As I turned onto I-15 from I-40, I looked toward the mountains fast approaching and saw the smog piled up against the mountains. It looked like large waves crashing over the crest of the mountains at the end of the valley. The wind was off the Pacific driving the smog up the San Gabriel Valley to the mountains. It would have been clear if there had been a Santa Anna wind off the desert. That would have driven the smog out to sea. I drove down into it to join the increasing traffic volume experiencing strong winds as I descended into the valley.
At that point, I began to relish my experiences in the remote areas I had traveled through. One spot came to mind. On the Oatman Road (the old Route 66) between Kingman, AZ and Topcock, AZ I remember vividly stopping my bike in the middle of the road, getting off, taking a picture and then remounting without being concerned with traffic. Everyone should have that experience to appreciate the natural world without the human component. It was nature in the raw.
The traffic on the freeway began to increase as I passed San Bernardino. Then I hit the evening rush hour. I would be traveling at 70 mph and drop to 10-15 mph in heavy traffic. With traffic being so congested, a good “space cushion” was needed to avoid the common rear end collision. I began to put more effort into thinking defensively as the last few miles of any trip is a prime time for accidents as one relaxes thinking the trip is over.
I rolled into Vista at 6pm on June 11, and found Pat and Chuck’s house with their very helpful directions. I felt a mix of joy and sadness. The joy of completing the trip and seeing friends again and the sadness that half of the trip was finished. I have completed 4,147 miles on the westbound leg of the trip including numerous scenic road diversions.
