Day 52: High Lonesone Campsite - 0 miles

Around midnight I was awoken with my tent buffetted in the wind. It was leaning to the extent that I was certain that I had lost some pegs. However, after fumbling around and finding my torch I found that it was a gale force wind blowing side on to the tent. The fly was being pushed into the sleeping area and all around me I could hear the wind howling. Fortunately there was no rain but the wind was blowing the dust into the tent through the mesh.

To cut a very long story short, the wind continued until about 16:00 the following day. I have only come across such winds on a bad day in Wellington and there was no way I was going to venture out on my bicycle in such conditions -- I wasn't confident of being able to stay upright and the wind blown detritus would make seeing quite difficult.

I took the photo below of my tent during a respite from the wind. The only telltale signs of the conditions are the way in which the back side of the tent is blown outwards and the tie down at the front left is so stretched. You'll have to take my word for it that things were quite windy!

 

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I passed away the time snoozing and listening to my radio. I would normally have read but for some reason I was uncharacteristically not in a reading mood. Very unusual. The tent is small when sleeping, and even more so when sheltering for hour upon hour from a storm. It was amazing the amount of fine dust which made its way into the tent. Were it not for the mesh a lot of bugs would have as well. A number of them ended up on the outside of the mesh taking shelter from the wind, but I flicked them off when I could and they were soon blown on who knows where. There was the biggest bug I have ever seen -- a huge green cricket like bug, but about four times the size. I was pleased that he didn't try to share my sleeping bag with me!

And so the day passed away slowly but at least I would be rested for the next day's ride. I had decided to roll the trip from here to Hachita and Hachita to Antelope Wells into a single day, it would be just under 100 miles but I was confident that I could do it, as long as the weather co-operated.

On to the next day ...

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