There's a desert that crawls with deception,where rain rarely reaches the ground;

There are explorers who hold the perception,there’s an easy way through to be found.

In harsh land where escape seems so hollow,forever baked by the devil's burning breath;The sole traveler has no choice but to follow,seasoned instinct, clear reason ... else death.

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Nothing at all will be attempted if all possibleobjections must first be overcome.

Samuel Johnson, English Author (1709 1784)–

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Big Desert Little Man Odd Journey– –

MOJAVETRAVERSE

A Backcountry Cycling Adventure

the tricycle expedition journal ofveteran explorer Steve Greene

Mojave: Pronounced mo HAW vee

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A WARNING TO LIVING HUMANS

Traveling alone in remote desert territory is not wise. If thefollowing tale motivates you to visit the wild Mojave Desert,understand that backcountry exploration on a human poweredtrike puts you at high risk. Such activity carries with it manyinherent perils including, but not limited to, things like tirepunctures, vehicular destruction, hypothermia, dehydration,starvation, wild animal attacks, consequences from medicalproblems, and death. You may well be bitten by a cantankerousrattlesnake, stung by an anti-social scorpion, or have both youreyes poked out by an inconsiderate vulture. You may fall into abottomless mine shaft, get stuck by a prickly cactus needle, orbe swept away by an inopportune flash flood. You may run outof water ninety-seven miles from salvation, be buried by aturbulent sandstorm, or drop helplessly to the ground mumblingincoherently about needing some water. Living is inherentlydangerous, and ALWAYS results in death it's just a matter of–when, where, and how how about the Mojave Desert? While the…following journal may infer a reasonable level of safety, it isonly an illusion, and to attempt a journey like this clearlyplaces your survival in very serious jeopardy. Remote tricycleexploration is ALWAYS unpredictable and dangerous. Be sure toinform friends and family of your itinerary, so they will knowwhere to search for your dehydrated remains. A trek across theMojave Desert on a human powered tricycle is definitely NOTadvised. Be aware of your mortality! It hangs by a thread.

MOJAVE TRAVERSEA Backcountry Cycling Adventure

ISBN-13: 978-1517578015 ISBN-10: 1517578019

Printed in the USA Charleston, SC

Copyright © 2016 by Steve GreeneBe a Kool Kat, not a Copy Cat.

Kool Kats go to heaven, Copy Cats spend eternity elsewhere.

Additional copies of this expedition book may be orderedthrough Amazon.com or many other authorized online

booksellers. Visit Steve Greene at:

amazon.com/author/stevegreene

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The very basic core of a man's living spirit is hispassion for adventure.

Christopher McCandless, wilderness adventurer

After that adventure in the Yukon, I very quicklyforgot the miserable times, and spent the following

year dreaming about repeating the experience.Getting back to a place a place in the wild, a place–

in my spirit.

Will Steger, American adventurer

The desert, when the sun comes up I couldn't tell…where heaven stopped and the Earth began.

Tom Hanks, American actor and filmmaker

20 miles from wood. 20 miles from water.40 feet from hell.

Sign at the Bailey Geological Survey campBadwater Basin, Death Valley, 1900

~

Cover images courtesy:

Tom Harrison Maps (tomharrisonmaps.com)Jack Freer (overlandphotography.us)

Inspired Cycle Engineering (icetrikes.co)Steve Greene (wildsteve.wordpress.com)

Interior photos by Steve Greene

View the entire photo collection at:mojavetraverse.wordpress.com

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CONTENTS:

Expedition Objectives 7–Getting Back to a Place 9–

Bob Greene and a Harley 13–Travel on a Tricycle 15–

Childhood and the Mojave 17–Pedals Replace Petroleum 21–The Green Organic Engine 25–

Death by Dehydration 31–Inspiration Required Inquire Within 39– –

From Freezer to Furnace on ICE 45–The Expedition Tricycle 49–

Full Fat Backcountry Exploration Vehicle 51–The Meaning of Mojave 59–

Updates Prior to Departure 61–A Last Minute Glitch 65–

Final Water and Food Decisions 67–Dark Sky and Fast Water 73–

Trip Itinerary 75–Day One 77–

Other Unique Books by Steve Greene - 80

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Expedition Objectives

1) Pedal a human-powered vehicle from the northernOwens Valley in California to the Mojave River at the SanBernardino Mountains, following a route that spans amajor portion of the north to south length of the MojaveDesert, while additionally traversing the north to southlengths of Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, anda major portion of the Mojave National Preserve, usingunpaved roads and rural paved roads (410 Miles or 660 Km). 2) Resume a lifelong passion for remote backcountrytravel, exploration, and adventure on secluded roads andtrails, using human power for propulsion instead of cars. 3) Assess the 2015 ICE Full Fat recumbent tricycle.

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Getting Back to a Place

To achieve great things requires great inspiration,which leads to great passion within one's mind. How doI define great things? My definition, of course, isnothing more far-reaching than the simple thoughtsin my own insignificant head. What may be great forme, may well be mundane, even somewhat boring, forothers. Human belief is rarely quantifiable.

The human powered overland journey I will bepresenting in this manuscript may be viewed in manyways by many people. To the average person, it willlikely be viewed as unnecessarily risky or foolish. Tothose who have ascended the lofty unbreathableheights of Mount Everest, this recumbent cyclingexpedition could be assessed as an easy and totallysafe endeavor, lacking the extreme adrenaline rushof Earth's highest point. It is all simply a matter ofone's individual thought, and personal tolerance forpotential danger found in adventure pursuits.

Understanding this immense swing of diversityin our minds, the viewpoints expressed in these pagesby yours truly come from a man who clearly findspleasure and inner reward from pushing personallimits, from a man who would never opt to jump out ofan airplane or bungee jump off high bridges, but hasno problem with other more-grounded activities.

Yet, lest one get some idea that this is allabout adrenaline thrills and male ego satisfaction,let me assure you now that the deep inspiration andpassion underlying this expedition have powerfulroots in exploring and melding with the naturalworld in which I find myself. My mind has been longinspired since childhood, and now seeks my own uniqueadventures based on that inspiration.

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I will be the first to admit that my odd mindfunctions in strange ways. I mean, what type of oddthought processes are necessary for a reasonablyintelligent guy to contemplate pedaling a humanpowered tricycle across a major desert region onPlanet Earth? Solo by himself, with no support from–a crew in a climate controlled automobile to supplywater and render aid? This kind of idea wreaks ofmental instability just ask anyone who is privy to–the pre-trip planning. Sane humans simply do notengage in such risky stunts that may have a highprobability of quickly shortening one's lifespan.That is what the normal status quo would say.

Then again, it has been my experience thatbeing normal is not all it's cracked up to be. Where isthe fun in it? As the years pass, and my mind wearsout, I have found deviance from social expectationsto be a refreshing path for the second half of mysentient time here. I figure to check out from thisride somewhere around 2076, if my current lifestylemethods continue to render the health consequencesas they have thus far, so in all the remaining years,I want to do what others don't, won't, or can't.

Yet, why, of all the bizarre things I could dothat are clearly off the grid in normal people'sminds, would I choose to pedal a tricycle over olddirt roads and trails through a foreboding desertlandscape where only tarantulas, scorpions, andrattlesnakes live under rocks? Why would I want tospend my time wandering around in unrelentingoppressive heat when I could instead be all cozy andcool at home? For the past 20 years, I have called thePacific Coast home, where there is plenty of waterand pleasant temperatures, with no predatory littlecritters out to poison me, so what is the draw to

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venture where water seems virtually nonexistent?Well, it's all about getting back to a place in myspirit, so there is where I shall begin this tale.

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Bob Greene and a Harley

My old man was definitely a daredevil. His penchantfor excitement may have been accelerated when hewas stationed in Burma during the 1940s as a warsoldier with the United States Army. He was a youngguy, living in a quonset hut in a steamy jungleterrain, patrolling the outback with a Thompson .45caliber submachine gun at the ready for any lurkingenemy who had it out for him. Or the occasionalpython, two of which had taken up residence underthe squad's quonset shelter they didn't last long.–

One of pop's best friends in the jungle was aGurkha soldier from Nepal. Forty-three battalions ofthese legendary stealth warriors aided the Britishefforts during the war, and some of these fellowsshared the jungle area where my dad was stationed.His Gurkha friend, whose name I no longer recall,would walk up behind my dad while he was standingnight guard of his US unit, a skill few Americanscould master. The Gurkha would place his hand on mydad's shoulder, while simultaneously and oh so veryquietly whispering “Bop” (he could not pronounce thename Bob). My dad knew who it was.

After the war, Bob “Bop” Greene became thefirst editor of Cycle Magazine, then moved on to leadHot Rod Magazine, and later the new MotorcyclistMagazine. He would ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycleacross a dry lake while doing such daring things asstanding on the seat, lying down supine with his feeton the handlebars and his head over the rear wheel –you name it, my old man tried it. Maybe it's some sortof a genetic disorder, this idea of pushing the limits,of venturing into a realm where traditional commonsense no longer holds sway. Who knows. But I can now

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see, as an “old” man myself, that dad's penchant forthe unique is also lurking in my head, thus thiscurrent expedition planning.

He loved the lone desert backcountry. His asheswere scattered in an extremely remote location of theMojave Desert he always referred to as God's Country.

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Travel on a Tricycle

Today, as I type these words to you, is April 26, 2015.This book will be expanded over time, with its initialwork starting in early 2015. You shall be right at myside, kind of a vicarious accomplice or sidekick, fromthe onset of the expedition planning, to know all theelements of such an extreme endeavor from the verybeginning. Pedaling a human powered vehicle across adry and seemingly endless Mojave Desert, primarilylocated in southern California's eastern region, isnot quite so easy as simply hopping into a speedymodern climate controlled automobile and spanningthe parched and empty miles in a matter of hours.

Nope on a tricycle, with two wheels in the–front and one wheel in the rear, powered by humanlegs and calories rather than metal pistons andgasoline, a sixty mile day would be commendable, ifon pavement, as my past tricycle journeys have been.But this Mojave Desert expedition is going to be astep away from even that slow travel. You see, I willbe using dirt roads and trails for a significantportion of this overland trek, 43% to be more precise,further resulting in even lower mileage days. Here isthe essence of this however: I have become used tohuman powered travel since late 2008, and now acceptit as my “normal” - markedly askew from your normalI suppose. My normal is bizarre.

Since age 57, when I chose this primitive methodof movement for myself, I have found that I now amable to profoundly experience the land throughwhich I pass in a way never before possible for mewhen in cars. Trike travel is slow and deliberate, andI am immersed inches from the ground of the naturalworld around me, with nothing between my body and

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the environment. If it rains, I get wet. If it's hot,such as in a desert, I sweat. If the wind blows, theeffort needed to pedal increases accordingly. If theroadside is filled with wildflowers, I can smell andtouch them as I pass. If an angry canine is notconstrained by its human, I speed up. If a passingmotorist feels sorry for my condition and offers mewater, I stop and drink.

My world has vastly altered from its formerself. For me, this all works out quite satisfactorily. Ido not wish to speed mindlessly to my final restingplace as I used to, always going through the roteteachings of my social order, and living up to itsexpectations of what is needed for success andacceptance. Few of my contemporaries would see me assuccessful, primarily because I have walked awayfrom high paying, high stress jobs with the sole goalto earn as much money as possible during my life. Inmy new world, success is not measured by financialaccumulations, but rather by meaningful associationswith the natural world that presents itself to meduring my limited time as Steve. I now set my ownmeasuring rod. I think differently than most.

Walking a new path requires resolve. Peoplejust don't get it. My directions are viewed as reallybizarre, especially since I am not some kid in college,all wild eyed and rebellious. At my age, I'm supposedto firmly be entrenched in the status quo. No longer!The plan to pedal this highly modified trike acrossthe desert is but one demonstration of this ideology.The human powered vehicle is an expression of mymaverick ways of life, where I walk in directionsothers do not, or can not, envision. I pedal to thetune of a different universe. I am simply a free andwild wandering spirit of Earth.

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Childhood and the Mojave

This cycling adventure will require significant innermental resolve, as well as a high quality vehiclethat is capable of going the distance, and a bodythat is powerful enough to handle the demands ofprimitive road systems. My psychological firmnesscomes from humble beginnings in which a mom and dadoften would take my sister and me out to the MojaveDesert, just over the San Gabriel Mountains from ourLa Canada, California home. It was during these youngformative years that my repeated exposure to asupposedly wicked and deadly place called DeathValley was initially nurtured.

At the age of four, when I first made anappearance at infamous Badwater Basin, I was tooinnocent to even comprehend that legends of the areapainted it as a region to be avoided for those whowished to live a long life. Back then, all I reallyunderstood, or cared about, was that this other-worldly realm was full of really awesome hikingopportunities. I loved to run around and exploreeverything within my reach, keeping ma and pa busyin their desire not to lose me to a hidden rattler orshifty scorpion in some nondescript narrow canyonwith flash flood potential.

As I grew up, trips into the desert north ofhome became highly anticipated, and over the years,my familiarity with the unique challenges presentedby these austere dry landscapes improved, thus alsoimproving my own chances for survival. Out there,survival was a matter that demanded full attention.Additionally, I came to know many of the primitivebackcountry road systems in the immensely vastterritory of the Mojave Desert. This huge swatch of

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the planet is rather loosely defined in some respects,often by the existence of joshua trees, which arenative to the desert.

Christian Mormons, who initially entered theregion in the middle 1800s, coined the name of thisprickly tree because it reportedly reminded them ofthe Biblical character named Joshua, as he lifted hisarms up over his head in honor of his god. Thesejoshua trees can live for hundreds of years. But thetrees are not found everywhere in the Mojave,tending to be conspicuously absent through much ofthe lower Death Valley area. My joshua exposure onthis trek will be mostly in the Mojave NationalPreserve, which lies to the south and east of DeathValley National Park. Much of the entire trek willhowever be in the midst of creosote bushes, theubiquitous vegetation typically associated with theMojave. Shade? If one finds a rather large creosote,scant shade may be available.

This southwestern desert is also defined bymountains that lie to the south and west, where thetopography radically changes from an arid landscapeto mountainous forests. These ranges include the SanBernardino Mountains, the San Gabriel Mountains, andthe Tehachapi Mountains, where the huge joshua treepopulations cease to live. It is said that the MojaveDesert covers an area of nearly 48,000 square miles,or 32 million acres. Reports vary. It lies partly insoutheastern California, and it also extends into thestates of Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. The Mojave isprimarily between northern latitudes 34 and 38degrees. The standard definition of this desert is acombination of several aspects, including types offlora, geological indicators, elevation in relation to

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sea level and the surrounding regions, and planetarylatitude. This place kind of grows on you.

To the south of the Mojave Desert lies theSonoran Desert, and perhaps counter-intuitively, theMojave has a lower average temperature, even thoughnotorious Badwater Basin in Death Valley experiencesthe highest recorded temperatures. This is becausethe Mojave lies north of the Sonoran, and averages ahigher elevation overall. To the north of the Mojavelies the Great Basin Desert, which covers much ofNevada. It is very easy to get lost out here.

This Mojave Desert expedition will occur almostentirely in the Mojave Desert once leaving Big Pineto the northwest. Of the 410 mile planned route, morethan 140 miles will be the north/south length of thelong-feared valley itself, which lies in the politicalcontainer called Death Valley National Park, a 3.4million acre 5,219 square mile low spot of the MojaveDesert. The national park is the larges US parkoutside of Alaska. After exiting Death ValleyNational Park, there will be a relatively shortstretch of Highway 127 to the tiny town of Baker,whereupon the Mojave National Preserve is entered,which lies between interstate freeways 15 and 40. Thepreserve spans nearly 1.6 million acres. From theMojave National Preserve, the route crosses theBristol Mountains and the Bullion Mountains on itsway to the end point at the usually-dry Mojave River.

From past personal exploration experience, Iknow the northern half of the expedition route verywell, primarily from Big Pine to Baker, a distance ofabout 237 miles. These roads I can navigate withoutany maps, relying fully on significant recall. FromBaker to the Mojave River finish area, a distance ofabout 173 miles, I will rely on paper maps I will

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carry. I am familiar with the area sufficiently tofind my way unaided, but maps will provide afailsafe in the possible event I become confused. Myexperience over tens of thousands of miles of Mojavedesert roads during my life has revealed that thereare always a few rogue dirt roads not shown on themap, so I wish to play it as safe as possible. It's allpart of the grand adventure!

For the past ten years now, my mom and sisterhave lived in the very southern-most area of thisvast desert, snuggled up against the San BernardinoMountains, immediately south of their shared home. Inrecent years, I have pedaled a highway road trikefrom my Oregon Coast home to visit them, remaining onpaved road systems the entire way. There are over 980miles separating us, and this human powered roadtrip can take anywhere from 15-20 days, depending onmy rate of human powered travel.

This Mojave Desert backcountry adventure, bycontrast, will not span the entire distance from myhome to their desert abode. My tricycle and I will betransported in a friend's Chevy Equinox, whereupon Iwill be dropped off at a little campground at thejunction of Highways 395 and 168, in the small remotetown of Big Pine, California, with all my gear. Thisnew overland journey will be a test of the newlyminted backcountry trike I am scheduled to receivevery soon, as well as a return to my former love ofexploring the backcountry of Planet Earth on dirtroads and trails. What a ride it will be!

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Pedals Replace Petroleum

Although I have explored this ultra remote andrugged desert region since age 4, it was not until Ipurchased a new 1975 Jeep CJ-5 backroad vehicle thatmy independent adult adventures began. I was a copat the time, and three other law enforcement friendsof mine often joined me in their own rigs for longweekend forays into the parched outback. Rich Colleyowned a Jeep CJ-5 like mine, Dave Haegele owned anInternational Scout, and Jim Oneal owned a Jeep J-10pickup. These fearless fun four-wheel-drive buddieswould follow me into the hinterlands and we wouldhave a blast exploring every nook and cranny outthere, following every old dirt mining road to seewhere it went, and canvassing every inviting canyonthat had a 4WD road leading up it. As I grew older,these companions slowly drifted into more mature andsettled lifestyles, leaving me to hit the dirt solo.

Apparently, I never grew up, even though I hada responsible and high paying job, which served tofuel my backcountry addiction when I needed to getaway from the overcrowded city where I lived. Thus,all those years from 1975 through 2008, I have beenout doing my exploring, which also included highcountry in Colorado where I used to live, along withthe upper reaches of California's awesome SierraNevada Mountains. I was all over the place.

This came to an abrupt halt in December of2008 because of an ever evolving environmentalpreservation mindset that had finally taken root inmy brain. I did not wish to continue polluting the airthat we all share, so I resolutely sold my finalpetroleum powered SUV and moved into the wonderfuland challenging world of human power.

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January 2009 saw me searching to find acompany that built a trike that would allow me tokeep on roaming the far away backcountry as I hadalways been doing. Soon though, I hit a snag. No trikecompany made such a rig that would carry me wheremy spirit longed to go! I ended up getting a low-slung and speedy street tricycle instead, rode thatfor a few years, liked the speed aspect of it, and thefreedom to travel wherever I wished, and thenreplaced it with full-on speed trike, which I onlykept for another year.

The reason I sold the second trike, the humanpowered equivalent to a Corvette, is because my luckhad finally changed. Yes! By January of 2015, theInspired Cycle Engineering tricycle company inEngland had begun producing a limited number ofbackcountry exploration trikes, along the line of thenow-popular “fat tire” bikes on the market forbicyclists who need to boldly go where normalmountain bicycles cannot. This new trike was a spin-off of a fully custom trike ICE had made for MariaLeijerstam, the first human to use pedal power toreach the south pole on the Antarctica continent. Sheset the world record in December 2013, riding on anice road built by the United States from the ocean tothe pole. The trip took her just over 10 days tocomplete. She beat two men on bicycles, because itbecame clear they could not remain upright in theextreme polar winds, but the trike was stable enoughto go the distance of 396 miles (639 km).

Maria's expedition really inspired me, and Inow knew that such a trike was in existence, even ifonly a one-off rig. It wasn't long though before wordbegan to spread that ICE was going to move forwardinto a production of the modified Leijerstam trike

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due to very high interest from triking enthusiasts.Well, as this all came to pass, I opted to become whatthey call an early adopter, and get my own! Thesethings are rather costly however, thus the sale of myspeed trike to help finance the new Full Fat.

As I write this sentence on the 30th day ofApril 2015, the new trike has not yet arrived fromEngland. I am told it will be any day now. I will soonbegin the joyful return to my insatiable passion ofbackcountry travel and exploration. What I used todo in my Jeep and other 4WD vehicles will now beaccomplished in my new 1WD fat trike, and that iswhat this new expedition is all about a maiden–voyage into the remote hinterlands after a hiatus ofjust over 6 years of pavement-only travel. And YOUwill be on this historic trek with me, vicariouslythrough these pages. Welcome!

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The Green Organic Engine

Even though my school classmates of so long ago didnot view me as a physical specimen, little did theyrealize that underneath my soft and wimpy exteriorlurked the makings of a future Goliath. During thosejunior high and high school years, I was that timidand shy boy who hated group sports and was the lastto ever be chosen for a PE class team. Few associatedwith me, and my life as a loner was being steadilyreinforced. I just didn't fit in.

That was actually fine with me, because onmany weekends, my dad and I would go out exploringthe distant Mojave Desert backcountry trails on ourtwo motorcycles, so my body grew strong and mycoordination increased more than it could have inschool athletics. I was indeed very athletic, but justin my private life. Prior to being old enough to haveand ride my own desert motorcycle, my dad would plopme on the rear of his seat, and take me along for therides. I became skilled at the body English necessaryto keep us up on two wheels, and this translated wellupon my graduation to my very own bike, the first ofwhich was a British Triumph 500 cc desert sled. Afterthat came my 650 Triumph in the mid 1960s.

During my junior year of high school, havingbeen taunted long enough by the class bully BobFredericks, I began incorporating a new kind ofexercise into my evolving program of health andfitness, by using a spring device with handles onboth ends to do bicep curls and other exercises. Ayear later, as a senior, I began my weightlifting andbodybuilding career, a serious endeavor that I havebeen doing nonstop for the past 48 years, and thishas made all the difference in my body from those

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early days. During a period of three decades, Icompeted in bodybuilding competitions, got a fewtrophies for my ego-based efforts, and finally leftbehind forever the days of life under the fear ofbutt-kicking bully boys.

Exercise is not all there is when it comes tohealth and fitness however, and my parents made sureI ate healthy foods, took vitamin and mineral pills,and stayed away from junk foods. Those ideologicaltenets have remained with me to this day, andcontinue to contribute to easily taking off on crosscountry cycling adventures like the one in this book.Oh yeah, mom and dad also made me go to bed earlyeach night, making sure I got plenty of sleep. Theyforged my young impressionable mind.

Well, all this health and longevity talk is nowleading up to a few stats that document the humanbody I will be using for the trike's engine on thisexpedition, for there is no substitute for a highlevel of physical condition if one hopes to pedalover long remote distances in rugged circumstances. Iam the organic engine of the tricycle, powering itsforward movement. Food and water are my fuel.

Terms that help define a person's fitness soundlike this: bodyfat percentage, body mass index (BMI),maximal exercise stress tests, METs, maximal oxygenuptake, among others. Just like I will be discussingthe human powered vehicle I will soon be riding, thehuman engine of that vehicle will be studied a littlehere I am the organic engine, and offer no toxic–pollutants out the tailpipe, unless one considersdigestive flatulence as a poison. Here then is thescoop on this engine called me:

As I write this text, I am 64 years old. I am 6feet tall and weigh around 165 pounds. I suffer from

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no medical conditions or illnesses, nor do I take anypharmaceutical medicine or drugs. My lipid profilereveals itself as follows: Cholesterol: 141, HDL: 46mg/dL, LDL: 73 mg/dL, Ratio: 3.1, Triglycerides: 43mg/dL. Current bodyfat percentage is 9.8%, meaningthe percentage of my body that is fat. Generallyagreed upon values for bodyfat measurement in menare: essential fat = 2-5%, athletes = 6-13%, fitness = 14-17%, average population = 18-24%, obese = 25% or more.

For muscular bodybuilders, bodyfat percentageis the preferred measurement tool, whereas body massindex (BMI) is not. This is because BMI is based on theaverage person, and does not take into considerationactual body composition (muscle is heavier than fat).Body Mass Index is the measurement of a person'sweight/height relationship as follows: underweightperson = <18.4, normal = 18.5-25, overweight = 25-30,obese = >30. I do not use this to gauge my health andfitness level, as it would not be as accurate as thebodyfat percentage method. BMI tables typicallyindicate that most serious bodybuilders are severelyoverweight or obese, depending on how much musclemass the bodybuilder is carrying.

My most recent exercise stress test reveals abody capable of enduring the Mojave Desert traverse.Here are the results, with a few explanatory notesfollowing the technical details:

Maximal Exercise Stress Test: Modified Balke Protocol(Bruce Balke/Naughton-Balke) 33 minutes of exercise,

to a near-maximal physical effort, 54.2 ml/kg perminute oxygen consumption (15.5 METs, or 54.25 VO2Max, roughly equivalent of running 10 miles per

hour, which translates into a 6 minute mile).

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MET is an acronym for Metabolic Equivalent of Task.VO2 Max means Maximal Oxygen Uptake, and is ameasurement requiring an all-out effort under astrict protocol administered by a sports/medicalprofessional. The protocol has specific increases inspeed and intensity of the test exercise. An athlete'soxygen uptake rises in relationship to the intensityof effort. At the point where one's oxygen uptakeplateaus, despite increased intensity, the maximaloxygen uptake (VO2 Max) has been reached. The higherthis number, the more physically fit a person is. PastVO2 Max, the muscles become starved for oxygen, andperformance then declines.

METs measure the amount of work one is doing: 1MET equals the amount of oxygen I take in when I'mdoing nothing. 15.5 METs means I am taking in 1.5.5times as much oxygen for the activity I am doing. METvalues tell me how much harder I'm working comparedto complete rest. My exercise tolerance lies in theSuperior category. Blood pressure (BP) at the start ofthe test was: 110/65. BP at the peak of the test was:160/84, which is a normal blood pressure response ofa physically fit person to extreme exercise. My peakheart rate was 188 beats per minute. This is higherthan would be expected of an average unfit person.

Okay, that's enough analyzing of the trike'sorganic engine. Let me finish up this discussion bysaying that I do not train specifically for myoverland tricycle journeys. All of my adult life, myphysical fitness level has remained in the Superior-Elite range of measurement. This level is simply aresult of continuing to do all the activities that Ienjoy, such as hiking, backpacking, windsurfing,bodybuilding, walking, running, and cycling.

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Oh, what I put in my body in the way of foodand water also plays a huge part in the equation, aswell as getting a good amount of sleep each night. Iview all of these aspects of living as my way ofrespecting life, starting with the physical body inwhich I have found myself all these years. Anythingshort of this level of maintenance would be, in myhead anyway, disrespectful of the awesome life powerthat keeps me going on a daily basis. I only get onechance as me, so I choose to optimize it. Besides, I lovebeing super fit. Life is much more fun this way!

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Death by Dehydration

Since I began pedaling tricycles in 2009, when Iconverted from the socially expected automobiletravel, I have used trikes primarily for utilitarianpurposes, in other words, as normal people use cars –to get from one place to another. Sure, I ride trikesfor short pleasure jaunts around home, but unlikemost cycling folks, who ride simply as a recreationaloutlet, or for local errands, my cycling calls forthquite a bit more from me.

When I take my overland trike journeys, overdistances most people see as quite unreasonable, I amout on the road for many days, sometimes weeks, andthus must carry sufficient supples with me on thetrike. I have not used any type of support paradigmon the trips, where an automobile follows me, drivenby a friend who carries my gear for me. Things I needwhile riding I must either pull out of my cargo bags,called panniers, or acquire somewhere along the routein markets and stores. This all comes down to figuringout how to be self-sufficient, and takes a few tripsto finally master. Initially, people tend to take WAYtoo much gear, which really slows them down.

I know this because it was my own story when Ibegan, where I pulled a trailer on the first long-haul odyssey. It just took one trip to know that Ididn't want to pedal that much weight ever again.With each new tricycle trek I take, I become moreefficient at knowing what I really need. And so itgoes with the new trike, once I get it, that is.

Today is now May 1st, and no new word on thetrike yet, but as I wait, I am studying the cargocarrying options, and attempting to reason out what Iwill be needing on this Mojave Desert expedition. This

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trip will be notably different than all my othertrips, thus some rethinking is clearly in order aheadof time. Intelligent planning is critical ...

For example, water is usually only a minorconcern when riding on the paved routes because acyclist's speed is sufficient to easily make the nextwater availability locale. I have never run out, orbeen in a survival situation during any pavedjourney. This upcoming trip however, has new rules Imust learn: 1) Roads are often dirt, 2) which requiresmuch more physical effort, 3) which leads to drinkingmuch more water, 4) all the while going really slow inthe process, 5) which means transit times to the nextwater availability stop could reach 2 or 3 days, 6)which is further worsened by the higher desert heat,7) all of which mean I must carry a lot of extra wateron board, 8) which translates into a huge weight load,9) which in turn slows me down even further, 10) andthe cycle grows.

If all that isn't enough to grasp, this route Ihave chosen through the Mojave Desert, includingthrough notorious Death Valley, is remote enough toscare the daylights out of most car drivers, and thedistances are considerable, with only two towns alongthe way, if you could even call them towns, but theydo have water and food so I can resupply. To give youan idea of distances between water, here are themileages facing me on this new trip, in chronologicalorder: 77, 53, 109, 35, 60, and 61. A typical dailydistance on a road trip might well be 50 miles, but ondirt and sand, that may not be likely, so you can seethat the 109 mile stretch may well be two dayswithout water resupply, perhaps even going into athird day. A person could actually die out here inthese circumstances! This is serious stuff.

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Water weighs in at 8.328676 pounds per gallon,probably the single most heavy part of the entirecargo load, and I have been figuring on carrying twogallons, or slightly more. However, recently I amquestioning this thinking, and wondering if I shouldhave four gallons with me when I begin each longstretch of desert backcountry. If I round this numberup a little bit to take into account water bottleweights, about 32 pounds of water will be on thetrike. The good news in all this is that it getslighter the more I drink. The bad news is that themore I drink, the closer to being waterless I become..

So here is the crazy conundrum I face: If Icarry less water, my rolling weight (trike, me, allcargo) will be lighter, and will likely drink lesswater in the process. If I carry more water, myrolling weight will be more, necessitating drinkingmore water. How does one calculate, to any reasonabledegree of intellectual efficiency, where the tippingpoint is? It's all a matter of pure conjecture. I haveto keep in mind also that putting four gallons ofwater on a tricycle, which has precious little areafor any storage concerns, requires a lot of thought,and figuring out every hidden spot where more watercould go is certainly a challenge.

Bringing along sufficient food is also acritical aspect of this trip, but a human can livemuch longer without food than water. Dehydration isa very real concern when pedaling across the vastMojave Desert. As I noted in my 720-page 2009 bookentitled, Death Valley Book Of Knowledge ...

“More dangerous than other perceived dangerslike wild animals, lack of sufficient water hasalways been one of the prime reasons for deaths inthis dry region. Since the humidity is so very low,

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human body moisture evaporates at a dangerouslyhigh rate. Mid summer in Death valley, we can lose acouple of gallons of water in a day just sitting inthe shade! Always carry at least two gallons of waterper day per person in the vehicle. Double that ifplanning on doing some hiking. As many of the 1849ersseeking a shortcut through Death Valley to theCalifornia gold fields learned, water can be far moreprecious than gold and silver.

“Symptoms of dehydration to be watchful forinclude headache, bizarre visual illusion of snow,lowered blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, delirium,tongue swelling, unconsciousness, and death. Once twopercent of our water volume has been lost, theseeffects begin to manifest themselves, first withthirst, then with loss of appetite and the feeling ofdry skin. Our heart rate may increase and fatiguemay come very quickly. If we cry, there may be notears. This all leads to an increase in bodytemperature due to lack of sweating. At five percentwater loss, our arms and legs may begin tingling andwe may feel queasy. When we pass the ten percentmark, our muscles will become convulsive anduncontrollable, which could lead to falling down. Ourskin will wither and our eyesight will begin goingdim. If we hit the fifteen percent water loss mark, weare about to become the next victim of the infamousDeath Valley legends of death.

“Needless to say, we should carry far morewater than we will ever think we will need! Once thisinsidious process of dehydration starts, it becomesincreasingly difficult to even realize that we arebeing consumed by it, and without a second personnearby to see this dangerous dynamic, we may be

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unable to help ourselves. This is clearly a medicalemergency.”

Clearly, water is survival out in the Mojave, ofthis there is little doubt. Drink a lot, pee a lot,pedal farther. Maybe I will also set the world recordfor drinking the most water for a given distance. Ofcourse, food is also essential because the body burnsthrough calories in nothing flat when under extremeexercise for protracted periods of time. On pavedjourneys pedaling the trike, I usually burn in theneighborhood of 5,000 calories per day, sometimesmore depending on how far I go each day. And, Iusually take in less than 2,000 calories during theday. A 3,000 calories daily deficit means that in alittle more than one day on the trike, I lose a poundof bodyweight.

Overland tricycle journeys are awesome becausea rider can eat like there is no tomorrow and stilllose weight, assuming a non-supported trek and livingout of one's panniers instead of restaurants everymeal. In 21 days of serious pedaling, I usually lose10-15 pounds bodyweight. That's on paved roadways.This trip is planned to use about 175 miles of dirtand sand roadways, thus caloric expenditure will beeven higher during those portions of the trek.

An interesting phenomenon I have found duringmy trike trips is that, while I have to pee on aregular basis, solid waste offloading is nearly non-existent much of the time. The way I figure it is thatmy body is using every bit of food for energy that itcan, because I am slowly starving each day, thusthere is little to nothing left to exhaust out thetailpipe. This will work to my advantage on thisMojave traverse because out there, toilets are not athing to be found very often. Quite simply, one has to

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use bushes and the wild terrain to do the deed whenneeded but it's not needed as much as would be–expected. There are upsides to everything in life!

Water weighs 8.328676 pounds per gallon. Foodweighs 16 ounces per pound, regardless of what kindit is. All cyclists have their own idea of what kind offood to pack in their panniers. I'm a rather extremehealth food fanatic however, so my cargo bags areusually loaded up with what most folks wouldconsider weird stuff. I love granola, so I plan onbringing a large plastic container of it, mixed withraisins. I typically also bring quite a few highcalorie energy health bars of some kind, great for aneasy bite when stopped for a short rest. Rest stopsare often timed with pee breaks.

In the past, I have included those sealedpackets of 3 ounces of salmon for protein at dinner,to help rebuild well-used muscle tissue. This triphowever, I may opt to leave the fish behind becausethere will not be trash cans anywhere in which toplace the used package, which would result in a fishysmell in my panniers that would attract critters atnight. A food I now eat daily at home these days,sprinkled on oatmeal and other foods, is shelled hempseeds, small soft granules that pack a powerfulnutritional boost.

They are a super high protein source, and arecomparable to animal source products regarding theamino acid profile. These miniature marvels offer thebody considerable levels of dietary fiber, and loadsof essential fatty acids. Not having taken them onany prior cycling expedition, I cannot yet say whatmy evaluation may be, but I suspect they might wellend up being a nearly perfect food for my overlandtrike journeys. And this trek will be perfect for this

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test, as places to get food are almost nonexistent.These soft little healthful nuggets can be eaten bythe spoonful if desired. They provide a very fillingfeeling, make you feel supercharged, and keep hungerat bay. They are high in healthy fats.

Once I get the food thing figured out, I'll beupdating you, which may be later once I am out on thetrail somewhere. One thing is certain, I do not eatlike most cyclists, many of whom keep peanut butterin their cargo bags. I eat only organic raw almondbutter, which does not have all the preservatives inproducts like Skippy, so I can't bring it along. This iswhere I believe the shelled hemp seeds will do thetrick for me. Yep, I'm weird, but it's fun!

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Inspiration Required Inquire Within–

This expedition has been, and is, inspired on severallevels, as are many human endeavors that rise abovethe ordinary. Inspiration, which is the foundationalelement for a passionate outlook on aspects of life,is necessary for us to venture beyond the mediocre,and without it, the quality of success does not rise tohigher levels of achievement. I would define passionsimply as one's mind being on fire about something,and this psychological fire is fueled by inspiration.Where do we get it? Inspiration comes from withinone's spirit. It is always available to us.

We are all inspired in different ways aboutdifferent things. I get excited about this, you getexcited about that. Diversity keeps these lives welead interesting. What inspires me? Many years ago, Iwas greatly inspired by high performance cars, whichexisted in parallel with my passion for rigs thatcould take me into the backcountry where onlynature existed. That inspiration has long since beenreplaced by my passion to become significantly moreenvironmentally responsible, in order to protect thenatural world I so love to visit whenever I can, thusmy use of human powered vehicles. Since I am inspiredto treat my natural world with greater respect thanI used to, I am also inspired to find ways to achievethis result. Through this pending backcountry trek, Iwill be combining my passion for wild explorationwith my passion for truly treading lightly in thosewilds. No petrol Jeep this time around!

I am inspired to maximize my time as a humanbeing. The time we have to exist in our sentientstates of awareness is so short that to not beinfluenced by this knowledge would be disrespectful

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of life's power in my temporal body. Consequently, Iam deeply inspired to make the most of every moment,and while I do fail to meet this lofty goal now andthen, my determined design is to become increasinglyproficient at meeting it, until this attainment issecond nature. How many chances to take off into thehinterlands like this will I find come my way? This isunanswerable, so this year I will jump feet first, orshould I say pedals first, into truly wild adventure!

I am profoundly inspired by the natural world,of which I am but a tiny part, and the expanse of thecosmos that contains all that my senses experience.The Earth, and all that is on it, amazes me, ignitingmy quest for adventure and longing for meaningfulintegration. I find my peace and serenity in nature,far away from the modern trappings of societalsuccess. Living in the shallow shadow of financialwealth is not worthy of my time.

I am inspired to live long and finish strong,meaning that I do not wish to spend my final years oflife as the great majority of my affluent culturedoes so exceptionally well. We all exit the ride wecall life, but my passionate intention is to do so in afully functional and powerful state of being. Thisinspiration and passion is further supported bypedaling human powered vehicles most of the places Igo, and this tricycle expedition will certainly makeme much stronger, not only in body, but also in mind.If I had a choice, I would rather check out on a wilddesert expedition than in an assisted living facilityfor ten years of mindless existence. All energy isonly borrowed someday, I will be giving it back to–the universal power of life, but I opt to hang ontothat energy as long as I can. I am having fun!

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I am inspired to have fun while here. Peopleall around me seem to lose sight of this, probablysomewhere during their latter school years, when theintense American “work ethic” mentality begins toinvade their impressionable minds. Those we followare quite adamant about how to live our lives do–this do that never do the other thing! Well, I– –have finally abandoned these directives of those whoare motivated primarily by financial wealth.

I do not have the time to waste getting rich. Ido not measure my worth as a person by how muchmoney I earn each day, or my bank account level. Inthis paradigm I follow, my inspired passion is the“fun ethic”. Others have repeatedly attempted todiminish my self esteem, uncertain why I would wantto abandon my former high paying employments formy minimalist manner of madness, but those arenothing more than the thoughts in their heads, whichcontinue to worship at the alter of the almightydollar. Life now is my ultimate adventure, where thepersonal journey is everything. My silent passageinto a new world works very well for me.

I am inspired by what others have taught me,and by things they have accomplished as they followtheir dreams. An example of this would be MariaLeijerstam, the woman who was the first cyclist topedal across the Antarctica continent to the remotesouth pole, exclusively using her own power to getthere. Yes, the expedition was heavily supported by anotable team of experts, and survival was likely notan issue, but the mere fact that Maria accomplishedthis feat is sufficiently inspirational for me, ashardly anyone would even contemplate such a trek ifit were handed to them on a silver patter (I would). Ittakes a person of powerful body and mind to do what

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Maria did, and her noteworthy achievements fuel myown direction now as I start a similar trek..

I am inspired by other cyclists who dare toescape the mundane normalcy of typical humanexistence, breaking away from the status quo, andexceeding their perceived physical and mental limits,thoughts in our heads that tell us we can't really dothis or that. Cyclists like Dan Price, Anne Dussert,Matt Galat, Heidi Domeisen, and Paul Pritchard aretrue inspirations who light my fire. I realize thatonly those who risk going too far, will discover howfar they can go! There is no other way. Passion movesthese intrepid explorers into brand new realms ofachievement and inner existence. An ancient Chineseproverb happily reminds us that he who returns froma journey is not the same as he who left. I havediscovered this to be very true for me, and thismindset, shared by all adventurers, inspires me daily.

I am inspired by a cycle manufacturer who haschosen to build the precise tool that I have soughtever since abandoning petroleum based cars. When Ilearned that the English company known as ICE hadmoved from a single prototype into production of anew backcountry exploration vehicle that is humanpowered, my spirit soared, for now I could eagerlyreturn to exploration of the natural and wild worldin a manner consistent with preserving the integrityof the air we humans breathe, not to mention all thecreatures of this planet who also use it in theirlungs. I grew up in the Los Angeles area and knowfirst-hand what toxic air is all about, and I want nopart, for it is not in accordance with environmentalsustainability, nor at all conducive to achievingmaximum functional longevity. It was inevitable that

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I chose to purchase the ICE Full Fat tricycle forexploration. It was my long sought solution!

I am inspired by other humans who also chooseto protect their environment from the rampantconsequences of modern convenience, industry, andblind profit motives. Realizing that many others arealso interested in breathing pure air, inspires me tocontinue my own little efforts. Although our ilk isvery limited, we are growing, and I realize thatthrough this collective effort is the path for bluesky and clean lungs. Fortunately, today's youth isbeing more thoroughly educated about human andplanetary health. It is however a very slow process.

I am inspired on many levels, some of which Ihave attempted to explain here. Without inspirationfrom within, backcountry exploration on a humanpowered tricycle is simply out of the question. This isindeed an inspired cycling expedition, and for thisrogue explorer, it is exactly the place I am supposedto be right now in my adventure of life. I am leavingon my inspired cycling expedition in a vehicle madeby Inspired Cycle Engineering. I like the fit!

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From Freezer to Furnace on ICE

Here are a few interesting brief thoughts about acouple of weird topics to momentarily interrupt ourregular programming: Excuse the delay ...

Just for fun, let's compare the locales on thisplanet where Maria Leijerstam pedaled her ICE trikeon expedition and where I will soon be pedaling myICE trike on expedition (which you will read about indetail later in this very book). Maria's expeditionoccurred in frigid Antarctica, while my expeditionwill be occurring, or has occurred by the time youread this, in the hot Mojave Desert, which alsoincludes the traverse of Death Valley. Whencomparing Antarctica to Death Valley, we noticeextremes yet again, a situation of fire and ice, if welook at temperature variances.

The absolute coldest temperature ever torecorded in Antarctica is reported to be -135.8degrees Fahrenheit (-93.2 Celsius) on the EastAntarctic Plateau, during the month of August 2010.The hottest officially recorded temperature in DeathValley has remained acknowledged since 1913, at 134degrees Fahrenheit. This is a whopping temperaturedifferential of an incredible 269.8 degrees betweenMaria's land of ice and Steve's land of fire! WhileMaria did not experience this lowest number, nor Ithe highest, the comparison spans the entire extremesof Planet Earth for the locations of the two officialICE trike expeditions thus far. One ICE fat trikesurvived the bitter cold and the other ICE fat trikesurvived the arid heat great testing grounds!–

Author Christopher Burt, a weather historianwith the Weather Underground, which is a privatemeteorology company, noted in his book, Extreme

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Weather: “With an average daily high of 115 degreesand a low of 87 during the month of July, DeathValley is far and away the hottest location in NorthAmerica and perhaps the hottest place in the world.”

By the way, for those readers who are familiarwith the old 136 degree reading measured at ElAzizia, Libya, on Sept. 13, 1922, which I also noted inmy Death Valley book in 2009, the record has beenrendered invalid as of 2012 by an international teamof climate experts from the World MeteorologicalOrganization (WMO), who officially stated that theDeath Valley territory is now the hottest show onEarth. I doubt seriously that this planet was theleast bit concerned about our little human error.

There is more to the story however. You mayrecall that earlier in this book, I stated a high of136 degrees Fahrenheit for Death Valley, a numberthat is not officially recorded but is certainlycredible. The high of 134 in 1913 was recorded atFurnace Creek, which is commonly 4 degrees coolerthan at the low spot of Badwater, which is 282 feetbelow sea level. Furnace Creek is only 190 feet (57.9 m)below sea level. No measuring instrument was kept atBadwater during that time, but it is entirely withinthe realm of possibility that Badwater was 138degrees Fahrenheit during the 1913 day of recordheat. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Regarding the 136 degree figure, there havebeen motorists with late model automobiles who havereported with video commentary on the internet thatthe digital temperature devices in their autos haveshown 136, with one eager motorist even capturing onhis video camera the number for posting on YouTube.Of course, we are simply splitting hairs here,discussing a few truly unimportant variances. In

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reality, whether 134, 136, or 138, this is one hottamale out on the salt flats. Hot is hot, and only aninstrument can determine these fine distinctions ofminutia. One report from many long years ago alsoclaimed a high of 150, so who is to truly know?

If we were to accept the idea that on thatfiery day in 1913 the high reached at Badwater was138, then we would add those 4 additional degrees tothe exciting Leijerstam/Greene Temperature DeviationEquation, resulting in the extreme difference of 273.8degrees Fahrenheit (134.33 Celsius), or rounded to 274degrees of variance. ICE trikes can handle it all!

By the way, while we are back on the topic oflow places of the planet, while Badwater is thelowest walkable land in North America, it is not thelowest place on Earth. That distinction goes to theMariana Trench, deep in this planet's ocean, reachinga whopping 35,797 feet (10.91 km) below sea level. Thisis 35,515 feet lower than Badwater!

By the way, if you are interested in learningmore about Maria Leijerstam's incredible journey intothe frozen southern continent, you may enjoy visitingher website, where you can also acquire your personalcopy of her 45 minute film documentary of the recordsetting trip. The documentary will provide you with arealistic understanding of the challenges associatedwith pedaling a tricycle in such inhospitable locales.Here is the link: http://whiteicecycle.com

Okay foks, now let's get back to our regularlyscheduled program already in progress ...

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The Expedition Tricycle

To pedal across a wild desert requires a rugged andexceptionally well engineered backcountry vehicle,one that fully inspires an unwavering and justifiedconfidence in the mind of the rider, for this is noordinary journey on paved roadways where passingmotorists could render aid if necessary. To pilot ahuman powered tricycle in terrain that intimidatesand excludes the vast majority of motorized drivers,requires a navigator with an extensive backcountryknowledge and experience. The vehicle, and theoperator of that vehicle, are the two most criticalcomponents for success and survival in such remoteand inhospitable circumstances. A traverse of theMojave Desert is certainly not to be taken lightly –exceptional conditions always require exceptionalequipment, and the chosen ICE vehicle rises to theoccasion. It has to work.

Quite simply put, if this vehicle fails on somemechanical level, I will be temporarily stranded atbest, or the expedition may be terminated, dependingupon the level of failure. Not only is this expeditiondependent upon this new human powered vehicleremaining fully functional, but also my safety andsurvival are potentially affected. This Mojave Desertexpedition will not be a supported endeavor. Therewill be no cars conveniently near to rescue me in theevent of a serious problem of some kind. Essentially,unlike Maria's grand adventure and accomplishment, Ishall be out there alone. Luckily for me, I have alifetime of experience in these remote expanses, andam well aware of the terrain I shall encounter mostof the way. Knowledge is power, and vanquishes fear.

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The really good news is that the Inspired CycleEngineering company (known simply as the acronymICE) is world renowned for their outstanding designsand vehicle quality, being one of a small handful ofrecumbent tricycle manufacturers that are the finestone could expect. Having owned an ICE trike from2009 through 2013, I feel highly confident that thisnew creation from their island stronghold will befully capable of delivering me safe and sound to thedistant Mojave River. The adventure will tell.

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Full Fat Backcountry Exploration Vehicle

So what exactly is this ICE Full Fat vehicle recentlycreated by Inspired Cycle Engineering? Describing ithere will take on the form of a basic introduction tothis type of travel, realizing that readers of thisbook fall into three main categories: 1) Tricycleenthusiasts who are well versed already about trikes,2) Adventure enthusiasts who may not have knowledgeabout trikes but share the spirit of backcountryexploration, and 3) Mojave Desert enthusiasts who mayhave no knowledge of trikes, but have read my otherDeath Valley books and websites already.

This unique expedition trike falls into thecategory of a recumbent tadpole tricycle. Recumbentmeans that there is a comfortable chair type seatthat allows a person to sit as anatomically intended,as in an ordinary chair, rather than perched up on apole bending over forward as we see in the commonbicycle. A recumbent seat is reclined, as found in arecliner chair in the home, thus furthering its goalof ultimate comfort. The seat of the Full Fat is amesh material, so it allows air to freely circulatearound the rider's back, keeping the body cooler. Dueto its reclined angle, such a seat allows the riderfull view of the scenery ahead, without having tocrane one's neck as found with bicycle riders. Alsowith a recumbent seat, there is no pressure on therider's wrists, neck, or hind quarters, which are themajor ongoing complaints from the bicycle community.The final result of all this is that a recumbentvehicle, whether it be a tricycle or a bicycle, allowsthe pilot to venture long distances in full comfort.

This Full Fat is a tadpole tricycle, a ratherodd sounding naming, but this distinguishes it from a

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delta tricycle. A tadpole tricycle has two wheels inthe front, and one wheel in the rear. The front wheelssteer the trike, and the rear wheel supplies power tomove forward. A delta trike is what we commonlythink of when someone mentions the word tricycle. Adelta has two wheels in the rear, one or both of themthat provide power, and one wheel in the front, whichsteers the trike. The delta trike design is what weall remember from our childhood tricycle riding,although a few companies make adult delta trikes.Tadpole trikes are typically lighter in weight, andoffer greater lateral stability in corners.

Being a tadpole tricycle, the Full Fat from ICEallows the vehicle to move over uneven terrainwithout any tires lifting off the ground, as wouldhappen if it had four wheels instead of three. Abackcountry trike such as this can navigate multiplegeometric plane surfaces while all the rubberremains firmly on the trail, keeping it stable andupright. This will be essential in the rougher spotsof the Mojave Desert.

Inspired Cycle Engineering has this to sayabout their new amazing Full Fat trike: “Make easywork of challenging terrain on the ICE Full Fat. Thisexpedition-tough trike rolls over mud, sand, snow andrough trail, giving you greater freedom to cyclewherever, whenever.” It's like a human powered Jeep.

The most obvious visual clue that this trike ismade for a unique purpose is the size of the giganticwheels and tires. These balloon tires are referred toas fat tires in the bicycling industry, and weredesigned so that folks who loved the backcountrycould get out there using human power instead ofpetroleum power. Prior to these monstrous tires, suchradical exploration was not very easy, even on

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mountain bikes, because typical tires, even the off-road mountain bike type, will reach their limits inthe really challenging terrain such as sand, mud, orsnow. The fat tires ride up on top of obstacles, andfurther offer a plush feeling while doing so, as thelarge surface area, along with lower air pressures,keep the going soft and comfy compared to typicalhuman powered vehicle tires using high pressure.

Adding to the comfort equation is the fullsuspension package I have ordered for the trike. Rearsuspension comes standard. I have opted for theaddition of front suspension. For serious trike pilotsin the outback, a rigid or only partially suspendedvehicle is a compromise. While the large fat tires dooffer a softer ride, the suspension completes thebundle so that the rider can concentrate on theobstacles rather than avoiding a bumpy path out of aneed for human comfort. The only reason I can thinkof for not getting front suspension is to save money.

As anyone familiar with traditional bicyclesrealizes, the shifting mechanism that has existedduring cycling history has, to the ordinary man orwoman with no experience, seemed quite confusing,delicate, and easy to mess up if you make a mistake.It is true that if a rider of traditional drive trainshifting mechanisms is not careful or precise, thechain can come off the sprocket, which brings thevehicle to an immediate standstill until a helpinghand can reposition the often-messy chain back ontoits sprocket. Even experienced cyclists sometimessuffer from chain derailment. On a traditionallyshifted cycle, the shifting must also occur only whileforward motion no shifting can occur while at a–standstill. For wilderness backcountry ridinghowever, this can become be a significant drawback.

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This is one reason I have also opted for aninternal rear hub that allows the rider to shiftwhile stopped if necessary, which is critical whentraversing, say, a section with large rocks, whereforward motion is halted, but to remain in that gearwould not be sufficient to overcome the rock. So, bysimply turning the right handlebar grip, I will beable to downshift while stopped, and then proceedover the obstacle.

Another benefit of the internal rear shiftinghub, called the Rohloff XL-14, is that all thegearing is contained in a sealed outer shell, so thatdirt, dust, mud, water, or any other elements ofnature that are thrown at it during the expeditionwill not have any negative effect on the mechanism.Traditional derailleurs as found on most bicyclesand tricycles become very dirty over time, more so ifused in the dirt rather than on pavement. My goal isto assemble the best vehicle for the job I can, onethat is impervious to the elements where possible.

Also, there is no shifting necessary at thefront end of the chain, like you see on ordinarycycling vehicles, which must be shifted both frontand rear. There is just one chainring (sprocket) upfront, and this solution greatly simplifies the powertransmission interaction needed by the rider, therebyallowing the rider to concentrate more fully on theobstacles rather than on shifting the gears.

This Full Fat trike comes standard with thetypical derailleur systems front and rear, which isconsiderably less expensive when first purchasingthe vehicle, but seriously compromises the pilot'soperation of the trike in truly demanding terrain. Ihave opted for these upgrades so that I will havethe most enjoyable and hassle-free experience out on

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the trails of the Mojave, and later in the mountainsof the Pacific Coast. Only the money aspect wouldhave led me to a different outcome, and for me thesedays, money is no longer my master. As Steve Jobs, thelegendary and visionary founder of now iconic AppleComputer, once said:

“Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the mostimportant tool I've ever encountered to help me makethe big choices in life. Because almost everything –all external expectations, all pride, all fear ofembarrassment or failure these things just fall–away in the face of death, leaving only what is trulyimportant. Remembering that you are going to die isthe best way I know to avoid the trap of thinkingyou have something to lose. You are already naked.There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

So, I followed my heart, or probably moreprecisely stated, the mindful knowledge that I haveaccumulated over many fruitful years of riding themotorcycles and driving the Jeep across this roughand challenging earth, that proper suspension andpower transmission are essential elements forsuccessfully traversing the rugged outback roadsand trails. It is, after all, only what humans refer toas money that would have had me compromise my needsfor this expedition, and money accumulating in anaccount is rather boring, but this new ICE Full Fattaking me all over the planet is rather exciting bycomparison. I opt for the life experience of all-outfun others can monitor the stock exchange and–worry about getting really rich. Quite frankly mydear, I don't give a damn (apologies to Clark Gable, haha). I have learned to live simply, not lavishly..

The wheels of the trike are 26 inches by 4inches, and with those huge all terrain tires, they

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become what common jargon these days calls a Twenty-Niner, although when measured from the ground, it isa full 30 inches to the top of the tire. On this trike,I will be running the 26x4.8 inch Schwalbe Jumbo Jimtires, which have the appearance of motorcycle tires,not bicycle tires. They are quite hefty, but also quitesurprisingly, very lightweight.

One convenient thing about the trike I shallbe riding is that it can be folded in half if ever Ifind the need to transport it in a small space. Themechanism consists of a hinge on the mainframe, whichallows the rear of the trike to fold forward betweenthe two front wheels. This can be accomplished oncethe pilot's seat is easily removed. Even with thesecolossal wheels and tires, this vehicle folds upquickly and easily, with no removal of the rear tirenecessary. It is truly transportable if necessary.

The pilot's seat has an adjustable tilt to it. Ihave found with my other two trikes that I prefer asmuch of a recline as possible, as it works very wellfor long journeys of days and weeks. With this trikebeing used for rough backcountry conditions however,a more upright angle will likely be set for greatercontrol of the machine.

I have also decided to have the optionalneckrest installed on the seat. While not necessaryfor short day rides, I have found these to be worththeir weight in gold when pedaling longer distances.I do not use neckrests continually, especially onrough or jittery ground, but there are times where itjust feels great to take all the tension off the neckmuscles for a while, when the road is smooth.

The width and angle of the handlebars is alsoadjustable, so I will be able to perfect the mostcomfortable position, which requires a bit of time in

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the garage fiddling with the adjustments and thensitting back to see how it feels, then adjusting alittle more, and so forth, until that one sweet spot isfinally found. Once dialed in, it feels very custom.

The braking system on this tricycle is a bitdifferent from most of the other human poweredtrikes out there today. Nearly all tricycles havebrakes for the front two wheels only, with no brakein the rear, simply due to the fact that nothing moreis necessary to quickly bring the vehicle to a stop.On the standard trike, there is a brake lever on eachhandlebar grip, one for the left front wheel, theother for the right. On the new ICE Full Fat, a singlelever activates both front hydraulic disc brakessimultaneously. The second lever activates themechanical disc brake for the rear. Why this design?

I suspect it has something to do with the factthat these are huge wheels and tires on this trike,and once spinning, require more frictional effort tostop. If this trike only had front brakes, they wouldoverheat and wear out prematurely due to the forcecontinually being applied. With the assistance of therear brake, we have one brake for each of the threeoversized wheels, thus each brake bears less of thetotal stopping load. To further get the Full Fatstopped, the brakes are disc rather than drum, amore powerful solution.

Brakes on a backcountry exploration vehicleare more frequently and forcefully being applied onthe uneven and unpredictable terrain to be found inthe wilds of nature, as compared to simply riding onpredictable paved road surfaces that motorists usedaily. Backcountry riding exposes vehicles to steepterrain on the downhill sections, really putting thestress on braking systems. If this trike only had the

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typical two front brakes, and the rider attempted tostop quickly on a severe downhill trail, the tricyclecould easily rotate forward off the rear wheel,pitching the rider out the front of the rig. Not good!Three brakes are very much appreciated.

Well, that wraps up our present discussion onthe specifications of this trike at this time, becauseI am not yet in possession of it (Tuesday, May 12). Iwill probably write more about it later however,either prior to departure, or as part of my day-to-day telling of the story. I am confident that it is asuperior vehicle for exploring the backcountry, andam eager to begin preparing it for the trip.

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The Meaning of Mojave

On this book's title page, the pronunciation of theword Mojave was revealed, as the average person whohad never seen the word before would be inclined topronounce it simply as mo-JAVE, with the jave portionrhyming with wave. This would be a two syllableuttering, but is not accurate. Rather, this is a threesyllable word, pronounced as mo-HAW-vee.

What does it mean though? And why was thisdesert region in the southwestern United Statesnamed the Mojave Desert? Well, here is the answer tothe puzzle as I understand it: A gigantic and verylengthy river flows from what is known as the Stateof Colorado. This impressive flowing water is 1,450miles (2,330 kilometers) long, and was named theColorado River, from the Spanish words Color Red. Formany generations, dating back to prehistory times, atribal group of people have lived along portions ofthe river, in fertile valleys where they were alwaysguaranteed sufficient water for irrigating crops andhydrating themselves.

These tribal people existed along the water,specifically the southern portions of the Colorado,in what is now an area of political boundaries, inArizona, California, and Mexico. Their success asfarmers hinged on the fact that the river floodedsufficiently to keep the land fertile and wet. It wasan ideal setting, not requiring the typical religiousrituals practiced by other tribal collectives of thesouthwest, which apparently resorted to ritualisticpractices in order to call forth water needed forsurvival from their imagined gods.

These ancient people, whose descendants remaintoday, named themselves as a collective, and in their

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language, this name means “beside the water”, whichis where they lived. Hamakhaave is the original wordof their tongue, but these days, they use the Mojavenaming, a shortened Spanish version. So, Mojave meansbeside the water, which makes perfect sense based ontheir original settlements on the Colorado River.

Interestingly, the name of Mojave Desert issynonymous with a severe shortage of water, namingan expansive dry region of land typically populatedby joshua trees, not people. It seems most folks justprefer not to exist in an arid territory that theywould consider a useless deadly wasteland. A land ofrattlesnakes, scorpions, and tarantulas seekingshelter from triple digit solar heat exposure failsto reach Utopian status for the masses.

So, here I am, soon to embark upon a significantnorth/south traverse of the Mojave Desert, where mymost urgent consideration with regards to survivalbeing that of carrying loads of water on the trike.In a land whose name means beside the water, it issomewhat ironic that there will be no location alongthe route where water typically exists!

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Updates Prior to Departure

I now have possession of the ICE Full Fat recumbenttricycle. It is the first of September as I write this,and Mark, the owner of Backcountry Recumbent Cyclesnear Bend, Oregon, assembled Bigfoot in his recumbentshop on July 01, 2015. I was in attendance that day,and needless to say, it was an enjoyable and excitingexperience! I was glad to finally get the trike, as mytime to departure was quickly approaching.

If you recall, this vehicle was ordered for meon March 01 of this year, so as it turned out, it tookfour months to the day to receive the trike. About 14weeks until departure is probably enough time for meto get all my ducks in a row, to prepare the machinefor pedaling across the desert, with all my personalneeds satisfied. No vehicle of any sort comes totallyready for an adventurer to cast off into the distantunknown. It must be uniquely tweaked for the task athand, and this trike is no different.

My expedition preparations always are startedmonths in advance, as I prefer to be fully preparedfor whatever may come my way. For me, 14 weeks is waytoo short a period for thoroughly wringing out a newset of wheels, especially a rig that will receive hardduty far from help of any kind. But, all is as it is, sothere is no use in grumbling over it. I take what I amdealt and I deal with it! It will pull together.

Several things demanded my attention. First, Ihave no experience with how these large tires standup to puncture potential. On my street trikes, I havealways run Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, a speciallymade heavy duty tire that has been flat-free in mytriking experiences to date. The new Schwalbe tireson this Full Fat are not made the same way, and seem

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very thin compared to the Marathon Plus. I am not atall convinced of their ability to keep sharp objectsout of the inner tube, and since I will not be havingthe time to fully trail test them, I can only guess.

So, my answer is to place Mr. Tuffy fatbike tireliners inside each tire, a strong and specially madematerial that is advertised to stop thorns and othernasty stuff from taking away tube air. These linersare highly touted by users, so my mind has relaxed.They add a little weight, but it is so very worth it!Flat tires are common for most cyclists, but I preferto spend my time riding, not repairing.

Another little situation that demanded that Iattend to it was when the trike stopped shifting as Iwas riding it during the first 5 miles of use. As it allturned out, one of two shift cables was not installedaccording to Rohloff specs at the ICE facility inEngland, and it simply pulled loose fortunately, I–was riding on my street, so was not stranded.

The Rohloff company in Germany has excellentvideo documentation on YouTube, so I familiarized myhead in how to fix shiftless shifting mechanisms bywatching two of their presentations numerous times. Iordered two new cables from Rohloff because the onesthat came with the trike were actually cut too short,and then spent a day getting the trike ridable again.

Okay, two gremlins down, one big one to go! Thefinal aspect of Bigfoot that begged a solution wasthe rear pannier rack. The one that comes from ICE isof super high quality, as are all their products, butit lacked the ability to mount a small top trunk ontop of it because there is no top! Essentially, I…could mount bags on either side of the rear tire asexpected, yet the two sides were not connected overthe top of the tire like nearly every other rack.

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The Arkel TailRider rear trunk, a trusty bag Ihave used on all my former trike journeys, had noplace to be mounted. I happen to have grown reallyfond of my TailRider, a convenient 11 liter bag thatI store oft-needed items inside, and I was not aboutto leave home without it, regardless of what the ICEfactory said was the reason for not connecting therack over the top of the tire (something about weighttoo high up for stability). I promise to keep it light!

Thus, it was to the drawing board, literally, todesign what my head was envisioning. I also needed tohave a rear fender to keep trail grime off me and mybags, and the ICE designed fender is not scheduled tobe ready until the middle of September, and I wouldnot get it until October most likely. This was cuttingthings far too close to departure for my liking, so Iset about designing a rack top that would allow theTailRider to be mounted, and would also have a coolfender integrated as part of the package. But therewas a third consideration, and that is the matter of alittle pull handle on the rear rack.

You see, in situations where a trike cannot beridden, it must be pulled from the rear so that thefront wheels dutifully follow in line, and while onecan pull from the pannier rack itself, it is difficultin challenging scenarios, thus a specific handle isneeded that the rider can easily grasp.

After many days of contemplation and study, Idrew a schematic of the rack modification design sothat my local welder could set about fabricating itout of lightweight aluminum. The design connectedthe two rack sides, further stabilizing the stock ICErack, had a place to mount the TailRider, included afully functional fender, and had a rear pull handle.

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This project required 3 hours of the welder'stime to create, so I had to send some cash his way. At$80 per hour, and with minimal cost for the aluminum,the modification section ran $250, but for my purposeit has been well worth the cost. The new multipurposedesign bolts to the existing factory rack, so therewas no need to weld to the ICE design.

With this final rack obstacle now solved, onlylittle stuff, such as angular adjustments for thingslike the seat, neckrest, and handlebars needed to beset for maximum comfort. Oh yeah, I also had to solvethe water storage issue, and I finally developed mypersonal manner of getting nearly 4 gallons of wateron the trike. Water is heavy, but necessary.

Speaking of weight, the final numbers are nowknown to a fair degree of certainty, as I do not havea measuring scale, and in reality, a precise number issimply not necessary for me. I bring what I know mustbe part of my cargo, and let the numbers fall wherethey may. Sure, I attempt to keep things as light as Ican, but on a trek of this extreme isolation, it is notime to start stripping things down to save fivepounds. Survival ranks as a high priority!

So here are the numbers: The trike weighs in atabout 50 pounds. I weigh in at precisely 160 pounds ifI haven't eaten yet. All my cargo, which includes thefood, water, clothing, house, and bed, weighs in about75 pounds. All these numbers, which represent what Imust pedal forward through the whole trip, combineto make a rolling weight of roughly 285 pounds.

ICE limits rider weight at 275 pounds. On thistrek, rider weight will also necessarily include cargoweight, so the trike is carrying 235 pounds. My weightsetup comes in 40 pounds lighter than the maximumamount of weight this trike can handle safely.

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A Last Minute Glitch

As I type this, it is now October 1, 2015, but back thispast summer in July, a huge flash flood from a largerainstorm washed out a notable section of the BigPine to Death Valley road, which is part of my first50 miles of this expedition. But, I only caught windof this issue last week, and it sent my head spinning was a major route change going to be necessary?–

The road department of Inyo County, Californiaclosed the road to all travel right after the extremeflood damage, and it has remained closed since July.They posted signs at the intersection where I wouldbe leaving Highway 168. I would be encountering thisroadblock within the first 5 miles of the entire 410mile journey not a great way to start this trek!–

After searching online for information, I readthe Facebook page of the National Park Service thatserves Death Valley National Park (the destructionof the road is just outside the very northern borderof the park, thus they keep visitors informed). There,I viewed a single photograph of the washed out area,and it seemed my trike and I could make it through.

I called the Inyo County Road Department, andspoke to a very nice gal named Twyla, who said it wasstill illegal to proceed on the Big Pine/Death Valleyroad. She put me in touch with Bob Brown, supervisorfor the county road crews. Bob informed me that anypublic passing on the road is currently illegal, andis subject to a costly fine if the California HighwayPatrol or Inyo County Sheriff happen to catch you.

He seemed willing to discuss the matter though,so I told him about the Mojave Traverse adventure. Itseemed to hold some sway that I was human powered,along with the fact that I am highly experienced in

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rugged backcountry conditions. Convinced that my ICEFull Fat trike could probably make it across thewashed out portions of the road, Bob then directed meto call Travis Dean at Inyo Public Works. I linked himto the Mojave Traverse website, which revealed that Ihad meticulously planned this trek and knew what Iwas doing. The website bailed me out I think.

Both men soon agreed to issue me a special usepermit to proceed through the damaged area, which Iam to present to the road crew out there when I comeupon the area affected by the flash flood. They willalso notify their road crew of the approximate date Iwill be on the road, estimated to be either Thursday,October 15, or Friday, October 16.

So now I have an official passport paper fromInyo County that will allow me passage! With this onefinal glitch handled, I am hopeful that I'm good togo on this exciting backcountry odyssey. By the way,Bob indicated that the soonest the crews would havethe road repaired would be the end of October, abouttwo weeks too late for my schedule I'm glad this all–worked out. The special use permit makes it clearthat the county is not responsible for my safety.

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Final Water and Food Decisions

I'm almost ready to depart, bumming a ride with myfriend John Herbst in his Chevy Equinox. Luckily, thefolded trike fits in the back of his car. In the backof his Equinox must also go all my bags, filled withsupplies like water and food, all relatively heavy.

So here for quick review are my final decisionsregarding vehicular fuel (remember, I am the organicengine, thus, the fuel is for me without a fueled–rider, the trike goes nowhere).

I shall be carrying nearly 13 liters of water,or 426 ounces, or 42 ounces more than 3 gallons. Thesupply is just shy of 3.5 gallons. This is about all Icould fit on Bigfoot, and based on life experience, Ithink it will be entirely sufficient for my needs. At8.328676 pounds per gallon, the approximate weight ofmy water supply hovers around 27.6 pounds, but Ihave little choice to carry it if I wish to survive.

As I pedal each day, the water supply slowlytransfers from my bottles into my body, temporarilymaintaining the total weight needed to be pedaled,but as I pee, the poundage reduces gradually, so it iseasier to pedal up hills. As the water weight lessens,my water supply dwindles. It's a weird situation, as Ineed water, but don't want a high rolling weight.

Attached to the rear of my recumbent seat arenow two Camelbak 100 ounce (3 liter) water bladders,contained in TerraCycle water bladder cases. So, thereare 6 liters of water (200 ounces) that are not evenvisible when one stands looking at the trike. In eachArkel RT-60 side pannier are an additional 100 ouncesof water, contained in two REI Nalgene 1.5 liter waterbottles. Between these two bags on either side of myrear wheel then, are 6 more liters of water, and when

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added to the Camelbak supply, up the total amount to12 liters, or 400 ounces. On the mainframe between mylegs is one Specialized 26 ounce bicycle water bottle,and that is how my 426 ounces are stored.

The Mojave Traverse route has only two smalltowns, both of which would only qualify as wide spotsin the road for most people. If they are consideredtowns, it is only in the broadest sense of the word.Minimal food supplies can be found in each location,if one measures assessment based on caloric nutrition,which eliminates most of the common American junkfoods. This expedition is one that requires a personwho uses human power to make wise choices in food, or,in the alternative, be supplied by a petrol poweredchase vehicle to ensure survival. This expedition doesnot rely upon the petroleum industry for forwardmotion, so food must be meticulously calculated. Itmust be high in calories and maximum nutrition. Therider is the engine. The food is the fuel.

Regarding my food supply, of my five totaltricycle journeys to date, this is the first where I'musing a new paradigm for eating, one where I hope tomaximize protein, fat, and caloric intake by bringinghighly nutrient-dense foods. It is unlikely you willthink much of these food choices from a fine diningpoint of view, but out in the remote backcountry farfrom help or rescue, I do what makes most sense to me.Just like carrying a gigantic water supply, I alsochoose to carry some bizarre nutritional items. Theseitems are heavy, but again, I like to survive.

I am attempting to bring enough of each fooditem that it will last me for the duration. Althoughthere will be a couple of spots to get more food, whatis available in these places is mostly just orientedfor tourists in cars needing fast food solutions, not

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nutritious food for someone who is pedaling a trikeacross a desert on isolated and obscure dirt roads.

To get an idea of how much I would be needing,I ponder the time on the trail. If, for example, I wereto average 50 miles per day, this adventure will lastabout 8 days. If I average 40 miles per day, it will beabout 10 days from Big Pine to the Mojave River. If Iwere to average 30 miles per day, this trip would be13 days. On pave trike trips, I usually average about60-65 miles per day. Depending on the terrain of roadtrips, my daily distance can easily reach into the 70sand 80s, on occasion topping 100 miles. But those daysof long-haul pavement riding are behind me now, andI prefer from here on out to find adventure in theexploration of unpaved hinterlands.

Knowing the Mojave Desert as I do, from a lifeof exploring large portions of it, I know the route isone where I can progress without too much trouble, orat least I believe so. My suspicion is that I will beable to ride about 50 miles each day, a pace that iscomfortable for me. This distance could be shorteneddue to the fact that I will be filming this trek for adocumentary I plan on creating later, and that willrequire additional time each day. At the very least, Ibelieve 40 miles per day is readily attainable, so inforesight, I see this Mojave Traverse taking between8 to 10 days. We shall see how it all develops.

Okay, so back to the food! My supply should begood for that time frame, and realistically, for evenmore time, which is advisable in case I run into someissues that force me into a state of being stranded.If we consider the small convenience stores along theway, I should not be at want for food. But I may givein to temptation and purchase something that falls

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below my nutrition requirements because, after all, Iam human and I enjoy junking out now and then ;-)

Here is the food I have just loaded into theircontainers for transport. By the way, to view thisfood and to obtain online computer links and moreinformation, just visit the Mojave Traverse website atthis address: mojavetraverse.wordpress.com.

1) Bear Valley Meal Pack and Pemmican bars, a superconcentrated nutritious food bar that is superior tomost popular bars (such as Clif, Odwalla, and others).I have 36 of these bars in my food pannier, meaning Ican eat 3 or more each day, which is quite easy to dowith this much exercise. Flavors are Fruit 'N Nut,Coconut Almond, Sesame Lemon, and Carob-Cocoa. I haveequal numbers of each flavor for variety sake.

2) Just Hemp, Hulled Hemp Seeds, a little known foodthat packs a powerful wallop of nutrition, protein,fat, and calories. These really fill you up, with quitea bit of healthy fats. Hulled hemp seeds also keep aperson's digestive tract moving very efficiently, withno problems about elimination the next day. And makeno mistake, this food has no THC content, contrary towhat one might at first deduce by the word hemp.

3) Garden of Life Raw Meal, an organic shake and mealreplacement. It is a powdered supplement with a greattaste that is raw, vegan, dairy free, and soy free. Theproduct contains live probiotics, and 20 grams of thebest quality whole-food protein per serving, alongwith whole-food derived vitamins and minerals. RawMeal is essentially a product that provides all thenutrition a human needs to survive and thrive, allpacked into one jar. It is relatively costly, but the

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longevity and health returns are incredibly high. Itwould be possible for me to do just fine on this tripwith only Raw Meal and water, but I enjoy eating theother items too, so I bring them all along.

4) Northern Gold raspberry and blueberry granola, awhole grains cereal that is the perfect base in whichI can mix my hulled hemp seeds and Raw Meal. All thisin a bowl with some water produces a real taste treatfor breakfast or dinner. I absolutely love granola,and while it does not pack the huge protein punch ofmy former Grape-Nuts cereal, it is lighter weight andtastes a whole lot better. I can do without Grape-Nutson this trek because I am bringing the other superfoods this time around. I'll not be short on nutrition.

5) Dorset Cereals super cranberry, cherry, and almondmuesli from England (just like the trike). This supertasty muesli will be mixed in with the Northern Gold.This cereal has more protein per unit measure thanthe Northern Gold, but is higher in sugars. The two ofthem blended together make a tasty breakfast, andlikely will become part of my dinner routine on thisjourney. I love granola can eat it anytime!–

6) Maine Coast Sea Vegetables Dulse, an Atlantic seavegetable that provides the sensation of beef jerky,but without the dead cow. You would probably thinkof this as a type of seaweed that provides a pleasantchewy experience. It also deposits natural ocean saltinto the body, which is good for water retention in awarmer desert environment. It's different, but good.

Well, there you have it my friend! As this tripprogresses, we'll see how this diet works for me.

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Dark Sky and Fast Water

Today is now October sixth. For the past two days, asI remain aware of weather conditions throughout theMojave Desert of California, water has been pouringdown from the sky, helping all the desert flora grow,and providing plenty of hydration for the fauna ofthe territory. However, this has also resulted in someareas of concern on the Mojave Traverse route, whichI begin pedaling in just nine more sunrises.

About a third of this overland trike journey isthrough a 140 mile long valley, ominously referredto as death by latter 1800s gold seekers and pioneers.Death Valley is a massive sink bordered by mountainson either side, the result of tectonic movements overthe eons. It sinks 282 feet lower than the ocean thatcovers Earth. In other words, this is one huge hole inthe ground, and water always finds its way downhill!

Well, out here in the valley called death, allland descends into the basin called Badwater, and onits way there, it effortlessly reconstructs surfaceterrain, with no respect for the trivial and fragilelittle road systems put in place by human beings. No,water just changes everything out here, and it doesso in a matter of minutes and hours. Roads that areperfectly fine at 9:00 AM can be impassible by 9:30.

On the fourth and fifth of October, this routethat was looking pretty good from a tricycle travelstandpoint, suffered numerous washouts and damageacross the region. Now, road crews are once again outin force, attempting to repair that which nature soquickly altered. There is no good or bad associatedwith this from a reality standpoint, but it certainlydoes add to the adventure I am about to face only afew days hence. What will I find?

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These past two days have, for example, broughtbrought pavement destruction to portions of Highway190, deep gullies across dirt roads, grapefruit sizedboulders covering backcountry trails, and many otherconsequences that cause government agencies to post“ROAD CLOSED” signs throughout the territory. Mostof Death Valley National Park, which covers a thirdof my total route, is contained within Inyo County, soI am legally cleared to ride the roads, even if theyare technically closed to public access.

The Scotty's Castle road is currently closed, adistance on my anticipated third day of travel of 30miles or so. One particularly iffy old pioneer road isthe Harry Wade escape route, listed as a rough roadand only for four wheel drive vehicles. It crosses theAmargosa River in many spots over its 32 mile length,a river that is typically dry, so crossings are mostlysandy and not advised for standard cars. Yesterdayhowever, the National Park Service posted on theirFacebook page that the river is flowing! Oh my …

It becomes clear that only by pedaling forthwill I discover the current status of the backcountryroute. Things change out there moment to moment. Thisis the way of the desert, and as my good friend andadvisor Jack Freer recently quipped:

“Just the same old thing. It rains in the desert, itfloods, roads are closed, water goes away, roads are

open, repeat.”

NOTE: Immediately prior to leaving home, the weatherwebsites are predicting sunny skies, with day highsbetween 84 and 97 degrees Fahrenheit, and with nightlows between 52 and 67 degrees. If these predictionshold, it should be a DRY and pleasant journey. Great!

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Trip Itinerary

1) Big Pine (Start) exit Hwy 395 onto Hwy 168 (water)2) Big Pine to Saline Valley Road =15 miles3) Saline Valley Road to Loretto ghost town =12 miles4) Loretto to Crankshaft Junction =23 miles (20 dirt)5) Crankshaft to Ubehebe Crater Rd =22 miles (dirt)6) Ubehebe Road to Mesquite Springs =5 miles (water)7) Mesquite Springs to Highway 190 =35 miles8) Highway 190 to Furnace Creek =18 miles (water)9) Furnace Creek to West Side Road =7 miles10) West Side Road to Highway 190 =40 miles (dirt)11) Highway 190 to Ashford Mill Mine =2 miles12) Ashford Mill to Harry Wade Escape Road =2 miles13) Harry Wade Road to Highway 127 =32 miles (dirt)14) Highway 127 to Baker =26 miles (water)15) Baker to Kelso Depot =35 miles (water)16) Kelso Depot to Kelso Dunes Road =8 miles17) Kelso Dunes Road to Granite Mountain =10 miles18) Granite Mountain to Kelso Dunes Road =8 miles19) Kelso Dunes Rd to Parking Area = 4 miles (dirt)20) Kelso Dunes to Ludlow =30 miles (dirt) (water)21) Ludlow to Pisgah Lava Flow =16 miles22) Pisgah Lava Flow to Camp Rock Rd =37 miles (dirt)23) Camp Rock Road to Highway 247 =3 miles24) Highway 247 to Highway 18 =5 miles (water)25) Highway 18 Turnoff to Tussing Ranch Rd =4 miles26) Tussing Ranch to Mojave River =9 miles (dirt)

~Total human powered mileage = 410 miles / 660 km

(215 paved miles / 195 unpaved miles)Water source mileages: 77 53 109 35 60 - 61– – – –

Big Pine to Baker = 237 milesBaker to Mojave River = 173 miles

48% of route consists of unpaved surfaces

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MOJAVE TRAVERSEADVENTURE JOURNAL

Day OneThursday, October 15, 2015

I am here in Big Pine, California, which is a rathersmallish town of around 2,000 people. The elevationhere is 3,989 feet above sea level, which I believe isthe highest point of my journey across the Mojave.When I pedal through that notorious chasm of landknown as Badwater Basin several days from now, outonto the arid and inhospitable salt flats, my trikeand I will be over 4,239 feet lower, because BadwaterBasin's lowest point is 282 feet below the level ofthe Earth's big blue ocean. Big Pine is located in thenorthernmost reaches of the scenic Owens Valley,sandwiched between the Sierra Nevada Mountains justto the west, and the White Mountains just to thenorth a bit and east. East of the Whites lies a mostlydesert state known as Nevada.

Owens Valley, although relatively high inelevation and recipient of the massive water runofffrom the bordering mountains, is now a very dryterritory. It was not always this way, but in theearly twentieth century the sprawling city of LosAngeles to the southwest was successfully able toforcefully divert much of this natural water supplyin a gigantic aqueduct, so that the urban giant couldget water to fuel its rapid population growth. Thisunwanted diversion of the valley's water occurreddespite tremendous protest of people ranching andfarming in the Owens Valley, and developed into what

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has since been named the California Water Wars. Thelocal economy literally dried up.

I am beginning this overland tricycle journeyhere because this is where the really very remoteoutback begins, on Highway 168 eastbound. Thus, it isBig Pine where I am unloading my new backcountryexploration vehicle (BEV), along with all my gear forsurviving the wild outback that lies ahead. Here iswhere I begin my desert odyssey as I now return to aplace in the wild, a place in my spirit. Here is where Isay goodbye to John Herbst, my old hippie buddy withwhom I bummed a ride. Now human interactions willfall away, replaced by the feral lands of a region Ihave explored for over 60 years.

Tonight, I am camping at a tiny campground onthe northern edge of Big Pine, just off Highway 395at the intersection of Highway 168. For a nomadictrike hobo, this is a relatively expensive way tospend the night, because past here, it will be mostlywild stealth camping in virgin desert with no fees orpeople. From here on out I will usually be payingnothing to camp, and have land stretching out as faras the eye can see, able to choose a tent site whereverI wish. Camping on the great wide open expanses ofthe Mojave is a pure joy.

John Herbst has always been an adventurer ofthe serious kind, and when he learned about my planfor this trek, he figured it would be a great reasonto get him in the neighborhood of Yosemite NationalPark for some exploring of his own. He plans ontraveling through Yosemite on his drive back northto Oregon. Bumming a ride for myself and trike in hiscomfy Chevrolet Equinox was a lot of fun better–than renting a U-Haul truck and driving the longmiles alone. John is the author of a fascinating book

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called Destination Unknown, the Secret Life of JakeMeissner. He understands the hobo life too.

So tonight, we are both pitching our tents atthis no-frills piece of Owens Valley dirt, surroundedby shade trees. The weather is pleasantly warm. Thetraffic of Highway 395, a major north/south routethrough the four wild western states of California,Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, lessens as the heatand light of the sun becomes a distant memory. Thereis no traffic at all on Highway 168 tonight, where Iwill begin pedaling tomorrow morning, because itheads in the direction of nothingness as far as mosthumans are concerned. East of this tiny desolatecampground lives adventure of the wildest kind.

View the entire photo collection at:mojavetraverse.wordpress.com, and also watch the film

documentary of this even.

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Other Unique Books by Steve Greene

Bioform, Evolution Beyond Self (philosophy of life on Earth and beyond)

Oregon Coast Bike Route (an alternative guidebook for human powered

cyclists)

Road Runner (wild adventures of a pedaling trike hobo)

The Overland Triker (how to travel cross country on a human powered

trike)

Free On Three (all there is to know about recumbent tricycles)

Death Valley Book Of Knowledge (an extensive national park knowledge resource)

Exploring Wild Death Valley (personal 4x4 journeys in Death Valley National

Park)

* * *

Available from Amazon.com and other onlinestores

Steve's Amazon portal

amazon.com/author/stevegreene

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