We left Barstow for our run through the Mojave Desert. We've been travelling along Route 66 and the Union Pacific Railroad corridor past suburbs and stamped out secure communities with names like Cimarron Ranch. Route 66 is a commerce route and kind of like the Silk Road of the States. The new road is the Interstate 15 beside it. The areas off the old road and east of LA are a mix of Mexican American, lower middle class and blue collar. One neighborhood we ran through had a visible gang mentality and associated societal problems. The concrete jungle of Los Angeles has slowly been left behind. We have moved away from the newer developments into more of the guts of America.....at least, until we hit Las Vegas which is another story.

Just before entering the Mojave National Reserve you pass by the town of Zzyzx. I've always loved that crazy name, wondering if it's a sleepy town for folks who are short on their "zzzz's" which fits us perfectly right now. We've also driven past several exits to ghost or "lost" towns, a big tourist draw in this part of the country.

Navigating the Mojave turned out to be more of a challenge than anticipated. A local businessman explained to me that they'd had numerous sandstorms and lots of wind over the past several weeks. Therefore deep sands were covering the desert roads, both paved and dirt. Team Silver's van was stuck for an hour and a half before getting extricated with the assistance of a local towtruck. This put the runners behind. When we arrived there was an hour to make up. The night pilot van which had switched to the day pilot's four wheel drive vehicle was shuttling the runners and leaving team vans on secure roads. The runners were struggling with the slipping and sliding in the deep sand, and in the dark. We, Team Green, took over at about 4am after hanging out at an interstate stopover drinking lots of coffee. The pilot van picked up Jason and Simon and disappeared into the night. Laura and I and our driver Rob drove to a desert road intersection and napped as the sun rose over the sandy hills and cactus. Several hours later our runners arrived and the pilot van took over as Laura headed down a desert road with Mark our EMT out joining her for another run with the team. I moved into the pilot van and we tracked them. The waking desert was starkly beautiful. We came upon what looked like a herd of unicorn, but decided they were some kind of desert burro. They were curious and white and fluffy. The only other life, other than occasional desert flowers, were the large hares running at interstate speeds.

In the Mojave we were off roading again in places. Like in the Gobi, the roads are not usually mapped or named and criss cross here, there and everywhere. Their character changes with the shifting sands. Elevation is about 4,000 feet and there is no water. I kept pondering the irony of water-starved areas like the suburbs of LA using lots of water to wash their cars every day and to water their sod lawns and golf courses contrasted with the desert that speaks to the reality of the water situation in much of this part of the country, dry.

I was the last runner of our shift, starting on some kind of paved desert road. It was adobe colored, narrow and rough but had a perfect white stripe down the middle. The shoulders were deep sand and pulverized rock, hard to run in. Then the road changed back to sandy dirt, rough with lots of loose rock. My last six miles were a steady uphill. It was super dry and dusty and getting warmer as the sun rose higher. The light against the distant mountains and the large cacti was stunning. The color transitions in the desert are always very subtle. We finished about 10 minutes late and handed off to Team Blue, making the changeover to the day crew. We have two more night shifts until we're back on days. that is, if I stay on this team. No team changes have yet been announced except that Will who joined us in Belarus has been moved from Blue to Yellow. The Yellow Team is recovering and all are expected to be running again soon.

Arriving in Las Vegas was the usual culture shock. This place is so jazzed. The team was housed in a medieval theme park called the Ex Calibur. Jim Carrey inhabits this place. Simon and I whizzed into our rooms for a shower and then the ride to the NBC affiliate station for our live at noon interview. There was a long wait for a few minutes on camera but it went well. I got good views on the drive to and from the studio of all the new structures in Vegas since I was last here, like Mandalay Bay and a new Trump building. The architecture, the buildings and layout of the streets is impressive and beautiful as far as cities go. But it is all so decadent and over consumptive. The food was not what I remember it being years ago when you got more homemade for budget prices. This time it seemed very All American and pricey for the venue. It was iceberg lettuce bland. I know there is better around but with our schedules there wasn't the time to search it out. Our hotel had a food court and cafes handy throughout.

One of the strategies in Vegas is that they design all the buildings so you can't really walk anywhere inside a public establishment without passing game tables and slot machines, a clever design to reel you into betting. It's also crowded. I think the swimming pool at our hotel had enough lawn chairs and pool areas for a thousand people. Just the amount of laundry created by all those pool towels is mind boggling. I did not swim here, something about the numbers and water quality made it unappealing. Sleep was a priority as well, although I'm having trouble staying asleep for long periods. I think my body is ready to go back to days and I pray I don't lose out with a team switch.

The media attention is exciting. People are donating and we are all holding our breath, praying the word is out in capital letters with exclamation points so that folks are checking out the website and supporting the cause. There was a big exchange event in Las Vegas and our next big one will be Denver. In the meantime we reach out to all the communities along the way. When we have responses like we did from the Jain Temple and reporters who show up in the middle of the night to do a piece for their small weekly, we are especially thrilled. The one in five of all of us who are directly affected by the water crisis cross all cultural barriers. One of the most impressive statistics for me remains the fact that over half the hospital beds in the world are filled by patients suffering from a waterborne illness.

It's hot in this part of the world. In the hundreds during the day, falling to the 80's at night, although somewhat cooler in spots near the mountains. Our time in Big Sur was the cool spot in the country at the time. Personally I am happy to be warm again. It's a dry heat and there are prevailing winds which can trick you into thinking you are not getting dehydrated. Therefore it's critical that the runners keep drinking lots of fluids and take in electrolytes. Returning to the U.S. meant returning to access to lots of ice. Ice makes our drinks much more palatable out in the sweltering desert and helps with injury prevention and maintenance. It also provides a quick means for cooling down, including methods like placing ice inside your cap. Ice is water.

Water is life. Pass it on!