Desert Tour November 2014

The night was incredibly windy. I had to get up at and tie the tent down because I feared it might collapse. The stakes did not hold in the sandy ground, so I found some rocks and tied the tent to them instead. On the plus side, the wind swept all the clouds away, and the night sky at altitude and away from any cities or towns was breathtaking. I tried taking some pictures, but they didn’t come out well - I was shaking too much from the strong wind and the cold....

I need a warmer sleeping bag for the desert. When I got up, it was cold and raining, so I made my tea and oatmeal inside the tent, trying hard not to set it on fire. I packed my stuff and went riding on some unpaved roads and trails until I was out of the desert. It’s a pretty nice area (for a desert) but it’s full of bullet casings and shot up TVs....

Something is checking out my tent. I have the shovel ready next to me. It’s probably just a desert mouse. The original plan was to cross the Death Valley north to south in a 4 day, 3 nights trip with camping and going off road as much as possible. As it turns out, you’re not allowed to go off road in the death Valley, and you’re not allowed to camp within two miles of any road....