Death Valley...

was actually the nicest part of the day. This day started and ended so brutally. Still on account of Brutus. It blew like stink all night. Woke up super early and got going. Found out later it was 19 degrees. That's before accounting for wind chill. Also realized I had picked up an hour so I was on the road before 7, not 8.

Freezing my ass off but headed south. The front was through so the wind was down but its still a full on winter storm.

Riding down and into Death Valley was so refreshing because of the warmth and the relative calm.

But climbing out over another range put me right back on the leading edge of the front again.

Made it out to a town called Ochala(?) which is on the highway to Mammoth from L.A. and regrouped at a little truck stop. The wind is super tiring and the sun is down.

Bakersfield is only a couple more hours and leaves me a nice easy day over to Dylan tomorrow. BUT...

As I get down to the Barstow-Bakersfield Highway the wind is possibly the worst its been. Right after probably the worst blast I'd taken, one which almost picked me up and dropped me in the next lane, there is a huge, lit text, sign warning of high winds ahead. Fahk mi. RV's and high loads not advised.

No exits. I pull into the weigh station and drive around, park and go inside. The California Highway Patrol tells me there is no other, slower way around. But thankfully they also informed me that I'd been through the worst of it and I only had another 15 miles or so and it should improve. And so it did. I was whipped when I finally crashed for the night.