The long, dry road to Joshua Tree

5/2 - Parker, AZ (85 miles)
5/3 - halfway between Vidal, CA and Joshua Tree NP on Hwy 62 (63 miles)
Thanks to a mega-tailwind, we were able to ride 85 miles from Aguila, AZ to Parker. We were loving life at 20mph! Although the winds shifted 17 miles from Parker, right as the 99 degree day was zapping our energy. We quickly found the library in town where we were able to escape the heat. We spent the afternoon in the AC where we read, napped, and researched a problem with our stove that was discovered on day1. That night, we stayed at Carlos' house after he finished a city council meeting. He generously offered his yard after he saw us seeking permission from the police to camp on the library lawn. We are discovering how many generous, curious, helpful people there are in the world.

In the morning, we traveled 17 miles to Vidal, CALIFORNIA! Here, we had to carefully plan our approach in the hot desert to Joshua Tree since there were no water sources the next 93 miles. We decided to relax in the shade during the day, then start traveling in the evening when the temperatures were cooler and we would consume less water. Well hydrated and fed, we filled up our collapsable 10L water jug then headed down highway 62 at 5:30pm. We watched the sun set and the stars appear as we cycled on the fairly deserted highway. This proved to be a good decision as we were less fatigued and had just enough water to get to 29Palms. That night, we stopped riding around 10pm and camped off the highway halfway between Vidal and Joshua Tree NP. It was quite a sight in the morning, not realizing how beautiful the land was we were traveling through at night.