Blog 173 Datil to Carrizozo

28th March

Started the day with the sun shining through a bright blue sky. The air was chilly but the snow was clearing and temperatures were expected to rise as I descended off the high plains. The road stayed high and undulating for a while, but across the Plain it stayed long and straight with a view of the mountains ahead. I punctured again so swopped tyre positions front to back so riding a thicker tread on the rear. But that wasn't going to solve the problem. Only a change of tyre would do that. The Japanese bicycle mechanic employed by Yamaha naturally fitted me with Rambler Maxxis and they are not the right tyre for the ride. Most of my tyre experience has been gained by being supported by Continental so Maxxis was an unknown brand. I'd used the German Schwalbe 'Marathon Plus' and they were exceptionally well wearing and puncture resistant. I had only one riding from Saudi Arabia to Perth with enough wear to maybe get to Sydney.

And not having the faintest idea where I was, other than I was riding east towards New York with a strong tailwind pushing me along I stopped at an 'Historical Marker' which are positioned at the point of some significant event. Here it was Trinity Site, the army base location for the first ever detonation of an atomic bomb (apropos re film Oppenheimer)

A Bit of Information

On July 16, 1945, one week after the establishment of White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), the world’s first atomic bomb was detonated in the north-central portion of the missile range, approximately 60 miles north of White Sands National Park. For the Project Trinity test, the bomb was placed atop a 100-foot steel tower that was designated Zero. Ground Zero was at the foot of the tower. Equipment, instruments, and observation points were established at varying distances from Ground Zero. The wooden observation shelters were protected by concrete and earthen barricades, and the nearest observation point was 5.7 miles from Ground Zero. At 5:30 a.m. on July 16, the nuclear device, known as “Gadget,” was successfully detonated. To most observers—watching through dark glasses—the brilliance of the light from the explosion overshadowed the shock wave and sound that arrived some seconds later. A coloured cloud surged 38,000 feet into the air within seven minutes. Where the tower had been was a crater one-half mile across and eight feet deep. Sand in the crater was fused by the intense heat into a glass-like solid, the colour of green jade. This material was given the name Trinitite. The explosion point was named Trinity Site. @nps.gov

The First Atomic Detonation - Trinity Site

Shelter in Public Rest Area. Hwy 308-East

Probably not atomic bomb proof but a necessary break from the sun. Classically utilitarian but also has a contemporary feel against the timeless background of the desert hills.

Map of the Day