Hot and Windy

Today we loaded at 6:45 am. The wind was 23 gusting to 30 out of the NW. Our first SAG was at Mecca. Time to take off the arm and knee warmers as it is warm. As we leave we are in farm country and soon enter an area called Box Canyon with some very interesting geology. The road is narrow with no real safe place to pull off to take any pics. The climbing is gentle all the way to I-10 which we are on for 63 miles. It's just plain hot now, 90 and sunny. The wind just keeps moving around the compass with no real pattern to it. We get to Chiriaco Summit (1700') the high point. Here we find the General Patton Museum. Even though this is not an official SAG the van is there for water bottle refills. The lunch SAG is a deserted small burger stand complete with bags of outdated chips inside. At two rest stops I pull tiny pieces of wire from my tires. These are from the tire carcasses we pass endlessly on the interstate. Luckily the one that goes flat holds air till we reach the motel. Others are not so lucky. There is a trophy at the end to the person with the most flats, some have had 6 already. The two Brits Andrew and James, and Frank from Sarasota and I are out in front again. Passed by the next strongest group while... you guessed it fixing a flat. Just before getting to the motel we stop at Kmart for a 1000 calorie snack knowing that we can't make up the 8000+ calories we burned. Our youngest rider had to go to the ER because she was woozy from not eating anything near or at the end of the ride today. We won't know her status till morning. Hoping for the best.