Pancake Snakes

One of the best ways for me to end the anxiety is to push the “GO” button.  This brings an immediate halt to the months of preparation and the “what did I forget” and “what ifs”.   You’re off, you’re running and with the preponderance of Walmarts, hey, what’s the worst that could happen?

Having the grandkids over for the preceding weekend meant breakfast leftovers were available this morning, making for a quicker getaway.  So after copious amounts of pancake snakes and frog lips sausages, I advanced to GO.

Departing under heavy overcast, it accompanied me to the south end of the Cajon Pass.  Temps hung around 62F and then shot up to 90F at the north end of the pass as I found Victorville bathing in full sun but not nearly enough breeze.  By the time Baker came into view, 102F became the order of most of the rest of the day.

Just south of Las Vegas, I felt a strange magnetic force pulling me toward the east as I passed the St. Rose Parkway off-ramp.  I’m guessing that the culprits behind this force might be found in the Boulder City area.

A bit of rain fell twice today, visible on my shield, but evaporating immediately upon contact with the ground.  A few inches of standing water remain on the dry lake beds in the Primm Valley.  The solar-angels usually surrounding the towers at the solar plant were noticeably larger having grown during this small amount of precipitation.

Long segments of the Interstate slab are a bore.  However, this trip requires a few days of just such a slog to get to the “adventure starts here” line, in a reasonable amount of time.  So the penance will be paid for the first few days, leading up to a great balance of the month.

Today got me through 400 miles of CA, NV, AZ and into St. George, UT.  Tonight’s clouds over the mountains are looking a bit ominous, but “good Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise” I should be able to hit Malad City ID after another 408 miles tomorrow.