Blown away in Death Valley

It was quite the contrast. Exactly one week ago I cycled 85 miles in the rain and wind, with snow on both sides of the road, past the forests, beaches, and vistas of Puget Sound and nearby lakes. It was a great ride. Today I cycled 150 miles through Death Valley. This was just as spectacular, and an unforgettable ride. I don’t think the grandeur and vastness of Death Valley can be captured in words or pictures. The rocks and soil are naked of most vegetation. The walls surrounding the valley are amazing colors and shapes. It is land in its rawest form. This was supposed to be the springtime in Death Valley, and I had coaxed Catherine into coming with me by promising stunning flowers. But this was an off year for rainfall. We didn’t see much other than bleak cactuses, shrubs, and grasses. Fortunately she too was taken by the beauty of Death Valley. But we agreed to come again when the flowers are really there!

There were 300 riders registered for this event, which was the maximum allowed by the Park Service. About half were registered for the 100 mile version, and half for the 200 mile version. I figured 12 hours on a bike in Death Valley would be plenty for me, so I split the difference and did 150. That was a good call. The ride out from Furnace Creek to Shoshone is 150 miles round trip, for a total elevation gain of about 9,500 feet. My GPS ran out of battery at 132 miles. I almost ran out of battery myself at about the same point. But my problem was mostly dehydration. I was feeling good at 100 miles, and had been almost over-hydrating. But the headwinds got really nasty for the last 50 miles as we headed back north up the valley. It was relentless - easily gusting to 30 right into our faces. Plus I let up a bit on the water intake from 100 to 130. That was a mistake. I took my time at the next stop and drank up a couple sodas and lots of water. I felt better, and headed out with my new friend Jens. He had also decided to pack it in at 150. But he helped a lot on our last 20 miles by letting me draft for a while till I felt better. Then I had a nasty leg cramp at about mile 145 which practically knocked me over. It was probably another consequence of the dehydration. Jens stayed with me until my leg relaxed, and then we pedaled the last few miles in dusk back to Furnace Creek. Cath was waiting and it was very nice to see her there – although I guess I wasn’t looking my best! We joined up that evening with Jens and a few of his friends for a great dinner at the Furnace Creek Inn.



The next morning I woke up early and headed out to a nice little scenic road called Artists Drive - very aptly named. The road goes up about 1,000 feet along the lower edge of some stunning cliffs and formations. The road surface was poor the first few miles, then it was smooth asphalt. Click on the link below and play the route in Google Earth (let me know if you don't know how to do this). Not quite the same as being there, but it is pretty interesting (well, wait till after the straightaway - then it gets interesting).