.....

Hey everyone, it's Alex. I want to let everyone know whats going on and it's sinister implications...

We trucked on through the rest of Utah and into the beginning of the Great Basin which stretches all the way from Utah to the Sierra Nevadas. We hit some big mountains and another big 88 mile stretch of road with nothing. Well, 2 days ago, we rode into Nevada and crossed the state line. There was a little casino/motel/cafe/rv park there at the border, so we stopped for lunch because we needed water and a good meal. After lunch, we planned the rest of the trip out and realized that we could take a short day and stay there for the night. About this time is when Pete started to feel really crappy. He couldn't keep anything down and was vomiting and having diahrhiia (not sure of the spelling there). He'd gotten really dehydrated on the trail and had the same symptoms, so we figured thats what it was. We took it easy and he slept all day and all night and drank as much water and Powerade as he could. He couldn't do anything, so I had to set up the tarp and carry all his stuff over to the campsite, etc. He awoke the next morning and felt a lot better, but didn't think he had it in him to bike another 65 miles to Ely, the next town down the road. Ely also has a doctors office and hospital, so we decided we'd better get a ride there and get him checked out for safety's sake. We ate and he began feeling a whole lot worse. Luckily, one of the owners of the hotel was a really nice guy and also an EMT, so he let us stay in a room for half the day yesterday and get out of the heat and let Pete rest on a bed. I eventually was able to find us a ride into Ely. We got here in the afternoon yesterday and Pete was still feeling awful. We headed over to the clinic and promptly waited like 4 hours for him to be seen, then he eventually came out with a stack of papers in his hand and told me that not only was he dehydrated, but he probably has Hepatitis A. This makes sense because he had like 8 of 10 of the symptoms and we've been really dirty all the time on this trip. So, since it took 5+ hours at the doctors, we are stuck at like 930 riding around town looking for a motel room which we can't find because theres like 3 different events going on in this town. We finally find one and get in at 1130 and just crash--frustrated, angry, tired and sad. We had a talk this morning and Pete can't do it anymore. We have a little less than 600 miles left to go and a week to do it, but he's not physically able to make it. I'm in an incredibly tough situtation because I REALLY want to finish this trip out and I am healthy and have the time to do it, but that would be pretty dangerous because of the remoteness of Nevada and the fact that Pete would be alone, sick, by himself trying to find a way to California.... I'm really depressed and don't really know what to do, but I'm gonna wait around with him until Monday when he gets his results from the bloodwork back, so I'll have time to think.... We're both physically and mentally broken and sad. I hope things work out for the best, but either way, one or both of us will not finish this trip. Any and all advice/encouragement is welcomed. Thanks for the support.
Love,
Alex (and Pete)