Riding through Fire.

Date: 2 June 2006
Miles: 12.58
June Mileage: 43.52
Weather: 110°F. cloudy, monsoony, occasionally humid, blowing dust.
Bike: Roadie.

Things change when it gets hot like this. Cold water hurts to drink. It's hard to ride a bike. Getting in the car is a special treat. Contrary to popular belief, leaving a CD in your car will not cause it to melt. I know this. Some people put on oven mitts when they get in the car. In this climate you learn how to drive a car without touching it.

Temps inside the car can exceed ground temperatures and are deadly hot -- maybe 160-170 degrees (Don't nap in your car). When it's really dry, getting out of the car and closing the door are guarenteed to shock you. You adapt, only closing the car with a clothed portion of your body to avoid the inevitable shock. Getting in to the car at the hot times of the day is dangerous. touching any hard or black surface can result in burns. the steering wheel, the stick shift, the seat belt. So you learn to drive without really touching the car.

It was 110°F. today, and whew! Everything moves slower at that temperature -- except the drip from the chapstick. Sunscreen left in the car will burn you if you try to use it. Recycling trucks catch on fire (I saw this).

It was a good ride. When it's this hot the wilderness starts just below your skin. Any mistake can result in pain or death. Skin burns in the sun after about 10 minutes. Cooling stops if evaporation stops -- so sweating and water (and food) are all imperative. Falling down just out of sight, getting lost, or even a wrong turn can imperil even the most prepared. I wore the standard desert wear I always choose. White Nordstrom™ Classic Oxford shirt, cotton T-shirt, wool socks and real shoes (no sandals), shorts and in this case a helmet. I packed a rain coat (for the thunderstorm) a bandana (for the dust storm), and two liters of water.

And it was a good hard ride and reminded me of spending about 20 minutes in the sauna ... I feel better now. It's supposed to be hotter tomorrow.