Day 1

Post date: Apr 25, 2010 10:02:27 PM

Route

Took from San Diego 15N, through Las Vegas, to Mesquite, where I camped on the Virgin River. Total of 440 miles.

Technical

As I pulled over to a quiet patch of gravel road due to concern for my cross-eyed drowsiness and want of a nap, I dipped into a crack at 3mph and laid the bike down on its left side. Luckily some friendly folk offered me their help in righting the bike and waiting for it start five minutes later after it had unflooded. Lesson 1: Keep the bike up.

Environment

This desert is as hostile as it is beautiful. It’s layers of lime, olive, burnt orange, brick red, and baby blue. To think that we humans have carved veins of transportation through such inhospitilatiy, when two centuries ago the sight of 3 parts dirt to one part plant and no water would have warranted more than a considerable amount of courage to undertake. Fists of wind buffeted me on the way to Las Vegas, threatening to lay me out at 70mph, but my curses to the Wind God kept me standing. I’ve seen enough desert at this point.

Psychoanalytic

The weight of goodbyes. The rush of the imminent adventure shielded me from the tears of the last few days’ fare-thee-wells. What “keeps me hidden, keeps me safe” is also what keeps me from feeling others.

Social

The day started with toast and juice and goodbyes to my good friends, Paul and Roberta. Paul has also been my hapkido partner the last 18 months. Now I’ll be defending against the air, “Air Hapkido.” Two of their gifts I use tomorrow: the neck and chin warmer and the Camelback.

The Weird

At my campsite I spotted someone wrapped in a light blue blanket in the Virgin River bed. I thought it awfully cold to be staying there at this hour, but they seemed too still to care. Still enough to be dead, I wonder? But there was a black Blazer parked at a mini cemetery atop the same hill I was camping on, and there was clearly someone in the vehicle. The suv was still there in the morning. I was tempted to explore the dead or sleeping body, but figured against it since the killer may well be Mr. black Blazer driver. I kept a wary eye and open ears as I slept under the stars this night. In the morn I loped down the bank to the body, only to find that it was a foam mat wrapped in a light blue blanket.