New GPS Record

The morning routine is to program the GPS for the days ride. Enter the final destination and then adjust the route with way points to travel the route I would like to go. In this instance I was leaving Salt Lake and headed for Lake Tahoe. Rte 50 "America's Lonliest Highway would have to wait for another time as I was quite a way north of it. Instead I would take I-80 around the south side of the salt lake and out to the Bonneville Salt Flats, then on across the great basins of Nevada to Reno and Lake Tahoe. I set a new record today when I pulled onto I-80.... the GPS said "next turn in 538 miles". Whoa..... it sure is vast out here. I have never seen anything close to that on the GPS. Oh Well... better crank it up and ride! I was cruising at my 73 MPH "sweet spot" where the engine just is super smooth and the wind noise is not too great when two BMW's passed me doing over 100 MPH, camping gear and all. I never did see them again, but I am sure they were also headed to the International Rally in Oregon. The key out here in the summer is head for high country to escape the heat whenever you can. Bonneville is a very desolate place except for that brief period each year when the speed freaks head out to "run what they brung". I would love to come out some time to watch the event, as they are a very eclectic crowd from everything I have heard. Life is too short! Today I would have to be satisfied with a quick stop and picture of the "flats. From where I took this picture the actual race course is about 7 miles out on the salt in front of the mountains in the distant view. The course is 10 miles long in a straight line with timing traps to measure speed. I believe the ultimate record was set over two decades ago at 620+ MPH. Now that is some serious speed on the ground. I walked out on the salt and the surface is not smooth at all. Surely it is flat but the surface has big salt crystals on it that stick up about a quarter of an inch. I sure would not want to fall on it at speed. They say salt aids healing, but I can't imagine the pain of a "road rash" from this stuff.