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Final Preparations
Make up the route ion the computer and download to the GPS, stow the chair and go.Monday May 17, 2010, Virgin Valley Campground:
Tonight’s cocktail hour has been spent in the tent, listening to a steady downpour of rain. Mr. Boodles is just as delicious, but the scenery sucks.
Today’s ride turned out to be more pavement that expected. Not long after coming down a steep escarpment from Hart Mountain Preserve into the Warner Wetlands, the gravel ended. I lubed the drive chain, and deployed the 12V pump to bring the tires back up to 42 PSI.
Plush, Oregon held a little country store, but the proprietor did not encourage lingering. A short time later, after powering through a squall line of rain, I stopped in Adel for lunch and fuel.
There is no menu at the Adel store. You can have what they have prepared that day. I enjoyed a HUGE deli-sandwich and beef vegetable soup. Fantastic. In Oregon, card playing in bars is legal, and of course, when I rolled in, a furious hand of poker was underway. The store was filled with hunting trophies, including a remarkable mount of a cougar attacking an elk.
After topping off my water jugs, I headed east on Highway 140, stopping briefly to let a
squall move off the road, so as not to ascend into it.
Turning off 140 at the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, five miles later I found the Virgin Valley Hotspring and Campground. I was greeted by Jerome and Dennis, who were riding dirt bikes in the area, but remained in camp for the day due to rain. Jerome lent me a book on the Black Rock Desert, and now, with hours of falling rain, there are decisions to be made.
Much like last year, weather has a big impact on the viability of riding on dirt. My bike is only marginally equipped for this, and wet dirt/mud/gumbo is out of the question. So I am essentially at the same place Reverend Chuck and I encountered in Utah. Do we hang, or do we move on.
The challenge is information. One person here says tomorrow is the only dry day, then rain. Another says tomorrow is a little wet, then dry for a couple days. I'd prefer to get to an internet connection to check the weather (and post some blogs).
So I am going to take my cocktail to Jerome’s, return his book, take my dinner with
me, and dine in the comfort of their camper.
Don’t yet know what’s ins store, but the adventure continues. At least I am warm and dry, and there is a hot spring and shower nearby for later.
Good evening.
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Bruce H
non-member comment
it's coming
Bill, looks like rain is a coming. Forcast is for the possibilty of snow on the Black Rock. Here the level will decend to 3500 feet.