July 13, 2021
Vanlog, boondocking site in Rye Patch Reservoir BLM land (Nevada)
I woke to 80 degree heat at 8 AM. As I drove off Antelope Island into the suburbs of Salt Lake City, I passed a Jiffy Lube and decided that today was the day to get my first oil change on the road. So check that box.
Then I made my way south around Salt Lake City and headed west on I-80. All along the sides of the road was the white evaporation of the salt water leaving behind NaCl and other minerals. About 100 miles west of Salt Lake City, I stopped at a rest area for the Bonneville Salt Flats. This was on my itinerary as one of my vanlife dreams--to drive out on the white expanse of salt where the fastest land speed record was made. And so after watching a few others do it first, I built up my courage and drove off the macadam onto the dry desert salt flat. Check that box. I went out a bit on the 103-degree salt, got out, took a few photos with the tripod, and my iPhone immediately overheated. I sent up the drone, but it was windy, hard to see with the glare, and the low battery light came on. So no drone footage. Just photos. There was another area farther downt he road where you could also pull off directly onto the salt flats and I went out again for a different perspective with the mountains in the backdrop and traded taking pictures with someone else.
Then it was another couple hundred miles on I-80 west through construction zones. 457 miles total today. On my third gas break, I also decided to wash all that salt (and dead bugs) off the van. Check that box. Vanna (like me after yesterday's shower) didn't stay clean for long as my boondocking site in Rye Patch Reservoir on BLM land was back a 4-mile washboard dirt road in 100-degree evening heat. I was all alone back in the boonies tonight with nice views of the dried up reservoir and mountains in the distance. I can see the traffic on I-80 but I can't hear it. It's very quiet back here.
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