A Rest Day in Good Ol' Blythe California

Blythe CA Rest Day
(10 miles)
12/7/2009
Day 52

We woke up this morning at 6:30AM to rain. Just a light sprinkling, but sure enough, it was raining. The report had predicted it would start around noon. While watching the news we learned that there were big storms happening across the country, snow and rain. Our rain seemed like the kind that was not going to stop any time soon so we went to the KOA recreation room and warmed up and ate our breakfast. Around 10:30 we decided that we would stay for another night at the KOA because there would be no sense in riding in the rain all day when we were already making great time in getting to Mesa and we were at a nice place to weather the storm. The forecast said this storm would bring one inch of rain, which is a lot for this area to get at one time.

After a morning hanging out and watching the news we rode our bikes 5 miles back into town (Blythe) and get internet and groceries. It continued steadily drizzling all day long and we rode back to the KOA around 5PM. We parked under a nice dry awning with picnic tables where we could make our dinner (huevos rancheros) out of the rain. Just about the time we were finishing supper the rain really started coming down. The winds started picking up and just driving the rain down in sheets. We went in the building and waiting for it to subside before we went back to the tent for the night. Greg was brave and ventured out into the downpour to check on our tent and gear. When he got back he was completely soaked from head to toe. I am lucky I have such a loving boyfriend who would brave a storm like that so I wouldn't have to. When the rain had finally died down we ventured out to find huge puddles everywhere and feared that our tent would be flooded. We also worried that the horizontal rain had blown up into the tent and gotten everything wet. Luckily when we got there we found we had put our tent on one of the only high and dry spots in the tent area, whew! Unfortunately Greg's sleeping pad and some clothes got a nice misting of rainwater on them, but luckily we could dry them fairly easily.

Greg seems to be able to sleep through many things, like raccoons fighting, or other strange noises outside of the tent, probably because he knows that it is nothing to worry about. Tonight he slept through the loudest gusts of wind I have ever experienced while camping. I was not afraid of the wind blowing around us, mostly just afraid of the possibility of branches blowing and breaking from the trees around us. I was actually sitting up in the tent, watching the wind strain the tent poles and sometimes bracing the tent with my arm. Finally, I also fell asleep but boy, what a storm!

Dani