As I set up camp and well into the night there were a couple of thunderstorms a few miles away and the extra wind made it a little harder to go to sleep. Also I had to put my tent in a less than flat place because I needed to maximize my scant windbreak. But I slept fair. I had camped dry but didn't have to ration my water as I had a full cow trough with a running water source just up the hill from me. I had a half liter left and didn't bother with getting more since it was only 12 miles to town. The smoky haze returned after a day's absence, but it was tolerable. In Eureka, I quickly found a park with water, then went down main street in search of a store. The grocery store used to be in downtown but had moved a mile up the road, thankfully on my route anyway. By now it was 8:30 but to my surprise they weren't open yet. I decided to wait till opening at 9 jand there was conveniently a Shasta vending machine that was only 35 cents for a can. There was already 15 cents in the change drawer, so I got two for only 55 cents total. My grandfather would be proud of such a deal, were he around to hear about it. I left fully loaded with water and food, even more so than yesterday because the miles between towns today would be massive, 125 or so. I had a fast start as I was on the highway for a few miles. Then a good gravel road for a bit. The roads were mostly pretty fast today for the most part other than a couple miles of sand, and a really slow road that had deep hoofprints everywhere and it rattled my brain. I descended gradually and lost my view of the mountains due to the haze I thought. I was surrounded by flat plains and a sea of sage brush. Suddenly I felt a drop of rain, looked up and saw that above me was blue sky. It was hazy around though and I couldn't tell if it was clouds. I thought nothing of it but soon it began to lightly rain. This continued off and on for over an hour. Never enough to get me or the road wet. Or wetter than it already was, as the road I was on had standing water in all the holes and dips from heavy rain last night. Of course, I ride out of town with the most water I have ever ridden out with and not only is there water everywhere but it actually rained. I only had trouble with mud briefly, in some yellow soil, it was barely still wet enough there to pick up rocks. But I descended down and flung it off and lower it was plenty dry enough for smooth sailing. It was a plus though because it kept the temperature down all day as even after it stopped, the cloud cover remained. Wind, which wasn't high, was always at my back today as well for which I was extremely grateful. I thought I had already seen a lot of grasshoppers, in the great plains in Oklahoma. Well, here in this part of Nevada, they are also huge. They are all black, and are numerous. How numerous? BIBLICAL. There were times today where there were more grasshoppers on the road than rocks. It was almost impossible to avoid squishing some of them because they were this dense everywhere today. Their behavior is curious also. Large groups of them could be found, chowing down on their fallen brethren who had been squished. It was a sight to see. I don't know whether this is normal or some sort of consequence of the drought or what. But it was remarkable to be sure. I pressed on past the plains and had my sights set on the top of the penultimate climb before reaching Battle Mountain tomorrow. There weren't any trees in the pass but the mountains and clouds blocked the sun just fine. I found a little flat spot amidst the sage and cow patties not far from the road. I seriously doubt anybody drives by while I'm here. To say this part of the country is sparsely populated is an understatement.