But first, for one last Benicia day, there was, briefly, sun followed by a last semi-celebratory

[we were, after all, about to reach Escape Velocity] dinner at the Union before Monday’s final

loading-of-the-foods and away over the hill to the Western Great Basin where despite its lack

of functioning restrooms the Wadsworth Smoke Shop still had gas.

At Pyramid Lake’s southern end we let the dogs out, had a piece of last night’s ravioli each as

well as chicken, then kept on 447 to Gerlach, found nothing at the post office so continued to

Wall Spring and dogs in water as we unloaded, beat as could be but happy to be there.

Frost the next morning on the aptly named Smoke Creek Desert, twenty-nine degrees

which rocketed into the forties by afternoon though

the Day of Wednes’ brought a Different and not entirely foreseen form of Weather which vastly

exacerbated the Mud.  Wetness prevailed all day, confining us to the roads

although dogs felt no such constraints

whatsoever.