Prior
to the start of the ride Floyd took a short jaunt at "Road Kill
Point" on one of the bikes to keep in practice in case we recruit
him to ride and give up his responsibility of Driver In Chief
of the motor home. We haven’t managed to get him in bicycle shorts
and a helmet yet, but we are still working on it. Since none
of us have the expertise for navigating the motor home through
these city streets and desert backroads we unanimously agree
that he does not have to worry about any competition for his
responsibilities. His expertise in backing a trailer and blowing
the horn (inside joke) is amazing. If you’ve read previous entries
you are aware of the problems we have had with our horn…..honk
! honk!
The
ride started at Fenner, California where riders had filled two
empty water bottles and a Gatorade bottle with sand and rocks
two days before to mark their spot for starting the day’s ride.
Danny does not want to cheat an inch, not even a 1/32 of an inch.
We passed through miles and miles of rocky canyons spotted with
tumbleweed, cactus, and sagebrush with yellow flowers that looked
like yellow jasmine. After traveling 7 miles we took a brief
stop at a quaint little town called "Goff" for a short water
break. The mountain was hard.
Danny is experiencing difficulties with riding due to a rash
he has developed. He is optimistically continuing and taking
care of himself to insure he is able to complete the ride. He
is taking a brake in the motor coach, drinking Pepsi and eating
saltines.
As riders continued,
the support team took time to get sandwiches for the journey
and to interview three of the "locals" from the "Goff
General Store. It’s the only store in view for miles. Anyone
coming to this area really should stop by. The food was great,
and the hospitality was like being at home in Charleston. The
owner, a gentleman in his 60’s - Robert Ervin - is a cancer survivor
of seventeen years. He was a high school teacher and coach for
fourteen years in a rough California school district and worked
for the public service department when he was diagnosed with
cancer and given less than two weeks to live.
After doing all they could for him his doctors advised that
he eliminate the stress in his life and enjoy what time he had
left. He and his wife of thirty years left California and came
to the little town of Goof where her family had some property.
She was a seamstress and did catering, so together they set out
to build a restaurant / general store. They designed it like
an old timely frontier building with a big balcony on the front
so they could perform wedding services in the desert with a friend
who has a limousine service.
Prior to finishing
their plans his wife died from aneurysm in 1997. He left Goff
for a year to deal with his grief and finally
returned to complete their dream with encouragement from his
six adult children and his faith in God to see him through. He
attributes his strong faith in God and his positive attitude
to his cancer being in remission. He firmly believes God has
other plans for his life and that he enjoys and welcomes every
new day. He believes we all have choices to make. When we awake
every day and look in the mirror, the choice is ours if we are
going to have a good day or just an ordinary existence. The parallel
between Danny’s faith and positive optimistic outlook and that
of Mr. Ervin’s are essential for cancer survival. Mr. Ervin was
an incredibly courageous, encouraging, and interesting person
to talk and visit with as he prepared the most tasty BLT’s, ham
and cheese, turkey and cheese, and hamburgers. Goff's General
Store really is a "must" for travelers coming out this way.
Prior to leaving
the store, three interesting middle aged hikers appeared on
the horizon with hiking sticks in hand for their
morning breakfast. One of them said he was homeless. He comes
to this part of the country for three months every year to avoid
the winter’s cold. The lady was doing volunteer work for the "Save
The Mojave Trail Organization." The third gentleman was a year-round
resident who worked in the area.
When the support team caught up with the riders, they found
hungry travelers who were ready for a break and grateful for
the delicious sandwiches. Every morsel was eaten without hesitation
at an intersection further down the road. Lydia rode with the
riders for a steady uphill climb during the middle of the day
while Sean and Floyd continued in the support vehicle.
At a stop for water
break Lydia and Sean played catch with a football that we purchased
for down time. Danny’s brakes on
his bicycle have been giving him some problems. Today he came "smoking" down
the pass -you could smell the rubber burning. We are enjoying
lots of sunshine, taking lots of pictures, and seeing incredibly
beautiful countryside. Tonight we are staying in Gretchen Inn
on the Colorado River. The view is gorgeous! We are in a suite
with a deck overlooking the river - lots of casinos, restaurants,
hotels, etc.
It’s laundry time
again, so tomorrow we will be looking for a Laundromat. We
plan to take some time tomorrow to organize
the trailer and install much needed shelves. Tonight we plan
to have a good meal and get some rest.
Statistics:
Start 8:40
Distance 62.8 miles
Saddle time 5 hr. 18 minutes
Time ending – in motor coach 5:00
Average speed: 13 miles per hr. (approximate)
Total Distance Traveled: 378 miles
