JUNE 28, 2013 "THE TREE OF SOLES" (Middlegate Station to Austin Nevada)

Rusty's turn to ride today.  Predicted temp 105+.
The temp was 78 degrees when he headed out at 7:30am.  We wanted him to get an early start before the heat so I stayed and finished loading up the car.  The plan was to meet him 10 miles down the road.  My bike was on the rack and I was ready.......NO KEYS! Rusty had ridden off with them in his pocket. ( I don't know why I didn't bring my set of car keys on the ride but I didn't .) 
Our contact plan was to meet at ten miles out or txt in an hour.  The rider usually had his/her cell phone off because of power and txts on the hour or when needed and the drive keeps his/her phone on because it is connected to a power source.  So I was pretty certain if I called or txt him he wouldn't get it until he turned on his phone when he started to wonder why I wasn't at the ten mile mark.
I asked one of the "cowboys" who works at the Pony Express station if he would drive me out to catch up with Rusty.  He was pleased to be a part of the rescue and, I must admit, it was a pretty funny situation.  I'm just glad it happened somewhere where we had a "trail angel" available.
We drove out in Bill's dusty old van (everything is dusty in Middlegate Nevada) and had the key hand off. (pic to be added later).  On the way back Bill pointed out a huge shade tree, probably one of the three mentioned in our Adventure Cycling map info about HWY 50).  The tree must have had 2, 3, 4 hundred shoes hanging from it's branches.
 Bill shared the story about the Shoe Tree:

      “There was a beautiful angel cast out of heaven down to earth. When he came he slithered up the tree for protection.  An Indian maiden came to sit in the shade of the tree and was crying.  The Fallen Angel  asked why she was crying.  The Indian Maid told him it was because her husband had gone hunting and hadn’t returned for too many days.  The Fallen Angel said that if she would toss her moccasins up into the branches that her husband would return safely. She tossed her moccasins up into the branches and her husband came riding up immediately with a deer across his horse.  They returned home and were so happy that they wanted it to last forever.  The Indian maiden returned to the tree and asked the Fallen Angel if he could make that happen.  He told her to have her husband toss his moccasins up into the branches and it would be so.  She convinced her husband and so he went to the tree and tossed his moccasins into the tree.  Why do you suppose the Fallen Angel wanted them to toss their moccasins into the tree?  Because he wanted their soles (souls).   Good, huh?
A side note is that for some reason no one has yet to find out the original tree which was much larger was chopped down years ago.  This is the second one.  Perhaps someone felt that it was "a devil worship"-type of tree.  I say, lighten up and give your shoe a toss!

 

So back to the ride: First I want to say that it is very hard to describe a ride by its miles. Rusty rode 22 miles and that may not sound like very much but it was a tough 22 miles.  Water wagon about every 5 miles and slathering sunblock on exposed surfaces.  He doesn’t usually use sun block because the tan builds up so gradually on him but a couple of days ago his legs got really burned and he choose to not ride the next day at all to stay out of the sun.

He passed the baton to me (the on-the-bike-tire pump) and I rode 20 miles.  I could not go another mile…or half mile even.  I was so done!  95+ temps, and constant gradual climbing.  Middlegate station is at 4,600 elevation.  The last summit I reached was New Pass Summit at 6,348.  The last water wagon stop I told Rusty I would go 2 more miles.  Meet me there.  TWO MILES! I repeated.  He headed out first and I had gone ½ mile when I thought about calling him on the cell and telling him to come back and get me.  Talking to myself I said “No way!!  You can do this.  One pedal stroke at a time.  Rusty would be disappointed in you and you would be in yourself.”  I stopped about every half mile.  Ate a fig newton, took some water and rode on.  When I finally made it he said that the summit was just another 1  1/2 mile up before the descent.  OK.  I’ll do it!  I have earned the descent!  I told him that I would ride over the summit and downhill but to wait for me at the point where the downhill started back up again.  As I was coming down the other side of the summit I could see the Subaru up a ways….but I ran out of down hill and was back to 10mph dragging myself with every pedal stroke to be rescued.

  GOSH!  What a great ride!  Hot! Lonely! Headwinds (forgot to mention that) AND hills!  Everything that comes together to make one feel like they have really accomplished something!

Loaded up my bike and we headed to Austin Nevada which lies up on the side of another mountain 22 miles away. We drove over New Pass Summit 6,348.  (going to add a pic of the elevation given on AC map)

Staying at Austin Baptist RV Park.  Tent space $10!!!  Showers and everything!  Including electricity at the campsite! This will help the budget……

(met a man from Oregon who was at the Baptist church to tune their piano.  He travels along to the out of the way little towns and settlements along Hwy 50 and tunes pianos.  He told us he has 5 or 6 Mormon families out in Antelope whose pianos he tunes.  Nice chatting.)

ROADKILL

SHOES:  400 ? (if the Tree of Soles counts)