Day Two: A long ride to New Mexico

What a difference a nap makes! Though I woke up on the shore of the Salton Sea at 6a, travel was off to a late start (10a) as I stayed for breakfast and conversation with friends. The route took me south on the 111 to Route 8 to follow the border across the state, then caught the 10 for a quick sprint across Arizona into New Mexico.

The nap – starting late meant I was riding through some high heat and it was taking its toll. At 3:30 I pulled into a rest stop and took a quick nap at a picnic table. After that I was good until 9p! That provides a good plan for tomorrow: get an early start, take a good break during mid afternoon, then hit the road hard again.

Riding the 8 along the border had me thinking about my other life as a prepping and survival trainer. For those who don’t know, the San Andreas Fault begins at the Salton Sea and moves northwest to the Pacific Ocean. That means the only way anyone will get in or out of southern California is on the 8. Hmm, once you get out of San Diego, you only find a gas station every 25 miles or so – there is no way they will be able to meet any evacuation needs.  And there’s that border within a few hundred yards. Between the Cartels and the banditos, the endless row of stalled cars stuffed with everyone’s worldly possessions are going to beckon violence and chaos way beyond what anyone has anticipated.

Speaking of the border, I passed two temporary inspection stations this morning. Those were kind of intriguing. A “command post” in a trailer that gets towed onto the site. Signs are shoved into the sand along the road, and temporary tents, lights and cameras are set up beside generators. Looks like they could be set up and taken back down in a couple hours. Makes a lot more sense than the permanent locations.

Several years ago I was running a Jeep Wrangler through some of the more remote areas of the southwest. Frequently after observing some of the most horrendous areas I had ever seen, there would be a sign identifying the area as an Indian Reservation.  Today I saw a few of those barren areas – but you can now spot them 10+ miles away since each one has a new, tall casino building! Looks kind of strange: barren desert terrain, a handful of old buildings, and a massive, sparkling casino.

Let's close today's post with a view of the southeastern Arizona's mountains as the sun is setting...