Day 4: Expect the unexpected

Day 4: Expect the unexpected

The day after the power trail took a bit to get going for some of us we were starting to feel a bit sluggish.  Hurshh needed a few more caches so we could double his find count and push him to 2,000 caches, so off we went to another trail of caches. This first group of caches were in the Mojave desert just outside of Searchlight, NV.  This trail was down a long dirt road to nowhere with caches on both sides but we only got the ones down the middle since it was getting hot and we had a seven hour drive today to get to our hotel.

So with the minor trail done and it was getting late we decided to stop in Vegas for some grub before half of our train headed for Oregon while we headed back to SE Washington.  While in Vegas last time Grizz Rider had eaten at the Heart Attack Grill and said the burgers were to DIE for so with a quick straw poll it was decided, big fat greasy burgers it was.  At Heart Attack Grill there is nothing healthy on the menu but it all was excellent tasting.  This was a sad moment for me because Globaltreckers  were breaking off from us and we only had two days with them.

Gas and go we had a long drive and it would be 1am before we got to our hotel in Wells, NV.  So a quick stop at a gas station in NE Vegas provided a surprise. DR D a fellow cacher from the quad cities that was moving to Arizona this weekend. He stopped for gas at the same station at the same time as we did.  WOW that is unexpected. It was great to see the Doc one last time before he was gone.

ET 001 we had to stop for that cache since hurshh was the only one who had not found it. So he can say he did Route 66 and ET highway in one weekend ;) On the way to ET 001 I joked about we should just do another all nighter since we would be getting in so late and was feeling good and not too tired. So while we were at the ET sign Hunter made a call and we were free from the hotel reservations in Wells. So another all nighter it was. Time for the riders to settle in for the night while I braved the dark Nevada night.

As the sun was rising on us we were approaching Twin Falls ID and the Balanced Rock Series, we noticed that globaltreckers had not stopped either and had cached all night long on the way to Oregon. Quick call to John to make sure he was awake and enjoying himself. The INSANE Train was living up to its name and having a blast doing it.

As the Balanced Rock trail approached it was time for the crew to wake up and start getting ready for the assault on the last few caches we needed on the trip before we all died from lack of rest. These caches while close to the road were taking us forever to get because we all were very very tired and had lost the spring in our step. Yes even hurshh the young pup just wanted to get home! So only after 40 caches it was determined that hurshh had enough caches for 2000 and they all wanted to get home.

So you would think that that was the end of the excitement, nope not even close.  The roads were we were routed on were very bad and super sandy in spots so a little rally driving was needed to get us back to gravel. At time the Train was doing 60 MPH just to keep the momentum up to fly across the sandy spots. Man it was fun and helped bring a little life back into the INSANE Train. With the sand behind us and on a rocky road it looked like smooth sailing from here on out…..  With a stop for one last cache on top of a rocky butte the INSANE Train got one last scare/rush. SNAKE! On the climb to the top I almost got bit by a Rattle Snake and hurshh was surrounded by them.  I was able to use a rock to free us from the trap set by them and get my kids a rattle also. Yes we did get the cache but man that was a little to close for comfort. If I had not spotted the snake before I took one more step forward I would have been bitten. He never rattled at me until I hit him with a rock. After that every direction we tried to move there was a rattle.  At least we got a skin and a rattle out of the deal, I would loved to have saved the meat and tried it since I have heard it is good to eat and that snake would not have been wasted.

Now we are all super tired and still have seven hours home with a stop in Boise to pick up my family and have one more meal before the trip is over. A little BBQ in Boise and time for a nap while I ride with my wife home.  It is sad that the run is over but we all need to sleep!   We have  so many memories from this trip we could never put it all down for you to read, but over the next few weeks I’ll add a few things here and there about this trip while I post about things to come. And yes there are a few things in the works but like I said last year after the ET highway power trail NO MORE POWER TRAILS!! ;) 


Totals on the trip? That information is still being compiled.