Day 3 - Leaving California

Departure: El Centro, CA      Finish:  Wellton, AZ        Distance:    97.2 miles

Elevation gain:  1,787 feet (mostly on a 5 mile climb 15 miles west of the destination)

Winds: 4 - 7 mph from the west/southwest

Weather:   Perfect! Sunny. Mild tailwind. Low 70s most of the day.

On bike duration:     6 hrs, 15 minutes

We departed this morning with 48 degree temperatures. We rode through an enormous agricultural area before we climbed over the Fortuna Foothills (Gila Mountains), east of Yuma. Crossing over the Colorado River, we entered the Mountain Time Zone. 

No flats for me today. Early in the day I felt the effect of the first two days. But as the day warmed up and the miles rolled by, I felt stronger and much more confident. California’s  Imperial Valley is a very impressive growing area. Miles of produce in the ground, much of it being harvested now I was taken by the enormous Alfalfa fields. That crop needs a lot of water. I don’t know how the area is fed. I din’t see that crop being irrigated. There is an intricate canal system (The “All American Canal”) that must be fed by the Colorado River. The leafy produce was being irrigated with that.

I never knew there were huge sand dunes in Eastern California. They were very impressive and reminded me of our family trip to the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. The rest of the ride today was a beautiful desert with the Gila Mountains in the background.

We’re 225.1 miles from the Pacific Ocean. I’m so happy I’m doing this!