Day 6: Yucca Valley, CA

Wakeup was early this morning, but I got over it quickly when we watched the sun rise. Watching the sunrise in the Mojave is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen: something I could definitely get used to. The mountains and lack of civilization make it a unique sight. And when I say there is nothing out here, I mean it. We rode for 75 miles and didn't even see grass. But the fact that there isn't anything out here isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's still a beautiful place, and something happened to me for the first time ever today. At about mile 30 a guy in my paceline had some mechanical issues, causing us to stop about a half mile apart from eachother. I dismounted, looked at the beautiful emptiness, and noticed I was in absolute silence. No voices, no traffic, no wind; it was like someone hit the mute button on the desert. It was crazy, something I have never experienced. Unfortunately, we didn't have a friendship visit today and won't have one tomorrow. People are so scattered across this desert, making it difficult for people with disabilities to gather. However, we all had the oppurtunity to catch up on some sleeping and reading, which is always nice. Dinner was sponsored by Matthew Callardo's parents. He is the president of his chapter at George Washington University. We are getting ready for bed, and some of the guys are freaking out because we have to leave a door open to the Yucca Valley High School gym and think snakes are going to crawl in. It's pretty funny.