Amboy to Needles 04-14-2026 Day 4

The Bridge is Out! Carol Schleif had driven us last night to Needles where we stayed overnight. Today we loaded up the bikes and drove to the blocked road where we would start our day today. The road was still “closed”. We knew from reading reports that many of the bridges had either fallen apart or were scheduled for construction. We would encounter barriers of some kind along the way.

Some people were doing some creative things with the rocks laying along the road.

We were able to ride on a gentle climb for several miles before we came to our first obstacle. There was a “Road Closed” sign, but there was enough road intact for us to ride around the barriers and pass through. It wasn’t long before we came to a portion of road where there was no longer any road beyond the barriers. We had to dismount or ride on shifting gravel and dirt to get around the barriers. The path we took was meant for AWD vehicles.

As the day went on, the mental jukebox kept returning to The Sons of the Pioneers, thinking about Cool, Clear Water …

It took us a long time to make the 30 miles to the only place we would find anything to eat, drink or find rest. Between climbing nearly the entire stretch, the rough road, and all stops to go around barriers, we barely averaged 10 MPH. There were enough oddities to hold our interest before the rest stop. There was the Corvette from the 1960’s Route 66 TV show, Prime real estate, and the usual logo.

The prices at the Oasis were appropriate for the market they served. They at least warned you their costs were high and the prices followed. It was still worth it.

We took breaks for the next 32 miles to get back to I 40. Various body parts were starting to complain after the 3 long days of above average mileage. After climbing for the first 6 or so miles, we leveled off and got a long downhill descent to I 40.

There several stone memorials on each side of the road as I got close to our hotel. There was one for each branch of the military, including the National Guard and POWs.

At the hotel, I beat Ron to the shower. We typically do the day’s laundry with ourselves. The hot sun and heat from the air conditioner let Hidalgo act as the clothes dryer.

We made it to the hotel today the earliest so far in the trip. We had dinner at a Pizza joint and tried to stretch some stiff muscles. It was a good day. Tomorrow we have another big climb, but finally some shorter mileage. Each day brings new adventures. The ride stats can be found here.

The Not So Lone Rider