Blythe Hotels
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Day 4: Brawley to Blythe
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Day 4: Brawley to Blythe (91 miles; 6:09:49)
Knowing there would be very few services available along the route, Michelle cooked a hearty breakfast which we enjoyed in the hotel parking lot. I had my first taste of steel cut oats which Michelle enhanced with blueberries. Yogurt, nuts, and juice rounded out my meal. The women left in small groups, with Delores leading the charge, departing alone around 6:30, as the rest of us were just gathering for breakfast. I was a bit disorganized, but Di waited for me, and we departed just after 7:00.
We caught up with everyone who had left before us at the 20-mile SAG. Joanne had drinks and snacks, and piled all our extra clothing in the back seat to lighten our load. I had started the ride with leggings and a jacket, and left wearing just shorts and a jersey, delighting in the weather and our good fortune to be riding. We left the SAG with another group, and rode together for a bit.
Eight miles into the ride, Highway 78 had started to climb, and it continued to do so now. Soon, there were no trees; then, no sagebrush or cactus. As we crested one of a dozen ascents, an oddly cream-colored mountain range came into view, its features less harsh than most, with contours that seemed smoother, almost rounded in places.
As the miles rolled past, and the "mountains" drew closer, they revealed themselves not as mountains at all, but as enormous sand dunes, towering over both sides of the highway. RV's with trailers were plentiful, and dune buggies left their mark across miles of the powdery sand. Jagged mountain peaks could be seen in the distance on both sides of the road.
Our group soon split into two, with Di, Barb, and I leaving the slower riders behind. At mile 40, after ascending a long grade, we were quite gratified to spot Michelle, who had set up our lunch stop. We had salads; wraps made with cheese, chicken, and veggies; and cookies for dessert. After replenishing our Gatorade and water, we headed for Palo Verde.
The terrain again became barren rock cliffs and terraces, as we rode through the Chocolate Mountains. The next 29 miles of road was dips and rollers, with a narrow or non-existent shoulder. We were told to spread out and not ride in a group, to allow trucks, RV's and cars an opportunity to pass, as we would be hidden from view as we descended into the steep dips. At the top of Palo Verde Peak, there was a Border Patrol Station. As I cruised up, I asked if I had to stop. "Why, are you in a hurry?" asked one of the agents. I took that to mean I should stop. They asked if there were more bikers coming through, I told them "yes, about 25 of us". They asked what we were doing, and I explained the purpose of our ride. They asked where I was born, and sent me on my way. I heard later that they asked the next few riders the place of birth question, and eventually just started waving cyclists through.
Just past the rollers, Di caught up, and we rode together until Joanne found us. She had wanted to set up the next SAG at mile 60, and we were already at mile 62. Joanne told us we were at least seven miles ahead of everyone else, so she fed us snacks and refilled our water bottles before heading back to set up the SAG for the rest of the group. She told us not to expect to see her again, as the rest of the group was quite spread out.
As we came down into the valley, the terrain again changed to lush, green fields of crops. The Palo Verde Valley is another year-round agricultural region, with extensive irrigation systems supplied by the Colorado River. Today we saw fields of alfalfa, broccoli, melons, cotton, lettuce, parsley, wheat, barley, and more. We also saw several fields with herds of sheep.
We reached Palo Verde, population 600, at mile 69. We stopped at the small gas station and grocery store to use their restroom and refuel. The half-mile strip which comprised the town was full of broken down jalopies, and broken and boarded-up buildings. Junk was piled everywhere ... most of it resembling odd parts of old farm equipment and leftovers from countless garage sales. The trees across the street were full of starlings, which made quite a racket.
Not seeing any other riders, we continued our ride to Ripley (mile 80), a small town not much more exciting than Palo Verde. There was a small grocery store with picnic tables in the shade, so we decided to stop and take a break. We had not yet seen the van and trailer pass, and didn't see any reason to keep up our pace and beat them to the hotel. The thought of arriving first, and having to await the arrival of our luggage so we could shower and change was not overly appealing. As we were chatting, we spied three riders approaching. Two of them were the father/son team that we had met up with occasionally along the ride. They left San Diego the same day we did, and are riding as far as El Paso, Texas. Barb was on their tail, and had been riding with them for the past 20 miles. We quickly geared up, caught the group, and grabbed a wheel, riding the last 10 miles together into Blythe.
We had a bit of a scramble finding the hotel, as the last few cues were incorrect. However, Blythe is not that large, and we were soon back on track.
Heather arrived with the van and trailer just as we were checking in. We were delighted to see her. We had to unload half the trailer to find our luggage. We need to be sure to put our luggage in last from here on out so ours will be on top! We grabbed a beer from the cooler, put on our swim suits, and headed for the hot tub. The rest of the group arrived in bits and pieces over the next three hours. Several riders had been sagged from the lunch stop to Palo Verde, to avoid the dips and rollers and narrow roads. Since the group was so spread out, and arriving over such a large period of time, it was decided that we would have dinner at the Sizzler Restaurant down the street rather than having Michelle cook for us. I was starving, and was in line for the first shuttle at 6:00.
Today's weather was perfect for riding, with temperatures in the 60's and a cloudless sky, although we did experience a pretty significant headwind for most of the ride. Tomorrow is a rest day and I am excited that there is a Starbucks in town!
Latest Comments (1)
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I'm envious! (reply)
Mar 15, 2006 10:03 EST by billandnita
Denise,
Your descriptions are so vivid I'm on the seat behind you. I've had several who have done transcontinentals tell me that the distinct smells as they crossed the country were their lasting memory. Is there any truth to that for you? It does sound as though your club riding experience is paying off although I'm having a hard time seeing you in the role of mechanic. You are making ... show all
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