Furnace Creek 508 some photos

All photos by Lisa Anne Auerbach unless otherwise noted.

This pool was right next to the pre-race meeting and I couldn't resist! Better to swim now than at mile 254 of the race, like I did last year!? Stress reducing.


At the start. I know what I've gotten myself into, but do they?



Obligatory devil-horns. Photo by AdventureCORPS.



The clouds and storms kept the temps low at the expense of the usual first day tailwinds.



The crew had a lot of this. Looking and waiting.


And then lot of this: bottle hand-off.


Trona.



Trona bump. Here I'm wondering why I'm so far behind last year's time. It was the less favorable winds. What a difference! I was getting sore and tired and I hadn't reached 200 miles or Townes Pass yet.



Approaching Townes Pass, elevation 4956ft, the entrance to Death Valley. Mike Sz rode this section for the Wild Burros team and would later say it was the hardest thing he has ever done.

I'll keep posting photos and short stories to break all of this down. I bike commuted yesterday with a heavy bag and it was confirmed that I do indeed have the worst saddle sores I have ever had.