October 21
60mi/96km
+2500ft/760m
We are definitely in a new weather pattern. Just a few days ago it was cloudless and 78F/25C degrees, and tomorrow the high is 56F/13C. The wind will continue a few more days, and we expect rain tonight and tomorrow.
We left town with entirely too much water, but it’s better to be over prepared in the desert. It’s 100 miles to water, and in this wind could take two full days.
As we left, it was actually not yet windy, and we made good time for the first hour and a half. Then the wind picked up and our pace went from 18mph/29kph to about 5mph/8kph. Fortunately, it wasn’t as bad as the other day. We climbed over several mountain ranges, and the wind was bad in the valleys between the climbs, but better in the mountains.
Traffic was pretty light and we got a lot of waves today. One couple even stopped to check on us while we took a lunch break. We got a few bursts of weather. At the first pass it started raining, fat droplets that were getting us wet fast. Then it started to hail. We stopped and put on rain gear just in time for it to stop. It started up for a few more short bursts through the day.
In the evening we joined the Extraterrestrial Highway, so named as it is near Area 51. It’s open range out here, and we saw cows and wild horses. The scenery was especially nice. When the wind actually takes a break, you really notice how quiet it is out here. We actually found some trees to camp under tonight, and we’re all prepared for a rainy night.
