for 20 miles. Climbing to slight down hill to climbing again.
The town of Ozona, TX is off of Interstate 10 at exit 365. A sheriff pulled over in front of me at mile marker 358 and asked if I needed any assistance. I talked to him for a few minutes and asked what time it was. By this time I had stopped checking my bicycle computer for distance and time because I knew it didn't matter. I would get there when I got there and it would take however long it would take. Being 8 miles away, I wanted to know the time. He told me it was 10 passed 9pm. I asked how much more I had to climb and he said it was flat after this last hill. Phew! Almost done climbing.
He left and so did I. I continued on to find the town. As I did this, I found there was no flat. I continued to climb the last 8 miles! I don't know what that sheriff was talking about. I kept waiting for the flat to come up. As I said before, in the dark I judge the terrain by the lights on the cars appearing and disappearing. That is just what they did: appear from over a hill and disappear over a hill. Also, if it was flat, I should have been able to see the lights of the town ahead. I didn't. I climbed on.
I finally reached the town and had to stop to get some food. I hadn't eaten much and needed something soon before the town was all closed up. I found a DQ and had myself some chicken strips and a Heath Blizzard. A well deserved treat. I checked the time on my receipt and the time said it was 10:08pm. It took me an hour to go the last 8 miles! Flat? Yeah right. 8mph is not average for flat, even if I was riding all day. I couldn't believe I did it. I rode almost 108 miles in one day! Oh, I forgot to mention that I surpassed the 1000mile riding mark. I did it all in the same day. Over 100 miles, over 1000 miles. Now I just need to do 1000 miles three more times and that will take me to NY!
After I left the gas station I felt it getting harder and harder to ride. I looked down and saw that my rear tire was super low on air. Not even a mile from the gas station I just left! Geez. So I pulled off the road and replaced the flat tube. That set me back about a half hour but I continued on my way.
I stopped at a rest area to fill my water bottles and check a couple of my maps. I found that I had 56 miles until I reached my destination. I had already ridden 50 miles, so I was just about half way there. It was 4pm at this point, so I knew I was going to have to ride in the darkness. I pushed on.
I just kept riding. The wind seemed to come from every direction. At one point it was from the North, then from the East, then SW. Everytime the rode curved I thought I would have the wind at my back but, in the words of my highschool Spanish teacher, 'you thought wrong Steven.' It always seemed to be in my face. It wasn't a really strong wind but it was always there and it was very disheartening. I pushed on.
After a while, I became energetic but I had run out of fuel so I stopped on a bridge. The only place to stop and get off my bicycle is on a bridge (there are quite a few and they are mostly over washes, draws, or things like this) because the gaurd rails are the only things to lean my bicycle on in the middle of nowhere. I sat on the rail and ate a dry pack of top ramen while trucks and cars passed. It is neat to see people passing while I am on this trip. Realizing that everyone is on their own travels with their lives ahead of them is something that I have done. We are here doing what ever it is we are doing. We are all alone together. Finding those worth being alone with is truely special.
I finished eating and resting and continued. I still had about 30 miles to go and the sun was in its desent. It is really neat to understand the nature of nature. I'm not saying I know everything about the sun and moon and how things work, but I have been realizing there are plenty of things to watch for to know what is going on in my own world. Knowing the orange glow of the sun and its position tells me I have about 45minutes to an hour before it is completely out of the sky. I saddled up and continued my ride.
30 miles doesn't seem like a lot when you are hitting 50-70 a day, however when you have already hit 70 miles it is a mountain! It doesn't help when the last 20 miles are a mountain. I had desended a little bit earlier in the day and knew I was going to have to climb back out of the valley I dropped into, but I didn't think it would be so rough. The plateaus I climbed went on forever. It was devestating to my body. My mind was strong though. I had to make it. There was no option. It was dark, there was no tree cover for me to camp in on the side of the road, and I had passed evidence of wild animals in these areas (from wild boars to deer). Stopping was not happening.
There was one climb in particular that wiped me out. I was sizing up all my climbs by how far the tail lights climbed then disappeared. This climb seemed almost straight up and just kept going. It was probably a good 3/4-1 mile climb. I had to stop so many times it was ridiculous. My body was so exhausted that I couldn't keep my handlebars forward. I was swerving all over the shoulder. The good thing about riding at night is that I can see the cars coming from behind by their headlights so I was never in any danger when I swerved. If I saw light coming from behind me, I got over to the right as far as possible as quick as possible. I kept my gearing in a mid-low gear. I wanted to make it easy for me but I also wanted to make progress. In a super low gear, a granny gear, you would spin your feet but not really go anywhere so I kept it a few knotches above that.
I made it to the top of that hill and found a slight down hill to another climb. This is how it was for 20 miles. Climbing to slight down hill to climbing again.
The town of Ozona, TX is off of Interstate 10 at exit 365. A sheriff pulled over in front of me at mile marker 358 and asked if I needed any assistance. I talked to him for a few minutes and asked what time it was. By this time I had stopped checking my bicycle computer for distance and time because I knew it didn't matter. I would get there when I got there and it would take however long it would take. Being 8 miles away, I wanted to know the time. He told me it was 10 passed 9pm. I asked how much more I had to climb and he said it was flat after this last hill. Phew! Almost done climbing.
He left and so did I. I continued on to find the town. As I did this, I found there was no flat. I continued to climb the last 8 miles! I don't know what that sheriff was talking about. I kept waiting for the flat to come up. As I said before, in the dark I judge the terrain by the lights on the cars appearing and disappearing. That is just what they did: appear from over a hill and disappear over a hill. Also, if it was flat, I should have been able to see the lights of the town ahead. I didn't. I climbed on.
I finally reached the town and had to stop to get some food. I hadn't eaten much and needed something soon before the town was all closed up. I found a DQ and had myself some chicken strips and a Heath Blizzard. A well deserved treat. I checked the time on my receipt and the time said it was 10:08pm. It took me an hour to go the last 8 miles! Flat? Yeah right. 8mph is not average for flat, even if I was riding all day. I couldn't believe I did it. I rode almost 108 miles in one day! Oh, I forgot to mention that I surpassed the 1000mile riding mark. I did it all in the same day. Over 100 miles, over 1000 miles. Now I just need to do 1000 miles three more times and that will take me to NY!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Friday February 11, 2011
Gila Bend to Maricopa County, AZ
Wow! What a good night's rest. I definately needed it. The day turned into a bit of a bummer. Climbing into the wind the entire day. No exits for what felt like 20 miles at a time. Even when there was an exit, it was just some road leading to nowhere. Nothing around, no one around, same scenery. Geesh! I literally talked myself out of the trip 3 times. Why don't I just go on a relaxing vacation? Why not just relax in general? I'm choosing to put myself through this torture and I'm hating it. But I'm continuing. If you think about it, it can only get worse, right? Right.
So I rode on and on and wanted to quit, but I won't let it get the best of me. My stop was supposed to be a rest area with no facilities. When I got there I talked to a homeless looking guy that was collecting cans. He told me about a truckstop just beyond the 'knoll' ahead. Two miles down, there it was. He was a nice guy and as I began to pedal off, he asked me if I could spare some water. I told him I couldn't spare any, which I really couldn't, but then I started to feel bad. I denied another man water. The life giving substance.
Well, I needed the water because at the truck stop he told me to go to there was an RV Park that didn't have any facilities. No running water because they were re-doing the restrooms and such. It was a really run down spot off exit 151 on the 8...that was where I decided to camp.
To me, it really doesn't matter where I camp as long as it is relatively safe and I don't get messed with. This place had the nicest people that didn't give a hoot about their place in the world. One man, Bob with his dog Foxy, said over and over again that he didn't want to be rich just comfortable. Comfortable enough to make other people happy and comfortable. From a man who sells handmade jewelry outside the RV Park and across the street from a barely stopped at truckstop. He had such high hopes about making a buck that day.
Anyway, I made my my stop. Made my calls. Made my camp. Made my zzz's. I did see the guy from the rest area come walking into the RV Park that day. Figures. He would be a resident of that place, I would see him again, he would give me a cold shoulder. Well, only deserved.
Time for bed.
Daily Mileage: 35.9 miles
Wow! What a good night's rest. I definately needed it. The day turned into a bit of a bummer. Climbing into the wind the entire day. No exits for what felt like 20 miles at a time. Even when there was an exit, it was just some road leading to nowhere. Nothing around, no one around, same scenery. Geesh! I literally talked myself out of the trip 3 times. Why don't I just go on a relaxing vacation? Why not just relax in general? I'm choosing to put myself through this torture and I'm hating it. But I'm continuing. If you think about it, it can only get worse, right? Right.
So I rode on and on and wanted to quit, but I won't let it get the best of me. My stop was supposed to be a rest area with no facilities. When I got there I talked to a homeless looking guy that was collecting cans. He told me about a truckstop just beyond the 'knoll' ahead. Two miles down, there it was. He was a nice guy and as I began to pedal off, he asked me if I could spare some water. I told him I couldn't spare any, which I really couldn't, but then I started to feel bad. I denied another man water. The life giving substance.
Well, I needed the water because at the truck stop he told me to go to there was an RV Park that didn't have any facilities. No running water because they were re-doing the restrooms and such. It was a really run down spot off exit 151 on the 8...that was where I decided to camp.
To me, it really doesn't matter where I camp as long as it is relatively safe and I don't get messed with. This place had the nicest people that didn't give a hoot about their place in the world. One man, Bob with his dog Foxy, said over and over again that he didn't want to be rich just comfortable. Comfortable enough to make other people happy and comfortable. From a man who sells handmade jewelry outside the RV Park and across the street from a barely stopped at truckstop. He had such high hopes about making a buck that day.
Anyway, I made my my stop. Made my calls. Made my camp. Made my zzz's. I did see the guy from the rest area come walking into the RV Park that day. Figures. He would be a resident of that place, I would see him again, he would give me a cold shoulder. Well, only deserved.
Time for bed.
Daily Mileage: 35.9 miles
Thursday February 10, 2011
From the Mohawk Rest Area to Gila Bend:
I waited until the sun had risen a little before I got up to pack all my things. I did not want to be as cold as I was yesterday morning. I lowered all my things down from my post the same way I pulled them up. One by one with the hook on the rope. It was definately easier than pulling it all up the day before. After lowering it all, I then went down as well and began packing it all back on the bike. Not so bad. I even found some better ways of packing some of the stuff.
Off I went. I had a really long day ahead of me if I wanted to make it to Gila Bend by nightfall. There really wasn't anything that happened during the day.
I finally made it into Gila Bend and splurged for a $30 room. I got internet, a hot shower, electricity, a warm bed, and tv. That was really nice.
Daily Mileage: 66.2 miles
I waited until the sun had risen a little before I got up to pack all my things. I did not want to be as cold as I was yesterday morning. I lowered all my things down from my post the same way I pulled them up. One by one with the hook on the rope. It was definately easier than pulling it all up the day before. After lowering it all, I then went down as well and began packing it all back on the bike. Not so bad. I even found some better ways of packing some of the stuff.
Off I went. I had a really long day ahead of me if I wanted to make it to Gila Bend by nightfall. There really wasn't anything that happened during the day.
I finally made it into Gila Bend and splurged for a $30 room. I got internet, a hot shower, electricity, a warm bed, and tv. That was really nice.
Daily Mileage: 66.2 miles
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Flickr Photos
I am putting all of my photos on Flickr and keeping the blog to text posts. I have a link to the Flickr site at the bottom of this page and you don't need a Flickr account to view them. If you have any comments about this or the pictures in general, let me know. I am going to put a few as restricted unless you are my Flickr 'friend'. Its not that they bad, its just that they may not be for everybody. Just remember not to be prejudice when you look at these. They have been snapped from what I've been around and things that have happened. Look at them with eyes like you would when you look at a book in the library or book store. You don't need to like them, however you do need to appreciate that these pictures are a documentation of the world in which we live. Friends have been made, drinks have been drank, miles have been ridden, sunsets have been seen, and there is still so much more to go.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Wednesday February 9, 2011
When I awoke this morning it was still dark outside. I got dressed inside my sleeping bag because it was a bit chilly still. Once dressed I packed up my sleeping bag and thermarest then stepped out to greet the day. Still dark. That just motivated me even more to get the rest of camp packed up so that I could be o my way when the sun rose over the horizon.
After doing my morning 'rise and shine' rituals, I began gettig everything together. Once it was all packed on y bike, I broke out some almonds and watched the sun rise. It was amazing. Just as I was getting set to leave, a car camper came out and wanted to give me something. A bag of trail-mix. He told me it would be good energy food. With that and a good bye, I began to ride again.
Brrrrrr!!!! It was cold! And the wind was right back in my face. I was hoping it would be at my back like it was yesterday afternoon. Nope. I just beared through it and as soon as the sun rose a little more I began to warm up. It was still chilly because of the wind but I was moving and my body was warm.
On I rode. I came by some road work and checked to see what they were doing. Just filling cracks in the interstate with black top. On I rode.
Miles of nothing but nature. Untouched, unharmed by anyone's hands. It looked amazing. But then I got the bug in my stomach and was hungry again. Almonds didn't cut it.
I pulled into a gas station, the only thing for miles and picked up some blueberry bread. That thing was real good! Instead of getting back on the interstate when I left, I took Old HWY 80. It runs right alongside the 8 so I thought it would be safer. And it was. 12 miles of me ad the road. At one point I began talking to Sam, my Tron character, because I was so bored.
When I got back onto the 8 I only had 2 more miles before I reached my destination! It was so early too! But I was trying to slow doown my progress so I could meet Hannah on sunday in Tucson. I rode just shy of 30 miles.
When I got to the Mohawk Rest Area, I found that it was closed. I couldn't believe it. It was kind of a good and bad thing. Good because I wouldn't have people coming and going bothering me all night. Bad because it wouldn't be travelled so anybody or anything could have come around.
As I was checking out the place I saw some dog poop that looked a couple days old. It looked as if it was from different dogs so I thought the place might be a place coyotes came by. Now what? I didn't want to camp on the ground in fear coyotes might sneak up on me, plus I didn't want strangers to 'happen' across my camp site.
All the doors were boarded p with plywood and the ends were pretty near the roof of the bathroom so I hopped up on the roof to check it out.
Perfect. The roof was big enough for me to sleep, put all my stuff up there plus have tons more room. So I set into action. One thing I've learned so far is to get camp set up first, then goof around later. I was not going to leave my bike on the ground while I slept on the roof, so I had to bring it up. I took everything off my bike, which is a ton of stuff, and began setting it next to the wall of the bathroom. Next, I pulled out some rope I brought and a bungee hook I found. Tied the two togther and boom! I had a grapling hook! So I climbed back onto the roof and began pulling up all my bags. Easy! Then onto the bike. I lowered down the hook and snagged it by the seat rails. First try! Now on to the lifting. Definately not the easiest thing to dead lift from a laying down posititon. But I pulled it up and heaved it onto my now fort. I had an eagle eye position of my rest area and the interstate, but the interstate definately had a good view of me too. So I layed down and napped for a few minutes. When I awoke it was super hot and I had no shade, so I left my post and went down for some shaded parts.
I soon became bored out of my mind. I wrote a little bit, played solitare for a bit and thought for a while. My thoughts were on this trip and why I'm doing it. I'm doing it for me but I'm so lonely already and there is nothing to see or do right now. The desert is only beautiful for so long before it becomes redundant. Man-o-man, what did I get myself into?
After talking myself out of proceeding on the trip, it was time to call the people I needed to call to let them know where I was and that I was ok.
First I called my mom and talked to her for a bit. She was very supportive and wanted me to know that once I got out of the desert the trip would be more exciting. Plus, I had barely started and my mind was still getting used to being on the road without. That helped, then I called Hannah. We planned a little bit of the Tucson meeting and spoke to the Texas meeting. Unfortunately, I had to cut the conversation short because I needed to save my phone battery. There I was again. Alone in Mohawk.
When the sun was low enough for me to have shade on my roof-top I hopped up once again, layed out my sleeping bag and prepared for my night below the stars.
What a terrible night's sleep. I could not find any comfortable position. I layed between my bags and a pipe. The pipe had a nozzle or something on it at my waistline, so I didn't want to move because the nozzle was sharp and I didn't want to tear my sleeping bag. Also, I didn't unpack my thermarest, so I was sleeping on roof. I think there was a wire or something under me too, because I kept feeling something in my back. Everytime I woke up, which seemed quite frequent, I would switch positions. I could not find a comfortable spot. I would also look out into the night sky for any sign of daylight. None. I never wanted it to become daytime so badly. It sucked. But then the sun finally did rise.
Daily Mileage: 27.5 miles
After doing my morning 'rise and shine' rituals, I began gettig everything together. Once it was all packed on y bike, I broke out some almonds and watched the sun rise. It was amazing. Just as I was getting set to leave, a car camper came out and wanted to give me something. A bag of trail-mix. He told me it would be good energy food. With that and a good bye, I began to ride again.
Brrrrrr!!!! It was cold! And the wind was right back in my face. I was hoping it would be at my back like it was yesterday afternoon. Nope. I just beared through it and as soon as the sun rose a little more I began to warm up. It was still chilly because of the wind but I was moving and my body was warm.
On I rode. I came by some road work and checked to see what they were doing. Just filling cracks in the interstate with black top. On I rode.
Miles of nothing but nature. Untouched, unharmed by anyone's hands. It looked amazing. But then I got the bug in my stomach and was hungry again. Almonds didn't cut it.
I pulled into a gas station, the only thing for miles and picked up some blueberry bread. That thing was real good! Instead of getting back on the interstate when I left, I took Old HWY 80. It runs right alongside the 8 so I thought it would be safer. And it was. 12 miles of me ad the road. At one point I began talking to Sam, my Tron character, because I was so bored.
When I got back onto the 8 I only had 2 more miles before I reached my destination! It was so early too! But I was trying to slow doown my progress so I could meet Hannah on sunday in Tucson. I rode just shy of 30 miles.
When I got to the Mohawk Rest Area, I found that it was closed. I couldn't believe it. It was kind of a good and bad thing. Good because I wouldn't have people coming and going bothering me all night. Bad because it wouldn't be travelled so anybody or anything could have come around.
As I was checking out the place I saw some dog poop that looked a couple days old. It looked as if it was from different dogs so I thought the place might be a place coyotes came by. Now what? I didn't want to camp on the ground in fear coyotes might sneak up on me, plus I didn't want strangers to 'happen' across my camp site.
All the doors were boarded p with plywood and the ends were pretty near the roof of the bathroom so I hopped up on the roof to check it out.
Perfect. The roof was big enough for me to sleep, put all my stuff up there plus have tons more room. So I set into action. One thing I've learned so far is to get camp set up first, then goof around later. I was not going to leave my bike on the ground while I slept on the roof, so I had to bring it up. I took everything off my bike, which is a ton of stuff, and began setting it next to the wall of the bathroom. Next, I pulled out some rope I brought and a bungee hook I found. Tied the two togther and boom! I had a grapling hook! So I climbed back onto the roof and began pulling up all my bags. Easy! Then onto the bike. I lowered down the hook and snagged it by the seat rails. First try! Now on to the lifting. Definately not the easiest thing to dead lift from a laying down posititon. But I pulled it up and heaved it onto my now fort. I had an eagle eye position of my rest area and the interstate, but the interstate definately had a good view of me too. So I layed down and napped for a few minutes. When I awoke it was super hot and I had no shade, so I left my post and went down for some shaded parts.
I soon became bored out of my mind. I wrote a little bit, played solitare for a bit and thought for a while. My thoughts were on this trip and why I'm doing it. I'm doing it for me but I'm so lonely already and there is nothing to see or do right now. The desert is only beautiful for so long before it becomes redundant. Man-o-man, what did I get myself into?
After talking myself out of proceeding on the trip, it was time to call the people I needed to call to let them know where I was and that I was ok.
First I called my mom and talked to her for a bit. She was very supportive and wanted me to know that once I got out of the desert the trip would be more exciting. Plus, I had barely started and my mind was still getting used to being on the road without. That helped, then I called Hannah. We planned a little bit of the Tucson meeting and spoke to the Texas meeting. Unfortunately, I had to cut the conversation short because I needed to save my phone battery. There I was again. Alone in Mohawk.
When the sun was low enough for me to have shade on my roof-top I hopped up once again, layed out my sleeping bag and prepared for my night below the stars.
What a terrible night's sleep. I could not find any comfortable position. I layed between my bags and a pipe. The pipe had a nozzle or something on it at my waistline, so I didn't want to move because the nozzle was sharp and I didn't want to tear my sleeping bag. Also, I didn't unpack my thermarest, so I was sleeping on roof. I think there was a wire or something under me too, because I kept feeling something in my back. Everytime I woke up, which seemed quite frequent, I would switch positions. I could not find a comfortable spot. I would also look out into the night sky for any sign of daylight. None. I never wanted it to become daytime so badly. It sucked. But then the sun finally did rise.
Daily Mileage: 27.5 miles
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