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Day 12,

Sunday, August 3.

 

After getting out of Walker, I saw a man walking the opposite way, carrying a cross. I heard before about some persons going across the country, or the world, like that.

 

In several miles I was riding by the beautiful Walker Lake. It was a sunny day and I was in a great mood.

 

The knock was very loud and I was pretty sure that it was coming from the bottom bracket. In the next shop I will have to do something about it. I just hoped it wouldn’t cease up.

 

Road started going uphill and I was getting a bit tired. I really don’t like to start a day with hard pedaling. However, the trip was lasting close to two weeks now and I was definitely getting into much better riding shape.

 

In few more miles, I approached a Nevada state line, and stopped at the visitor center to rest and get something to eat.

 

In about 30 miles and little more than two hours, I entered Gardnerville, Nevada.

Finally it was a full size town with all types of Fast Foods and grocery stores.

I stopped at Mc Donald’s and got a burger with ice-cream. Then got few bananas at a near by grocery store.

 

While riding through the town, I saw a bike shop on the left. I turned around and walked in the shop.

A young guy greeted me and asked what I needed. I explained him the type of problem I was having and asked if he had the wrench to tighten up the bottom bracket, and if it will not help, then I would just get a new one. He brought few wrenches and a 26mm one finally fitted the nut. He did turn it a half turn. I went for a test ride and there was no more knock whatsoever! The pedaling now was smooth and quite.

 

I returned to the guy and he didn’t want to charge me anything for this. As he told me, he also done a cross country tour, but with a group and was supported by the van. In 5000 + miles that he rode, the used the same chain and tire set.

 

I continued north and in another hour and about 16 miles, entered Carson City.

I found a Wal-Mart and went to print out some pictures to post the friends.

There I also got a nice frozen dinner which I heated up in the microwave on the nearest gas station.

 

I returned to Wal-Mart to pick up the print outs and met Elya – a Russian woman from Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad). She lives in Carson City with her son and is married to a guy that she met through the dating agency while she lived back in Russia. Despite all her complaints about local life, weather, and alien culture, she liked it to live here and didn’t want to go back. Of course ;).

 

Closer towards the evening, I rode to somewhat a border of town and found an isolated place to set up a tent. I remembered the route and rode back into downtown to explore around.

 

Since Carson City is the capital of Nevada, the legislative and other official buildings were very beautiful. Quite parks with green avenues. I stopped at another Mc Donald’s and ate two more ice cream cones; wrote in the journal.

 

I came back to the spot and set up the tent. The evening was quite and I could see the peaceful lights of some distant neighborhood.

 

Today – 58 miles.

 

 

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