There is nothing like the feeling of having a remote highway all to yourself. I only saw a couple of cars during the entire three hour ride from Cedar City, Utah to Ely, Nevada. The wide open spaces really appeal to me and I was surrounded by snowy peaks all day long.

I took advantage of the shift to daylight saving time and changing timezones to gain some extra riding time today. I was packing the bike as the sun was just appearing behind the mountain crest in Cedar City. It was only 24º as I headed out and the cold bit at my fingers and neck. It didn't take too long for the early morning sun to achieve a bearable temperature. I climbed up and over several passes along the high plateau ranging between 6000 and 8000 feet. Before reaching Ely, I rode into the Great Basin National Park. Just a few miles past the entrance, the road was closed due to snow. I turned around and pressed onward.

I stopped to warmup in Ely and then again in Wells, Nevada. The wind had picked up and the skies had become overcast. Even though the air temperature had warmed to 50º the wind chill made my joints ache. During my breaks a couple truck drivers came over to chat with me. Neither of them commented when I told them I was on my way back from Argentina. They were more interested in telling me about their own two wheeled exploits in which they colorfully recounted at length. While they talked, they didn't seem to mind me jumping around to get my circulation up and the feeling back in my toes.

I thought I might be able to make it as far as Boise today but the cold started to get the better of me. I pulled into a rundown roadside motel in Bliss, Idaho (population 256, according to the sign). It is certainly not fancy but it is pleasantly warm.