G.A.S.P.

I started early the next day (12-8), but it only took me long enough to get out from behind the motel building to know I was in trouble.  My friend, the wind god, was also up early doing his thing today.  I wasn’t even planning on today being a part of the journey.  This was to simply be a trip to Victorville, about 75 miles away.  After 2½ hours, my fears were well founded – I had managed to go only 18 miles and still had part of the pass to climb.  The weatherman might have had this to say about today:  “Winds out of the east today at 10 to 15 mph, gusting to 20 mph.”  I did have this to say (out loud) at one point: “I hate riding against the wind.”  Actually, my statement was much longer than that, but these are the only words I uttered that I can put on the web-site. 

I met a man today who is a definite candidate for the “duh” award of the year.   He was the cashier (and sole occupant) of a small convenience store in Agua Dulce where I stopped for a snack break.  I asked how far it still was to Palmdale, knowing that it was somewhere between 15 and 20 miles.  He said “You’re on a bicycle; it’ll take you about 10 minutes” (and he was serious).  Let’s see – 15 miles in 10 minutes – that’s a cool 90 mph uphill and against the wind.  I must have looked real strong this morning.

I made it over the pass and headed toward Victorville, but the wind and the map were working against me.  When I reached Pearblossom (honestly, that’s the name of the town), I still had 36 miles to go to Victorville and there were no more motels or campgrounds between the two towns.  I had about three hours of daylight left and was only making about 8 or 9 mph at that point.  Quick math said it was time to stop for the day.  Oh, I could have ridden on, but then I would have been another candidate for the “duh” award.