July 13, 2007
Time of departure: 6:32 A.M.
Temperature: 48 degrees
Elevation: 6427 feet
Total Mileage: 220
“Wait a minute. That’s not real!” I exclaimed, as I balanced myself on the edge of the highway.
We left Ely, Nevada traveling northwest towards our destination of Battle Mountain, Nevada. Several miles outside of Ely we rounded a bend in the road. To the right was a dirt bank where the road had been cut into the hillside. As I rode by, my eye spotted something green about halfway up the bank. It looked like a very large lizard.
I immediately slowed and made a U-turn to go back. Sure enough, there was a lizard perched on a rock, overlooking the highway. And, an amazing specimen it was too.
I grabbed the camera and started up the incline. It wasn’t until I had taken a few pictures that I realized the lizard was a toy. Somebody was having fun with me.
Meredith and I had a good laugh, and gained a mascot for the rest of the trip.
The land has continued to be valleys punctuated by mountain ridges. We passed several fields of alfalfa. The juxtaposition of desert and green fields was strange, but nice.
For the past several days, we’ve been s
ticking to pavement, telling ourselves that if we see a reason to leave pavement, we would. We haven’t yet. There hasn’t been a reason to take the risks of crossing the desert by dirt. As soon as there is a reason, we’ll do it.
See y’all down the trail.
Ron and Meredith
