Day 123 | Elder Creek bushcamp: yes, it's really a creek, it's even flowing
45 km | zzOz total: Total so far: 6,288 km
It was a slow build but in the end I was startled by the sight.
After a morning of one false crest after another, following the still visible tracks of Mirjam and Stuart, through the big sand dunes, the top was finally reached and there, stretched out on the horizon was a real set of hills, made from rock not grains of sand, the Warburton Range.
Wooo hoooo!
A gloomy few weeks, highlight the dumping just as I started on the dirt, the clouds have gone, the temperature has cranked up 10°C, just fantastic riding conditions.
Overall the road surface has been hard work to date, an average speed either just above, or below 12 km/hour for the day is indicative of the effort required. So far there’s been that 60 or 70 km of sandpit, mostly still rideable although the 2.1” tyres with low pressure help in that department, some of it has been great riding but much of it is just a trifle soft to allow too much drifting off in a meditative state.
Only one moment to date of being perilously close to falling off, the Crossmark on the front is gripping well, aided by my refusal to pump more air in the tyres in the morning. I’ve failed to put anything into my rear tyre since I left Meekatharra.
I could make faster progress, I’ve been splitting riding days in two, some philosophy here of making the most of the experience, not getting it over with in a hurry, after all I’m the guy who spent 31 days doing the Mawson Trail, often done in half that.
I stopped early again today, Mirjam told me of a good camping spot at the river, why not have a fourth night out before civilisation, there’s just enough water to survive, then I’ll pedal the 3km to town tomorrow and do all the washing, blogging and general organisation required for the second half of this dirt road experience.
I might be heading for the slowest ever traverse of this road, at least not on a camel, aided by my ability to wring yet another evening camping out in the spinifex when I secure sufficient water.
(Running count of items spotted at the side of the road at halfway mark of the dirt road: smashed cars, 254; caravans, 1; trailers, 2; camping trailers, 1; roadtrains, 1/2, ie, two trailers; camels, 25; dingos, 1; feral cats; 1. People? Less than the number of cars for sure.)