Mongolia Mountains

The view from Mongolia is fantastic. The spaces I bike through are wide open and the mountains around me are tall, bare and beautiful. Distant mountains are snow capped. The air is clear and the sky filled with turbulent or harmless clouds which appear larger than the mountains, I think in fact they are. White yurts dot the landscape near and far. Animals are everywhere. Sheep, goats, horses, cows, long haired yaks even a couple of pigs. They wander the road in front of me and in herds on the hillsides. The locals push around the animals either on motorcycles or horseback.

Thus far the roads on my trip have nearly always been paved. That ended right at the border. They are now dirt tracks, cinder, a bit of gravel and a dash of sand. In nearly every case they are not maintained and exist only due to local vehicles making them for their own convenience. The land lacks anything that might stop a vehicle (besides the mountains) so the tracks run off in many directions, and when one gets too worn to drive over easily another track springs up right next to it. In busier areas this method creates 10 lane dirt roads with another dozen lanes weathering back to neutral. I have maintained my fifty mile a day pace but because of the roads it now requires 8 hours of pedaling to do it.

The people have all been very friendly. On my second day in Mongolia I was invited in for breakfast. Home made cheese, rolls and milky tea. I have been invited into a few yurts now and they always offer the same food. I believe their is a lack of ingredients in the county side. Certainly no vegetables or fruit exist.

It is nearly impossible to hide while camping. Everyone has grown up looking for their animals far away in the hills and I apparently am not a challenge to pick out. Nearly every night someone on a horse or motorcycle will ride over to see what I am and what I am doing. I believe all the land is public so camping is never an issue. Mostly they want to inspect my bike. Checking the tires and trailer is a must. Going through small towns I stop a half dozen times to let people check my tires and trailer.

Hammockeering has been very tough though not quite impossible. A large four legged tower holding power lines was positioned perfectly to hang my hammock. I watched the sunset, I saw a rainbow, I watched the sunrise and no one found me there. It's been a nice ride.