Today we rode south out of Ely, straight into the wind. We battled the wind for about 10 miles before turning east and “just” taking it on the side. Not the wonderful tail wind we have had so far.
Paul, fellow ACA member, with cold drinks!
Pushing across the “Loneliest Road in America” we had 3 major climbs today. In the middle of the 2nd climb a VW bus (old style) stopped in front of us, and Paul from California (not our Paul) got out and offered us ice cold Mountain Dew and a welcome break. Paul is also an Adventure Cycling Association member and has done extensive tourning in the west.
Pushing on, we reached Baker, NV, right near the Utah border. While Baker was our original destination today, Alex suggested (no, really, Alex) we push on another 30 miles, backcountry camp, then do a 110 mile day tomorrow to make our rest stop in Cedar City a day early. Something about a Hampton Inn calls to him (and me as well).
We left Highway 50 for Utah’s highway 21 and discovered the Loneliest Road’s forgotten cousin. Hwy 21 through southwest Utah is starkly beautiful.
Backcountry Camping, 15.7 miles PAST Nowhere
We made our 30 extra miles and backcountry camped about 3 miles short of Halfway Summit, aptly named for us because it is halfway between Ely and Cedar City.
Having eaten our dinner in Baker, it was a quick transition between setup and sleep. Amazingly beautiful country and not a soul in sight.