rod mclaughlinAmerica Has A Black President (22 jan 09)
Finally got to Joshua Tree. Staying in a motel. When I first came here 12 years ago, I wouldn't have been seen dead in a motel - it was drive all night, then go straight to the climbers' campsite in the National Park. But they don't have internet access there. In a car, to get to the Mojave Desert, you drive over the Tehachapi (pronounced Tehachapi) Pass (4000 ft). On a bike, you climb over about 4500 ft. then descend into Tehachapi. Then you climb over another 5000 (ish) ft. pass and descend into Mojave. I discovered that the difficulty in going uphill on a recumbent is simply a case of developing the muscles (different from riding a normal bike) and the balance. I can now start the bike pointing uphill. Riding for a week across the pancake-flat Central Valley was just right - I got just fit enough to do the Tehachapi passes. Then I got burned out riding across the desert and camped the one night it rained - anyway that's my excuse for staying in this motel. I've all the time in the world to ride into the park and 'send' a few 'testpieces' (that's climbing jargon for climbing some hard climbs). Yeah right. I was walking around the town of Joshua Tree this morning, and a cop stopped and asked me what I was doing. That's Southern California - walking is suspicious! Did you know the Spanish for 'Do not disturb' is 'No moleste'? I have a sign on the motel door telling the maid not to molest me. By the way, did you know the USA now has a black president? I watched a bit of TV in my motel and read the Los Angeles Times. Both are full of this fascinating snippet of information, of which I was completely unaware.
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