Thursday, 27th August, pm, Death Valley: like a hairdryer in the face
We set off from Pahrump at 6pm, having waited out the worst of the heat. But it was still 38 degrees C…
So so hot. The little bike presses on in the face of baking headwind. It’s miserable. Even in darkness, Death Valley (which gets to 200 feet below sea level) remains a pit of heat. The mountains around it mean that it is a basin for the heat, keeping the hot air in. And do they ever. Everything was sweaty, from the soles of my feet to my eyelids.
Arrive late in Lone Pine – somehow Mike manages to keep driving for 5 hours – it’s cooler. Thank God.
September 1st, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Hello Mike and Allana,
I know what that hot air feels like. I wear a cooling vest when in the desert.
You are going to have a lot of content for your final video. How will you edit it all? That will be another journey, I guess.
Following along with you from Dawson Creek, BC, Canada, mile O of the Alaskan Highway. Taking the Ural back to Anchorage, 5900 Km so far, only about 2300 Km left to go.
I still have to find out about those real wheel splines!
September 1st, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Sorry Alanna, noticed I spelled your name wrong. I’ll do better next time!
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Lester! So glad to hear that your own odyssey is underway now! Hope that your Ural is everything you hoped it would be. We’re now in San Jose getting it serviced and there is, as natural after that many miles, quite a lot to sort out before we head south. Hope that all is well on the road – what’s your blog link? x