Ok, let me see if I can catch up a bit here.
I bailed early as I generally do and headed west. As I approached Los cruces, I saw the exit for 25 north which would run me home. I occasionally get mildly homesick and think of making the turn. So I thought about it a little but continued on west instead.
Weather wise, it was somewhat cool so I was comfortable. I made an exit for gas and spotted a bunch of goats. I’d seen quite a few in places but this was a larger number. Making my way to town, I stopped for gas and grabbed a banana. An older guy stopped to chat. It’s cool to meet up with folks on the road. He suggested avoiding Phoenix by taking the 8 bypass. Thanking him, I headed back out.
The temps were getting up there as I headed west. I started leaving the front of my suit open so my sweat would keep me cooler. I was going through a liter or so of water between gas stops. There were lots of other cars but no bikes as I took 8 west.
I had planned three days to get to LA but it looked like I was doing a bit better. If I pushed it a little, i could probably make it. Then I decided on San Diego to check out one of the places I grew up. On the 8 route is the northern bypass at gila bend. I decided to continue on to San Diego and kept on west.
I kept an eye on the bike to make sure it was operating well. Engine temps were exactly right and the bike never seemed to waver. I also stayed thoughtful of my state, drinking lots of water and stopping for gas when possible. It wouldn’t do to run out in the desert.
As I approached Yuma, temps were quite high. It seemed that sweat was evaporating very fast. I’d scrunch down to let it build a little then sit up to cool down. It was like someone was blowing a hair dryer into my neck it was so hot. Eventually when I got to Yuma I decided it was too hot to continue and snagged a room with AC
I unpacked, took a shower, then headed out for dinner. It was 3:30 or so and still very hot. The lady at The desk said it was 107. One thing to remember, temps are not consistent. Street level temps are generally hotter than bank sign or weather report temps. So I figure it was a bit warmer for me on the bike than 107.
I did some reading, walked around town a little, and finally went to bed.