Day 2
Monday, September 14, 2015
Julian, CA to El Centro, CA
87 miles
1,450 feet of climbing
The elevation profile (below) appears to show a fairly easy day of riding - only 87 miles, mostly downhill with just a couple of gentle climbs. But that was not to be. The extreme heat continued to beat us up today, with temperatures reaching over 110 degrees on the road. But what do you expect when you ride a bicycle through the desert? It's going to be hot. Really hot. Really friggin' hot.
The day's route started with a fierce 10-mile downhill out of Julian, as we dropped down into the desert, or, as I like to refer to it - Hell on Earth. After that descent leveled out, the heat began to take its toll. Today, however, I took appropriate measures to make sure I stayed properly hydrated, nourished and kept my electrolyte levels in check. To keep cool (at least for a few minutes), I stuffed a bunch of ice cubes in my sports bra at every rest stop. We encountered a pretty stiff crosswind as we rode toward El Centro, which stayed with us through mile 60. Then, magically, we turned left onto Old Route 80, and the crosswind became a tailwind! How great is that? Art & I finished the ride just after 2:00 p.m., which gave me plenty of time to take a refreshing dip in the pool at our hotel before heading to dinner. Now, its time to rest these bones. Tomorrow we head to Blythe!
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| Elevation profile of today's ride - quite deceiving! |
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| Feel the heat |
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| The desert - cacti, sand and brush |
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| The top of the first climb of the day |
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| Desert selfie |
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| An oasis! First rest stop of the day. |
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| Art - riding like a champ |
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| The desert - just not a hospitable place for humans |
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| Perfect spot for a windmill farm |
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