The wind roars across the desert, blowing sand 40 mph across an arid landscape. Billowing into rippled sand dunes, the scene embodies the 102-degree heat. The sand hitting his face feels like a hundred bee stings. Patrick Tougas squints into the distance, dreaming of better days. But he’s only halfway across the Sonoran Desert, aiding a friend ferrying two motorcycles to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Patrick Tougas, left, and his friend Cooper road deep into Mexico. PHOTO PROVIDED