California
Baker – Yermo - 95km
On March 9, we left Baker and continued towards the coast along the
I-15, which crosses the Mojave Desert. The landscape was mostly
barren, with only a few dunes and Joshua trees visible throughout the
day. Mercifully, we encountered no headwind, as I couldn’t even begin
to imagine riding that stretch into the wind. As there wasn’t much to
look at, one couldn’t help but notice a sign for Zzyza Rd. Initially, it
seemed like a name of last resort, but it turns out that it is a made-
up name created by Curtis Howe Springer in 1944 to distinguish it as
the last word in the English language. It was certainly an interesting
discovery!
As there wasn’t a heck of a lot to look at, one couldn’t help but notice
the unusual, discarded items alongside the road. Besides the usual
empty beer cans, there were also more unique items like shoes,
clothing including underwear, household items like brooms, towels
and even a pillow. One can’t help but wonder how it landed next to
the highway. However, on that day, I also spotted a dildo. I could
entertain myself for hours on end, imagining amusing ways in which
it could’ve landed there, which left me giggling for the remainder of
the way. Did I mention there wasn’t much happening along the way?
Yermo sported a formal campsite and an excellent place to call it a
day. But, unfortunately, it became terribly cold once the sun had set.
So, I zipped up my tent and had an early night.