David's Journal Entry

The scenery today was stunning. and perhaps the most diverse yet. With rocky outcrops and sweeping roads punctuating the vast open plains, we truly are in the land of the big sky. After a 3mm piece of wire was removed from my tyre and a patched tube thrown back in we headed onto the highway, The day was going smoothly until the bolts holding Doug's stand sheered. It will be possible to remove them and bolt the stand back on, but not with the tools we have access to right now. It was no great surprise as I have had to tighten them daily and they were under considerable stress, unfortunately, I hadn't had the foresight to fix them in place with something like loctite blue. I suspect the failure is my fault, for over-tightening them. It's a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things and I am confident I will be able to drill the remnants out when I get home, if not before. 

Erldunda is in the midst of a mouse plague, and so after hydrating with a condensation-covered ice-cold beer, we booked a cabin for the night. A pannier or indeed a tent full of holes would be far from welcome at this stage. The added bonus of staying under a roof is that packing up in the morning will be considerably quicker, as there will be no need to strike camp. We will also have the benefit of a shower, and the opportunity to do some laundry in the sink, not to mention a kettle for the quick oats in the morning.

On arrival we met with Theo, a contact Mike had made through Insta, Theo is in the middle of something of a world tour and is currently on hiatus, replenishing his reserves, both physical and financial. While it was great to catch up with a kindred spirit, and he was very helpful, I think Mike and I both feel we are in a good place and very self-sufficient at this stage. With any luck we will cover an imperial ton tomorrow, not least because the forecast is for favourable winds, an early start is a very feasible option.