The sun glares down from a crystal blue sky. Myriad tourists wander out onto the salt flats, their distant silhouettes shimmering in the heat, their feet apparently several feet off the ground. I wonder if I'm still lying in the tent, dreaming. Julie returns with Larry and his spirits are high. He gives us thumbs up and they head off back toward Shoshone.
Every corner brings a renewed blast of hot air right between our eyes.
We are all beginning to feel a little delirious. Tom is trying to keep from throwing up and repeatedly points out how crazy this whole thing is. The sun is sinking to our right, lighting up the rugged canyon in beautiful reds and purples. Just as we realize that we have all run out of fluids, the image of a car appears on the side of the road bearing boxes of bottled water. I raise my head and squint into the sun.