Endurance sports are a fickle matter. The challenges you face in the first few days, weeks, and months are all drastically different. In the first few days of riding, we thought our limiting factor would be physical strength. Biking 70 miles seemed like a physically exhausting task. Now, as we’ve trained up our abilities, our new challenge is mental. Biking across the desert under the blazing sun requires sustained focus and a willingness to be bored. To me, this is where biking is at its best. It’s an opportunity to re-connect with one’s mind, body and environment – weaving the three threads into harmony.
After traversing the Nevadan desert, we arrived at Middlegate – an “unincorporated hamlet” which anyone was free to camp on. The only rule? Don’t bother anyone else. Some people living there appeared to be permanent residents, while others were only passerbys.
Staying at Middlegate was a memorable experience. Not only was the laissez faire approach to running a campground new to us, but Middlegate was also a gateway into the past. Some parts of the settlement had clearly not changed for many years. Similar to the rings of a tree, we could see the layers of history that had built up at Middlegate over the years. Some things had clearly changed, while others had not.
Alex