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Ahhh where to start?

Ok how about the morning!

There was a morning, and I was up before it, due to an early night and a light dinner of a banana and something else (corn nuts, I think), I was ravenous. Breakfasted and packed up and had a cup of coffee overlooking Grand Junction, thousands of feet below me.

First riding order of the day was to replace the burned out headlight. Not having girly hands this took me a friggin half hour, during which I chatted with my neighbor who was from southern California, with one hand in the FJR fairing. Nice guy, reminds me of a retired engineer. Then I went to find bandaids for my skinned knuckles.

8am and I was a-rollin! Since I was behind schedule I decided to skip Arches NP, having been there before. With half a tank and 150miles on the odometer I passed through Spring Green valley or some-such (where the Thors and I stopped for the night last year). Five miles later I was down to 3/8 tank. 'I really should go back' methinks. Nah, I got 70 miles of fuel I will be good. The scenery was awesome, just like last year. Even though this was the interstate and I was doing 83 mph, the rock formations kept my attention.

Until I saw a '40 miles to next services' sign and looked down to see I only had 20 miles of gas. Shitpants! I must have missed the 'no services for 90 miles' sign earlier.

After our 'incident' on the Walt Ride earlier this year, I had purchased and stashed under my seat a fuel siphoning device. I now envisioned myself standing on the interstate shoulder, gas cap open, holding the tube up to passerbys. At least there are a few vehicles on the road.

The next exit had three signs:
- straight (35 miles to services)
- right (27 miles to services)
- right (12 miles to gas)

I can't go 35 miles, 27 .... maybe, 12, no problem. But that means leaving the interstate where I can siphon out of someone's tank, or turning right and going off into the boonies. Boonies it is! Soon as I got on the ramp my low fuel light came on and started counting down. I sure hope that gas station exists!

And it did. 12 miles later I was shoving a nozzle into my tank and thinking about lunch. And then I thought... I am 12 miles off the interstate, I wonder if there is a good alternate route back? Sure enough I found one, on hwy 31, the Energy Loop, a scenic byway. Yay!

It rained a little, and I went through some towns with nice flower baskets, and a home of the 'watch tower something', probably a mormon thing. No problemo! And I got gas on a regular basis.

There was a section of road which went straight as an arrow across the desert for 50 miles before I crossed into Nevada and pacific time. I skipped the Great Basin NP because there was lightning over there and zoomed west onwards on hwy 50, enjoying Nevada's higher speed limits. Civilization has gone missing, all I have is the road coursing through the desert and sweeping through the mountains.

I passed a wind farm. I dodged thunderstorms. At 80 (in a 70) I was overtaken by the Sheriff. I was digging it.
 
At a rest stop (more corn nuts! Thank god I didn't buy a big bag) I read about the Great Basin, stretching from the sierra nevada's to the rockies, from Oregon to Mexico, where no water drains to any ocean. It either evaporates or sinks into the desert. And then there is the Great Basin Desert, where I am.

Ely. Gas. And thunderstorms ahead. Crap, I think I will have to cross the mountains... and lots of lightning. I resolve to find a hotel room, as the local KOA wants $25 and then I will be in the rain anyway. Online I find one smoking room at the Ramada, for $110. Dammit! But they have a business office, and I have stuff to do, which means I won't have to stop at fedex in Reno tomorrow. I get there and ask about a gov't rate (military spouse, remember?) and get a room for $82. Still smoking, but the alternative is a suite for $155. Smoking it is. And they don't have a business office despite the booklet in the room claiming they do. However, the receptionist says I can use the managers computer in the back and I do. Sweeet!

Dinner? Oh yeah, had a great blue cheese and bacon burger and two Rotator IPA's while thumbing this up. I think that 'splains my style.

Tomorrow I continue west on hwy 50, dubbed 'the loneliest highway in the us' and will enter motorcycle mecca, I.e. California!