After walking back to the trailhead, I go for a short ride down to the salt flats along West Side Road

I'm almost out of water, so I don't go any further than this, though I'd like to. The 3.5 litres of water that I brought with me haven't lasted as long as I was hoping.

I have a strong south wind behind me on the way back to the Furnace Creek Campground and have fun pedalling as fast as I can over the gently rolling terrain. To my surprise, I reach 36 miles per hour on one stretch that has a bit of a downhill.

Back at the campground area, I do laundry at the laundromat, enjoy a $4 shower at the motel swimming pool, and take the rest of the day's heat slowly--assisted by some cold beer from the general store.

Later in the evening, some people pull up in front of my camp site and ask me if I know the nearest place to camp because this campground is full. Since I have a double site of sorts, I tell them they can occupy the other half of my site, which still leaves me lots of privacy. The closest campground where they could go is Emigrant Campground some 30 miles away, and there's no guarantee that any of its ten spots will be vacant.

They are a fun gang from Los Angeles, several of whom are originally from Chile, and I get to try their Chilean vodka-like beverage.

Next photo album: Day 5: Furnace Creek Campground to Monarch Canyon