This was a spectacular day of riding. The weather was perfect, from 48 degrees at the 7 AM start to the low 80’s by the mid-afternoon finish. The earlier part of the day was predominantly flat, passing grazing fields and through desert.
Our first SAG stop was adjacent to a fenced off live bombing area. Near Glamis, with the Chocolate Mountains in the distance, we rode through the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreational Area, where the sand has interesting color variations depending on shadows and sun angle. There is a marked decrease in vegetation in areas that allow ATV’s.
Everyone noted that we were experiencing a fairly strong tailwind, confirmed when we passed by the entrance to the Glamis Duners Country Club (I doubt that they have a long waiting list) with the flags blown straight out. We estimated 20 MPH winds.
From the sand dunes through the Chocolate Mountains, which is a U.S. Naval Reservation aerial gunnery range, there were several miles of “dips” where you could gain enough speed going downhill to pretty much get you up the other side. Sight lines for vehicles were somewhat limited and, with no road shoulders, the passing of tractor-trailers and RV’s was a bit nerve-racking for us two-wheelers.
The road returned to flat as we approached Palo Verde through fields of alfalfa, cotton, and sugar beets, irrigated from the Colorado River of which we were able to get a glimpse.
There were countless photo opportunities, including an abundance of wildflowers along the way.
We gained a total vertical of 2000’ for the day, but the combination of terrain and tailwinds made it painless.
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3 comments:
Nice photos of the wild flowers and the undulating highway.
Carol - Your pics and descriptions are just great. I'm reliving the trip all over again thru your eyes. Thanks. Clark '08
I really like the photos of the wild flowers and the undulating highway. Keep it up.
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