Third day on the train. 5:30 am somewhere out in the Nevada desert.
I had promised myself I’d try to get up in time to see the sunrise. An uncomfortable seat and an expansive neighbour help me make sure I live up to that promise. The light of the new day pouring over our train and the landscape around us more than make up for the broken back and the lack of sleep.
The Nevada high desert is incredibly beautiful, and the marshes full of birds in the early morning light are an unexpected surprise that offer the opportunity for some amazing views as the newly risen sun stretches its rays over the surface.
Before we start climbing towards Reno and the Sierra Nevada, the desert presents us with yet another final surreal twist as the water dries out and all that all seems to be left on the ground is white salt (or so I am told…).
The hills are apparently populated by wild horses and donkeys. Someone points them out in the distance but I can’t seem to distinguish them (although as it turns out, I did catch a few horses on the ridge in one of my pictures 🙂 ).
As we enter the Sierra Nevada we keep climbing and climbing, and the landscape turns white once again, although this time it’s all snow slowly melting into hundreds of small streams and creeks running down the side of the mountain feeding tumultous rapids and the flowers timidly blooming around us.
Thanks to the vigilant eye of the two Amish guys sitting next to me, this time I do manage to catch a glimpse of the grizzly bear climbing up on the side of the mountain right below us, although this time the eye is quicker than the eye (so you’ll have to take my word for it).
Descending towards Sacramento it quickly becomes clear that the curtain is finally coming down on the marvellous show we have just witnessed.
The remaining few hours are a boring succession of low brown buildings and grazing cows across the plains of mid-California. I wonder if I might have been more excited about this landscape if I was just starting my trip in the direction of Chicago, still fresh and well-rested.
My knees hurt from spending most of the time of this trip sitting down, and I am now desperately longing for some hot water after almost 3 days without a shower (luckily, some deodorant and a change of clothes made the situation a lot less critical than it could have been otherwise).
As the train circles around the East Bay towards the final station, I realize that for most of my awake time on this trip I have done nothing but look out of the window. It has been some of the best spent time in a very long time.
