Day 2: If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

The theme of today is the heat. The guys began early from Palm Springs, at 5:45 to get as many miles in before it got hot, starting at 64 degrees. 



The 42 miles to the first SAG out of Palm Springs and through the valley were a wonderful ride, with the first 25 or so miles riding on urban roadways named after celebrities like Dina Shore, Bob Hope, and Gene Autry. Lots of palm trees and low traffic on bike lanes so nice riding in the cool morning. They reached the desert dotted with ranches and irrigated date farms.


From there, we left Mecca, a small migrant farm community on the edge of the desert and entered Box Canyon (beautiful  but desolate in in dryness), 20 or more miles up and up - none of it steep, but with the temperature rising, it became a grind.


The temperatures rose to 84 degrees in the canyon (and up to 87 degrees by 10:00). They climbed on along Hwy. 10 to Chiriaco Summit at 1706' elevation where they retreated into an air conditioned restaurant at 67 miles. From here, it would be primarily downhill, along the Hwy 10 freeway.

Lunch at Chiriaco

By 12:30 it was 94 degrees (by the truck thermometer, but the guys' bike computers were showing over 100 as the heat from the blacktop was even higher). It hit 100 by 2:20 near the third SAG stop at 116 miles. I made an emergency stop along the freeway (despite the signs saying not to) as I feared they were near cooked. They all made it into the motel in Blythe at 134 miles, but were looking kinda peaked.




Only two flats again today, both by Ken.

Tomorrow will be a shorter day, at 115 miles, but will again be hot with a bit more climbing.

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