July 27 Crossing America

Fallon, UT – Carson City, UT Distance 61, miles rode 28
Total miles traveled through today 3,626, on my 3,030 of them.

Today I could tell you about riding from a desert environment into the foothills of the
Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.  There was one pretty good climb coming out of Dayton, surprised me the state didn’t have a summit elevation sign as it was as much of a climb as the passes of the past two days.  However, it’s the folks I meet worth telling you about.

The weather forecast for today was a 15-20 mph headwind so I got on the road at 4:45 in
order to cover as many miles as possible before the wind picked up.  My plan worked for the first 10 miles as I was able to maintain a 15+mph average even with a slight incline to the road.  My mph average quickly dropped down to 11-12 mph once the wind picked up, still not to bad.

About 15 miles decided to take my first break, it’s much harder riding with wind that
never lets you have a break pedaling.   After having an energy snack, I saw a pick-up approaching in my direction so stuck out my thumb to see if it would stop.  It didn’t but I waved as the truck passed.  Must have made the guy have second thoughts as he pulled over and waited for me to walk up to his truck.  He asked if I was OK, which I was.  Then he added I was riding on Hwy. 50 at a bad time as it was the morning peak for traffic and
there was no shoulder for me to ride.  I quickly agreed with that.  Traffic had been whizzing by me at 60-70 mph with some of the vehicles not moving over the three foot required by Nevada law.  I wonder how many folks, in all the States which is most of them have this law don’t know it or don’t care?  I gladly accepted the ride from my newest friend from the road.  We no more then headed down the road and he made a cell phone call to his shop to tell them he’d be 20 minutes late.  I asked where his shop was and he pointed to it as we passed.  To which I said I don’t want you to be late for work, just drop me off.
He said it was his business and he was just letting his help know he was going to be late as he didn’t like it when his help showed up late.  Harry, the guy’s name, then  asked his secretary if they had anyone going to Carson City today, they didn’t.  Told her why he was going to be late.  After the call, he told me he wanted to set a good example for his  employees.  Harry drove me to Silver Springs about 10 miles up the road or down whichever way you want to call it.  While we were riding we talked about my
adventure, business and life.  Upon arriving in Silver Springs Harry pulled over just past the Alternate 95 and Hwy 50 intersection and told me that would be a good spot for me to catch another ride.   Again warning me this is not the time to be riding this busy Highway.  Before leaving Harry asked if I needed any money which I told him I didn’t but gave him
one of my cards in case he’d like to make a donation to fight MultipleSclerosis.  I thumbed a few pick-ups as they passed but none stopped.

I’m not patient enough to stand and wait until someone stops, so mounted my trusty
steed Spirit and began to ride.  Gees Louise!  The wind was blowing even stronger and the incline of the road getting steeper dropping my speed down to 7-8 miles per hour.  After a few miles I saw a pick-up coming in my rearview mirror and decided to give it another try
at thumbing a ride.  I wasn’t even off Spirit and the truck pulled over, a vintage 1968 GMC step-side pick-up truck with an even more vintage guy driving.  Bud King, 81 years young was my Road Angel this time.  Bud said I don’t normally pick up hitch hikers as my family doesn’t like it.  Hell, I hitch hiked a lot when I was young and appreciated getting rides.  An Old Guy on a bicycle just doesn’t strike me as the type to worry about. Besides you’re gonna get yourself killed riding on this road this time of day with the crazy drivers we have here in Nevada.  Ummm!  Yet another warning about about this road?

Bud remindedme a lot of my father in-law who passed a couple years ago and I miss him dearly.  At 81 Bud’s in great shape, still works a couple days a week making change for folks at a casino.  Over the course of the next hour or so I learned Bud had been married twice, had three children he fathered and four he adopted from his second marriage. Shared with me his first wife was so angry with him when they divorced she told his only son from that marriage that he had been killed in Korea.  I asked if he’d served there.  Hell no, she made it all up to keep his son from trying to find his dad.  Forty years later his son found out Bud was alive and they reconnected and they have been close ever since.  Bud and I stopped to gas up his truck then drove onto a casino for breakfast, I even bought as I was so intrigued listening to Bud’s long and interesting life.   Like my father in-law Bud is a 25 year recovering alcoholic.  Eventually we arrived in Carson City and I had to say good bye to my friend.  I think it was Will Rogers who once said a stranger is a friend I not yet
met?  Regardless of who said it, it good saying and I like the idea.  Sorry if I disappoint any of you with not riding today but I find talking with folks like Harry and Bud to be richly rewarding to my spirit.

FLASH!  Big News of the Day, I’m not dead. After arriving in Carson City I hooked
up with Ike and we went to lunch and then were on our way to a bicycle shop when I got squeezed off the street by the careless driver of a motorhome and crashed.  Landed smack on my head in the middle of the street with heavy traffic.  As I went down all I could think about “I’m about to get run over by one of the following motorist.  My Guardian Angel saved my yet again.  As the first vehicle behind me swerved into a driveway to avoid running over me and the vehicle behind her, probably wondering what was happening stopped.  Got to tell you I got my bell rung (my head) pretty good.  As I stood up all I could see were stars as I stumbled to the curb.  Good thing for me Ike was there and he had me sit down on the curb while he phoned Pepper to tell him I went down.  Pepper fortunately was only a mile away at the campground we were staying and arrived within minutes and took me to the hospital ER.  It took a couple hours before my vision cleared where I could read or see anything clearly.  At the ER they “Fast Tracked” me through the process procedure but that still meant I had only a 5 hour wait before I finally saw Leslie a Nurse Practioner.  Since I had landed on my head, my helmet cracked and I was 60+ years old
it is required I have a CAT scan of my brain to be sure I didn’t have a concussion.  I evidently lhad also landed on my left hip as it was causing me much pain.   Thus an X-ray for the hip had to be done, too.  Over 7 hours later I was cleared, no concussion, how can you hurt a hard head like mine.  The hiphowever is severely bruised but not cracked or broken.  Leslie’s advise was to not stress it for the next 3 or 4 days.  Right, there is only 4 days left of stage one’s crossing America.  I’ll give my hip a day rest, besides tomorrow
will be our hardest climb since the mountain passes of Colorado.  Even though the wait for medical attention took way too long, I have to say every member of the staff was professional, friendly and were compassionate in caring for me.

I have to tell you all, I’ve had more close encounters with death in my life than I can
count and yet I’m still alive.  So as I sit here completing today’s journal I ask myself, “God you sure have given me a great Guardian Angel to protect and look over me.  Now what is it you want me to do with my life”?

Follow