Utah

May 21, → Milford UT, 89 miles, Avg=9.6mph

I woke up about 5am to a gray sky and the delightful sound of rain on my tin roof. Usually, this sound brings dread to a cycle tourist, but in this case it meant two things. First, the temperature would decline dramatically today. Second, as a consequence of the first, I could roll over and enjoy a lazy start. All too soon the rain stopped and I rolled out of bed and started repacking panniers. By the time I was ready it was nearly 6:30am and evidently very cool so I decided to wait and have breakfast with Jean-Paul. I got off about 7:30am. Heading east the road starts a gentle climb to Mormon gap, which I think I missed, then down a little and then up gradually toward Halfway pass. Halfway to what I'm not sure. Halfway to heaven? Let's hope not. Along the way I passed a series of sculptured dinosaurs made from scrap auto and farm machinery parts. I really liked some, especially a little raptor. Where else but rural Nevada can one find in one camera frame both Greek realism and Nevada wymsical.

During the night the temperature has fallen from the 90s to the 40s, with a cold wind blowing out of the north, overcast, and some rain still coming. As I cycled onward I got colder and colder, and soaked up a few drops of rain. Within a few hours I had on my rain pants, rain jacket, leg and arm warmers, insulated vest and windbreaker vest. I stayed dressed like that most of the rest of the day. At one point in the afternoon the sun came out for a while so I shed the rain jacket but had it on again soon. After the long hot days I've had for the past week I find the new weather surprising and much to my liking.

I crossed over to Utah today, my favorite state. I love the skiing in the Wasatch mountains outside of Salt Lake City and the backpacking and scenery of the slickrock country of southern Utah. I've enjoyed many backpacking trips to the Escalante canyon over the years, always driving from the northwest to southern Utah. This year, for the first time, I'll enter the that dramatic landscape on a bicycle.

After Halfway pass the road heads down into the usual valley between mountain ranges, then starts up to Wah Wah pass. As usual as I start down one pass I could see the road going across the valley below and directly up the other side, huge tectonic rollers. I think the climb up Wah Wah pass takes about 10 miles, the last five pretty steep. Again I'm feeling rather frustrated because it doesn't seem so steep but yet I'm struggling and panting in low gears. I think it's the lack of vertical trees and the straight constant incline. Sometimes a slight reduction in the incline looks like a downhill and I've even started to rest a little, expecting to coast. Rapidly slowing speed usually rapidly corrects my assessment and I disappointingly start pedaling again.

Here in Utah, between Halfway pass and Wah Wah pass I found the most extreme example yet of what has become my image of cycling in Nevada. Climb a pass, take a break and then down the other side to a treeless valley below. Today, with thunderstorms threatening I rode across not only a treeless land but devoid of bushes higher than a foot, and all perfectly flat against a range of rugged mountains. I saw a couple structures way off in the distance, barely visible. Otherwise, except for a lone antelope the land looks vacant, empty, stunning, dangerous..

Finally, at the top of Wah Wah I had to decide whether to camp or not. It was about 2pm but the wind is at my back and the temperature while cold was not uncomfortable. I decided to push on for Milford, about 30 more miles and one more pass, which should probably take me about 3 hours. As I start down the steep descent toward Milford I can see the road stretching off across the valley below toward Frisco pass. But, the climb up Frisco pass is very long and steep. I don't reach the top until about 4:30 when start down.

The map shows Milford as downhill from Frisco summit although the profile hides a few ups and downs. And, even worse the wind started blowing in at me from the left front instead of the left rear. The cross currents created by the rare passing trucks were pretty vicious and I didn't get the easy coasting ride into town I had hoped for. By the time I climbed Frisco pass and descended to Milford it was getting late in the day, a cold windy day.

I went to the Lions Club RV park but it wasn't opened yet. I suppose I could have camped but the restrooms were locked up and no water available. Besides I was cold and tired so I again splurged on a motel. I found a motel in the old downtown part of town, not far from the railroad station. This time, fortunately there is some competition so I only had to pay $40 for a big room that accepts my bike instead of $55 for a room about the size of my bed and that didn't allow bikes in the room.

The route changes from US 50 to Nevada 487 just before Baker. At Garrison the route changes to Utah 21. Both highways have no shoulder but very little traffic. I would often go 1/2 hour without any car or truck at all. I was passed by the occasional RV, motorcycle, truck, and ranch pickup.

The motel has an attached restaurant which was very nice because the other restaurants I had passed that were still open were pretty far up the hill I had come down. While sitting waiting for some Chinese food here in rural Utah (no surprise here) who should walk in, Jean-Paul. Jean-Paul found the same motel but got here about 2 hours before me and had a nice nap. I was glad to see Jean-Paul again, looking forward to another dinner of cycling war stories, politics, and good passable food.

May 22, → Cedar City UT, 57.6 miles, Avg=9.7mph

A relative easy day, I only had one pass to climb and it wasn't hard. However, it was very cold and blustery. At the top of the pass it was actually snowing, but not enough to stick; the snow melted as soon as it hit the ground. By the time I reached the summit I had put on all my clothes, wind breaker vest, insulated vest, rain jacket, rain pants, glove liner, rain gloves, etc. I was warm and toasty except for my feet. I had to stop once in awhile to walk around and get my feet warmed up.

It's rained off and on all day today, blustery winds from the North. Until I was about 5 miles from town there was very little traffic, no shoulder. Despite the rain, the cycling is pretty. No steep climbing, just cycling.

I got to Cedar City about 1pm, cold and a little tired from yesterday, eager to find a dry place to stay but hoping to save some money by camping. I passed the first RV park and pedaled on to the KOA. The KOA seemed expensive so I pushed on into town looking for the Red Ledge RV park. Unfortunately, it turns out that the Red Ledge RV park is in another city. I'll need to send in a correction postcard when I can get a chance. Not finding the Red Ledge I cycled back to the KOA. The KOA is outrageously expensive, I'm paying $27.95 for a small tent site. The KOA does offer free internet access so I'll be able to snuggle up in my tent and catch up. Nevertheless, I feel a little foolish. I should have pedaled on into town, I bet I could have found a cheap motel for $40-45. I would be worth the little extra cost to have a dry tent in the morning. On the bright side, the sun came out a little which added some much needed cheer to my little campsite. Another plus, there's a theater within walking distance so maybe a movie this afternoon.

Tomorrow I have a big climb, I think the biggest of the trip although not to the largest altitude. but I need to check the map. About 4500 feet.

May 23, → Cedar Canyon campground UT, 13.3 miles, Avg=4.25mph

The morning was damp and cold, not rain but wet and miserable looking outside, so I lay in bed, called my wife, snacked,and did some email. I decided to go only as far as the first campground, about 13 miles, instead of going to Panguitch all in one day. I'm very glad I did. In fact, especially for this part of the trip in south Utah I think I'll take it slowly and enjoy the amazing scenery.

Straight out of Cedar City, with no mini marts or fast food places to detain me, I started climbing. At first the climbing was pretty easy but within a few miles the road became very steep. For most the the 13 miles the grade reaches 6-8%. It started to snow about 3 miles from the campground, slight at first but then a heavy wind blowing snow right into my face. My clothes kept me reasonably warm but the snow hitting my face was chilling the rest of me down. I also needed to stop for some food and rest.

I especially needed a rest from the traffic. It's a Friday before Memorial Day weekend and the RV traffic was heavy. This is the first day I've encountered mean drivers who seemed unwilling to slow down to even the speed limit as they passed me. My closest near miss was on a section with a passing lane. A high speed RV driver wouldn't move to the other lane because someone was passing him, and wouldn't slow for me. Several other drivers wouldn't slow their arrival to their campground by even 10 seconds to slow down and get around me safely. The road has a very small or no shoulder for most of the way. It was nerve racking and dangerous, easily the worst cycling day of my trip so far. I'll have to be careful for the rest of the weekend.

Just when I needed it the most, I came across a Mountain Center of the University of South Utah. It was closed but I figured they wouldn't mind if I borrowed their pavilion to get out of the snow. I ended up getting my pad out, settling down with my book and getting a nice nap. It was warm and cozy in my little pavilian watching the snow drifting outside. When I woke up the sun was shinning and it was 4:30pm.

I got back on the road again and in about an hour found the Cedar Canyon campground. The campground has much more snow than down lower in the canyon, some areas had over 3 inches of snow. I think most of the snow was left over from earlier because the road and parking areas and sun exposed regions had no snow. I set up my tent on the asphalt parking area for a camp site, hurriedly cooked my dinner as it looked ready to start raining/snowing again and then got in the tent.

Tonight promises to be a long night with my summer weight bag just not up to these conditions. I put on both my shirts, leg and arm warmers, kept my insulated vest to cover my hips and upper leg inside my bag. Despite the cold, I like this camp best of all so far. There's something about these high green and watered islands in a dry land of sandstone and sand that never fails to charm me. I continually expect to see Coronado or Father Escalante striding out of the trees asking directions.

 

 

 

May 24, → Cedar Canyon campground UT, 0 miles

Enforced rest day. I woke up to a light covering of snow on my tent, bicycle,everywhere, with more snow coming down. I decided to wait for the snow to stop. The snow and rain fell off and on all day. Since I had enough food and a new book I decided to take a rest day. The tent did get smaller and smaller as the day wore on. I spent some time wandering up and down the campground which I only shared with a camp host. In the late afternoon a foursome of motorcycle drivers came in to camp not far up the road. I meandered up to visit. They were friends from Phoenix on a week long trip they take very year together. What a great thing, yearly adventures with long time friends, they had been together as friends since high school.

I find the gear differences between bicyclist and motorcyclist amusing. Motorcyclists clearly derive their gear choices from car camping: air matress, big square sleeping pads, plastic sheets for ground cloths, etc. Bicyclist seem to derive their gear from backpacking: mummy style sleeping bags, thermarest pads, small tents. I'm sure the choices depend greatly on weight and compactness considerations, but not completely.

I heard later that Jean-Paul was caught in this same snow storm, higher up at the next campground. I'll call him lucky Jean from now on, he met some nice vacationners with an RV and room to give him a ride. I call him lucky Jean because in a similar situation, a few years earlier, what I got was a cowboy with a horse trailer. I got to ride in the trailer! Later, when I got on top I could see that the snowing was even heavier than at my camp.

May 25, → Lake Panguitch campground, 30.3 miles, Avg=7.2mph

It was still snowing a little this morning, and very cold. So, I lay in my sleeping bag for a while. Finally, needing food, I packed my stuff in the tent first, I then started loading my bike. I had just emptied the tent when it started to snow so I jumped inside for a little longer. I sat there for a while, waiting for it to stop, thinking about the big breakfast of Hostess donuts I would have at the next convenience store.

Finally, the snowing stopped and I ventured out again about 9:30am. Hwy 14 climbs very steeply for 5 miles to the 9910 foot summit. People have told me it has grades up to 14% but the highway signs only warn of 6-8%. Whatever the grade, I couldn't pedal some at a fast enough rpm so I had to push. It was tiring work, and slow. A cold wind blew alternately in my face or from the side. I was wearing my windbreaker vest, insulated vest, rain jacket, rain pants, leg warmers, arm warmers, glove liners, and rain mittens. Once in a while the sun would shine and my outfit would turn into a sauna, then a cloud would cover the sun again and I'd start to freeze. It seemed impossible to find a good solution.

I reached Cedar Breaks National Monument just past the summit and paid my $4 to have a look. It's beautiful, highly eroded cliffs with white sandstone bands alternating with red. On the breaks above the cliffs the land is covered with aspen (not with leaves yet) and pine and snow.

At the Monument I wanted to charge my camera batteries. I first asked at the visitor center and was, to my surprise, denied. I explained to the clerk that I was bicycle touring and had a hard time keeping my batteries charged and needed to charge my batteries so I could take some pictures. He just looked at me with a blank stare and tried to change the topic to my tour. I looked back at him with a blank stare for a moment and then left. I next went back to the ticket booth where I had purchased my tickets. The attendant also denied me, explaining that since 9/11 that office of homeland security forbids any federal building letting people plug their electronic equipment into sockets. I suppose my camera could be a bomb but I wonder what terrorists plan to attack the ticket booth at the Cedar Breaks National Monument! By warming up my camera inside my clothes I managed to take a few pictures.

From the visitor center one has a few miles of rolling hills before starting downhill to Panguitch Lake. The ups and downs are very steep; I had to push a couple of times. Finally, I started the long long downhill ride to Panguitch Lake. It went very fast, with only a couple hills. The ride is very beautiful with lots of good wild camping options if one has water. Actually, the snow has put water all around this normally dry lad but I need the food at Panguitch Lake before I settle down for the night. Along the way the road passes thorough an area of relatively recent lava flows. The bands of old lava with very little plant life yet established are clearly visible from the road.

 

 

The USFS campgrounds at Panguitch Lake are quite nice, mine has a very nice view of the lake and a comfy flat place for my tent. Just east 1/4 mile is the "Burger Barn" and next to it a small store. The Burger Barn has very good burgers and shakes, but nicest of all they have a free WiFi service. It's the best example so far of the ubiquitous availability of WiFi. I've found it at campgrounds, most all motels, many restaurants, the odd Chamber of Commerce and most libraries. So, I sat outside in the alternately cold wind or hot sun munching on hamburgers, fries, milkshake, and caught up on my email. Even better, the Burger Barn owners let me charge my equipment from their sockets, apparently unaware of the risk they were taking by letting me plug my electronic equipment to their electrical grid. I suppose I should put them in touch with Homeland Security.

I found a group of cyclists at the campground. They have paid for a supported cycle trip in southern Utah and the Grand Canyon area. I met a few, briefly, as they slowed to pass me on the road. They were full of smiles, energy, and speed and seemed to not know quite what to do with this old derelict cycle tourist they found on the road.

May 26, → Panguitch UT, 20.3 miles, Avg=13.5mph

I woke up about 6am to a cold windy morning, snow flurries gusting against the wall of my tent. I used the snow as an excuse to lay in my bag until about 8am, trying to stay warm. It snowed off and on all morning as I slowly got ready and eventually started off in a heavy snow, beginning to accumulate on the ground. I spent a little more time huddled under a tree waiting for the snow tolet up a little. Eventually, I was on my way to the highway, where I crossed the street and into the convenience store seeking some warmth and an escape for the again increasing snow. Amazingly the store had a fireplace and a round table where people could gather to eat and drink coffee from the machine. Some cyclists from the catered van-supported adventure tour were already there trying to stay warm and decide what to do for the day. They were not well prepared for these conditions. I was better prepared but that didn't make me want to ride in the snow anymore than they did.

Riding to Panguitch I encountered snow, then clear, then snow, then clear, ... . In the clear the sun was hot making me too warm, in the snow I'm just a bit chilly. It's mostly downhill to Panguitch, hence the great average speed. In Panguitch I stopped for a lunch about 12:30pm, got to talking to some people about the bike and my trip and it was nearly 3pm by the time I started thinking about leaving. So, a motel tonight. Yippee. Panguitch is a cute little town with some old store fronts and a couple tourist shops with jewelry etc. Main street looks like it's perpetually ready for a fourth of July parade.

At the motel I got to talking with a cowboy here with his family. He lives about 50 miles away and is here for the weekend so his son can rodeo. His son won first place and so now get's to go to the nationals where he could win as much as $170,000. Pretty impressive. The cowboy had evidently seen some rodeo action for himself in the past. His upper lip was no longer bruised but appeared to have had some reconstructive surgery and his top front teeth looked like implants. He was staying in one small motel room with his wife, mother-in-law, and two children. It seems that rodeo provides the same lure for rural ranch children that pro sports provides for poor urban children. Making it big seems to equate to winning a big prize in rodeo and using that money to get started on a life. I don't guess these kind of prospects provide many success stories or work well for girls. Still, it was fun chatting with Bob, in his cowboy hat, boots, and big ol truck with steaks cooking on the tailgate grill.

May 27, → Red Canyon campground UT, 12.7 miles, Avg=7.3mph

I left the motel about 8am on a clear cold morning. The cycling started out easy and got even easier when I quit 13 miles later at Red Canyon. Red Canyon is a very pretty introduction to Bryce Canyon, without the entrance fees.

About 4 km past the junction of Hwy 89 and 12 they have made a bike path through the canyon. The path is very well paved, even having a dashed line down the middle to separate traffic. About a mile past the start of the bike path I found a very nice little campground, warm showers, shady trees, and sandy place for my sleeping pad. I decided to follow my wife's advice to do some hiking, so I quit for the day and took a hike instead. I hiked up the Gold Wall and Castle Bridge trails, came back on the Buckhorn trail to make a loop. It's very beautiful with plenty of sandstone walls and precariously balanced boulders, with green pine and blue sky to emphasize the red soil. I stubbed my toe on the hike, it's black and blue and hurts pretty badly but not when I pedal.

I decided to ride a few miles back to the junction of 89 and 12 to eat at the restaurant/motel "Harold's Place". As I sat down I asked if I could plug in my computer and was shocked to hear the waitress say "NO". I explained how it was difficult for me to keep my laptop charged up because I'm cycling cross country, the waitress still refused. She told me they don't let customers plug anything into their outlets. I told her that for over a thousand miles I, like Blanch, had been depending on the "kindness of strangers" and that this is the first time anyone had refused me. She still refused, just grinning and giving a little chuckle. Maybe she recognized the line from A Streetcar Named Desire, but it seemsunlikely. More likely she didn't know how to respond, hence the chuckle. So, I gathered up my helmet and left, telling her I was very disappointed at the "mean and stingy" policy at Harold's Place and assured her I would spread the word among other travelers about the welcome available at Harold's Place. So, if you're ever at Harold's Place at the intersection of US 89 and 12 then I hope you take your business somewhere else.

Of course, the claim that this is the first refusal is not quite correct, but it is the first refusal from a private institution. I can understand how the Federal Government can impose silly rules because it can't cope well with variation across the organization, but a small enterprise like a restaurant/motel. It just seems gratuitous.

In the early evening a commercial supported cycle tour group pulled in to camp across the road. Soon after others arrived bright colored tents started sprouting up one by one as cyclists slowly pulled in for their days ride. I stopped by for a short chat and manage to freeload some egg rolls the support team had prepared as appetizers. I thoroughly enjoyed my unsought and unexpected treat. Especially nice as after hautily stormed out of Harold's Place I didn't have all that much to eat!

 

May 28, → 10Km past Henrieville UT, 36,25 miles, Avg=9.2mph

It was cold this morning again so I stayed in bed for awhile and didn't get going until about 8am. I eventually did get up and packed, still beating an supported cycle group camped across the road. The bike path has a nice gentle slope until you get close to the top when it winds away from the highway and contains a few short steep sections. It was very pretty with ponderosa pine mixed with sage and pinion setting off the red cliffs.

I passed two cycle touring groups today. Well, to be more truthful, a group passed me on the Red Canyon bike path and I saw another group heading west after I merged back with highway 12. Neither group wanted to stop to chat. The group passing me on the bike path did so while I was stopped to take a picture, they just said hi and kept pedaling. When I saw the other group heading west I stopped pedaling, expecting them to do the same, but they just said hi and kept on. It surprised me, in the past every cycle tourist I've met stopped to chat. Sort of like I imagine mountain men meeting in the Rockies. We would stop to find out where we've come from, where we're going, where's good places to stay, where we lived, etc. I have seen lots of cyclists here so maybe the popularity of this area makes meeting other cyclists less rare and so less interesting.

Not far before Cannonville I came across a trail to Mossy Cave and some falls. With my new attitude about slowing down and taking hikes I stopped to check it out. While getting my sandals on and out of my helmet several people came up to talk. A Swiss/American couple that have been living in Italy for 50 years, an Italian couple and a couple from Germany. The Europeans in general are crazy about bikes and are used to seeing european cycle tourist. They seemed surprised to see an American cycle tourist, and immediately noticed my patches showing the countries in which I've traveled. The Italian couple have some specially rigged out Toyota Landcruiser they seem to have brought with them from Italy. I didn't notice the license but it had lots of Italian and European stickers on it suggesting it has been on many adventures of its own. I wonder if the landcruiser and Roadboy exchanged laments while I was off hiking. It also seems that most of the tourist in this area, at least the ones I meet, are foreign. Of course Europeans, but also Chinese and Japanese abound. With the weak dollar it seems that many are taking advantage of the sale going on for US tourism.

In Cannonville I stopped for some food and a burger at the restaurant. Fortunately, this restaurant didn't mind me plugging in my laptop. They even had an unsecured wifi network available so I caught up on my email while I ate. I bought some green peppers, onions, tuna, and ramen for dinner tonight. Along with assorted snacks.

I pedaled on to Henrieville where I got some lemonade from a little girl selling cups for 25 cents by the road. I wondered at the danger since I didn't see her mother close by. Maybe she was inside watching through the window, maybe I'm excessively anxious, but I would be afraid to leave a little girl selling lemonade unattended by a busy highway. Henrieville has a little store with basic supplies. I loaded up with juice and snack, along with some chile for dinner.

From Henrieville I started climbing up toward the Escalante Staircase National Monument, looking for a camping spot. About 10 Km later I found a very nice place, cliffs on one side, a little stream on the other. I got there about 4pm, napped and read for a couple of hours and then dinner. Just about a perfect day of cycle touring. Not hot, clear, dry, unbelievable scenery. I might just turn around before I get to Colorado and do it again. Just do it again!

I've driven this road before, on my way to the Escalante canyon for backpacking. I've loved it for years but it's even better by bicycle.

Tomorrow I have just a little more climbing then down to Escalante. From there I start the second really big climb in Utah, up on another higher section of the Escalante Staircase Nat Monument. From the low point on the Escalante river to the top looks like about 4000 feet.

May 29, → Calf Creek campground UT, 40.2 miles, Avg=9.9mph

I woke up to a crisp clear day, again, and got off about 8am, but not before snapping a picture through my front door. Another clear blue day on red, yellow, and white sandstone. Hwy 12 follows a little stream up a yellow sandstone canyon gradually becoming steeper and steeper. After a few miles we crossed over to another gray sandstone canyon with a very very steep climb near the top. I had to push.

 

 

At the top we have a nice view of a multihued landscape with white and red cliffs leading off to Escalante. The downhill run to Escalante is almost all downhill and mostly not steep. With a good breeze at my back it was nearly perfect for making good time over a long distance, maybe 15 miles. I was slowed by stopping to take quite a few pictures and met two cycle tourists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I first me Camilla, a French cyclist who had heard of me from Jean-Paul. We had a nice long chat about our routes and recumbent bikes and the evils of RV's and the people who drive them and the color of the Utah sky. He told me that in Iowa a policeman had stopped him and tried to get him to ride on a shoulder that was all gravel or to ride toward the oncoming traffic, on the left side of the road. Both incredibly stupid pieces of advice. Some analysis of traffic accidents between cars and bikes showed riding the wrong direction as one of the most common contributors. Camilla sensibly refused to follow his instructions and still somehow didn't get a ticket. I suppose the officer on reflection decided he was not thinking very clearly. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only misfortune to attend Camilla's trip. He arrived in Chicago and stayed there a week or so. One day he rode his bike to the museum of art and came out a few hours later to find his lock broken and the bike gone. Alas, it was an expensive high quality touring bike. He had to settle for a department store special bike as a replacement.

Next I met Pipa (Phillipa), a local from Utah doing a five day tour of south Utah. She was on her second day and full of energy. We also had time to talk about traffic, cars, RVs, camping, and bicycles. I liked her spartan approach for dinners. She doesn't carry any stove or cook gear, she eats sandwiches for dinner when she's away from a town.

I had a nice chat with my wife in Escalante, along with a big lunch. I took off toward Boulder, not really decided on whether I would make it that far or not. The road rises as it leaves Escalante, gradually becoming steeper until at the end it's very steep, again to hard for me so I had to push. I've found that few people continue past Escalante so I've had little competition from cars for the pavement.

 

 

 

 

At the summit I started the very very steep downhill drop to the Escalante river. It's really steep and I was worried about overheating my brakes so I took it very slowly. As you drop into this steep canyon you can see the look forward to the cool ribbon of green at the bottom. Finally, at the bottom I had some flat cycling for a couple miles and just before starting the steep climb up out of the canyon I found Calf Creek Campground. A small USFS campground with just one spot left. My shoe needed some repair work so I decided to call it a day even though my food supply was fairly slim.

 

 

While I was waiting for the sun to go down a couple guys asked if they could share my site. A German named Stefan and a Brazilian named Jose turned out to be very nice guys and we had a great evening together talking of this and that. At 11:30pm it's well past my bedtime but it was nice to have some conversation for a change. I suppose they wonder about this old guy who talks nonstop about everything from the Custer battlefield to how to raise children. We exchanged email addresses, who knows we may meet again. One of the best benefits for me was their sharing their dinner with me. I offered pot luck. Let's see, I had some ramen with a can of tuna, they declined. They had dried edamame appetizers, sauteed vegetables, a lovely stew with a zesty sausage, and nice apple crisp for dessert. I enjoyed a European camp dinner in the wilds of Utah.

 

May 30, → near top of Boulder Mtn UT, 23.4 miles, Avg=5.1mph

I got on the road about 7:45am to tackle the very steep climb out of the Escalante canyon complex. It was very steep so I had to push for a while, but at least most of it was in the shade. I did have a nice view back at the camp, still resting in the shade of the canyon walls, waiting for the warming sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just about the top of the canyon one enters the notorious "Hogback". It's a road right along the ridge top, hacked out during the 30's by the CCC. The guide book describes it as narrow, curvy, no shoulder, no barriers, and steep drop offs on both sides. It was narrow, curvy, no shoulder, no barriers, and steep drop offs that for a mile maybe, but after that it widened out to become just another desert road. Just before the hogback I stopped for a scenic view and spent some time talking to four retired ladies who travel together every year. It was really charming to think of them traveling together, picking a different place every year. They were, of course, curious about the bike and my trip.

Some staircase type terrain with short steep sections broken up by flat sections takes quite a bit of time and slows me down, but I still made it into Boulder by about 10:30am. I passed the only two restaurants because I thought the town was a little further on, so I had to backtrack to get a prepared meal. I ate at the lodge and paid with tip over $18 for French toast and a link of Buffalo sausage. It was very good, in nice surroundings but much more expensive than I prefer to spend. They did have a WiFi available so I was able to do some emailing and let my wife know where I was. They let me plug my computer into the wall, by the way. That still bothers me, I should move on.

 

They have a state park for Anazazi culture in Boulder with a nice shady lawn, so I stopped for a nice long rest and nap. A couple from Seattle came over to offer me some cashews which I readily accepted, and stayed to chat about Roadboy and my trip.

Finally, loaded with water and food I started out again about 1:30pm. The road climbs steeply up Boulder Mountain, with a few small flat spots to break up the effort. Some sections were too steep for me so I had to push.

While taking a rest break a young couple, Courtney and Daren, overtook me so we had a nice chat. They had come all the way from Escalante today but were holding up pretty well. We took off together but they were faster than me so soon were gone. I saw them again when they stopped for a rest at the trailhead for Chris Lake.

I decided to camp at the rest spot, probably about 5 miles from the Homestead Lookout at the summit, Courtney and Daren decided to push on to the campgrounds about 10 miles further on. This is a nice place to camp, it has an outhouse and signs tha others have camped here before. It's not as private as I might like because people come to hike the trail, but so far it's nice with a great view.

While waiting for nightfall another cyclist, Mike, came by. I had heard about Mike from Courtney and Brian. He's just retired after 23 years in the Air Force and taking this trip to celebrate and get back in shape. Evidently he had started out way over loaded, sending 80lbs home, including his BOB trailer. He's got some camping equipment but not a tent so tries to find motels. He did have a high tech bike computer from Garmin that sends his location by satilite to a web site where he can see his route. It also keeps cadence and counts calories and shows the altitude. I don't think it cooks breakfast in the morning. However, it evidently can only go about 14 hours on a charge so if he camps much he would have some real problems keeping it running.

Mike is another one of those characters you meet on the road. Mike said he was about 80 lbs overweight, he looked it, but had not yet lost any weight. He also had a unique way to protect himself from the sun; Mike wears cotton gloves, long sleeves and long pants. I wear long sleeve shirts but I draw the line at long pants and gloves. But, Mike has a good attitude and shinny personality. Better, he's having fun.

May 31, → Capital Reef Nat Park campground UT, 46.5 miles, Avg=9.75mph

I over slept a little so didn't get off until about 7:15am this morning. Climbing Boulder Mountain was a difficult climb to the top about 4 miles away, but the air was cool and the views tremendous. The top of Boulder Mtn is covered with aspen trees but the base has pine trees, so as you climb up and later go down you pass through wonderful transistion zones of mixed pine and aspen. There are plenty of opportunities for wild camping and if one brings a filter there is plenty of water on the mountain. The traffic is light and courteous, only a few RVs.

From the top I started a very long, sometimes steep downhill road to Torrey. I kept finding places to stop for pictures and people to talk to so I didn't get to Torrey until noon. Along the way down I met Marten from Switzerland (heartacrossamerica.ch) who is cycling from NY to LA. He's come this far in only 30 days so he's making really good time. He was planning to continue south through Las Vegas but I suggested he consider the western express route to SF then the coast to LA. I left my sections 1 and 2 maps with him since I won't need them anymore. Martin possesses one of the exuberant personalities that attracts instant friends and fills the space with energy. He had a heart attack a little while ago, too young a man for a heart attack, but he turned it into a source of energy to ride his bike across America, keeping a great journal as he went.

At the Boulder Mtn information center I ran into Courtney and Daren, they had spent the night near the parking lot, it was about 9:30am. I chatted with them and the office host who had provided us with some biscuits and jam. Later, while I was chatting with some motorbikers at an overlook they passed me, I caught them again at Torrey.

 

 

I had a good lunch with a milk shake in Torrey then started down to Capital Reef Nat Park. It's almost all downhill but getting hotter as I descend.

Capitol Reef National Park campground provides a nice shady place in an otherwise arid hot canyon. The campground has showers and water, nice grassy spots for tents, but does fill up pretty early. The RV sites have the best access and tables, they go fast. The walk in tent sites don't have tables and are sort of removed from the rest of the area, and they cost the same amount. So, I took one of the last RV sites. Tonight, is the first time on this trip I have not slept bundled up with most of my clothes. I am just wearing one shirt, my shorts, no vest, no socks, no hat. It feels like I'm getting a warm night for the first time since I started this trip.

Tomorrow I continue down to Hanksville so I expect it will just get hotter.

June 1, → Hanksville UT, 42.2 miles, Avg=10.1mph

Finally an early start. I got up at 5am, on the road by 5:30am, determined to beat the heat. What a contrast to my routine just a week ago, then it was dominated by cold nights and frosty risings. It was cool, I wore my insulated vest and leg warmers. The route is mostly downhill easy riding through some pretty spectacular country with few cars to compete for the road. Hwy 12 follows the Fremont River through spectacular canyon with walls of pale white, vivid red and almost purple sandstone. Along the way are some historical sites including pictographs and old school houses from the Mormon settlers.

In the midmorning shadows I snapped a picture of the almost everpresent symbol of modernity, the condensation trail from a big ol jetliner. Right now though, I was on a bicycle starting out into another day of desert and pavement.

I stopped at the old school house on the way out. It had a picture of the students of the school in 1918. This was a very small community that had no all season road connection until the 1930's. They had a little one room school house with a student population between 10 and 20 until about 1941 when it closed for lack of students. What struck me about the picture was the wide variety of expressions on the children's faces, ages that seemed to range from 8 or 9 to maybe 18. Some had placid expressions, but most looked pained in some way. Some seemed fearful, some aggressive, others stupefied. It was disturbing at several levels. Those faces stuck with me for several days, making me wonder what life must have been like so isolated and alone in a remote harsh place, dependent and squabling with a small collection of other similarly fated people.

After about 10 miles the canyon opens up with wider views of the mesa's in the area. Much of the later half of the day's riding was through an interesting muddy colored land of soft highly eroded sandstone. At one place the road goes close to cliffs of finely layered stone each layer from an 1/8 of an inch to maybe up to an inch thick, alternating between white, various shades of red and muddy colors.

 

Just outside of Caineville I came across Mesa Market an organic bakery and coffee shop run by Randy. Mesa Market is one of those places you can find out here in the west, a kind of hideout for hippies growing organic food and serving it with the old time religion of drop out, tune in, turn on. I had a great melon smoothie, a cinnamon bun, and got loaf of bread. I enjoyed the treats and the nostalgia.

I was curious to see Hanksville. The information clerk in Torrey painted a very bleak picture of Hanksville, claiming that if one built a new home there they would need to bring in some junk for the front yard so they wouldn't stand out from the other homes. The people at Mesa Market were also very negative about Hanksville, it seems they have a cultural clash of some sort going on. I expect the miners, loggers, and motor boat drivers in Hanksville don't appreciate Mesa Market quite so much. So far Hanksville seems OK. The market is closed on Sundays, which is inconvenient but I'm used to eating out of conveniences stores. I have to say that Hanksville is hot and dusty, without much to recommend it. They do have a gas station in which the office and convenience store are built into the side of a cliff. It's naturally cool inside. The Best Value Motel charged me $70 per night for a very mediocre room with WiFi. The other motel at the east end of town charges $50 per night but no WiFi, the campground is pretty bleak.

In Hanksville I ran into Mike again. He stayed an extra night in Hanksville to get some rest, but plans to leave tomorrow for the Colorado river. Because he has sent much of his camping gear home this next couple days could be rather hard for Mike. They don't have any motels at the Colorado crossing. He plans to go from the Colorado river all the way to Blanding the next day, in order to get to a motel. I hope he does OK, I'm a little worried about him. He's not in the best shape and it doesn't seem he likes early starts to beat the heat. I hope he manages his water well, it's no country for old men.

I ate dinner at the burger spot at the Chevron station. The most common customer appears to be boaters from Lake Powell about 50 miles away. It seems that most of these people don't believe the warnings about sun damage. Lots of young and old people driving up in big trucks pulling big boats and sporting sun burns or heavily tanned skin. Evidently a person doesn't burn many calories boating on Lake Powell, as demonstrated by the rather high obesity problem among boaters.

It's very hot outside, evidently in the low 90's, with a strong dry wind blowing up dust and the occasional tumbleweed. I've set the alarm and intend to get an early start tomorrow, loaded with juice and poweraid.

June 2, → Hite UT, 53.7 miles, Avg=9.2mph

This was a harder day than expected. I left about 5:45am to beat the heat. I really love riding in the morning after a cool night. The air is fresh and cool, the shadows long and dramatic. It's also a nice time to take a picture of a recumbent driver's silhoutte. The first half of the route has rolling hills as Hwy 95 gently climbs up to the top of North Wash, crossing small washes and gulches along the way, in the distance mesas and buttes in tints of yellow and tan. This stretch has no trees or shade, when the sun did get up it got pretty hot pretty quick. About 9am a head wind picked up that robbed some of the fun out of the downhill sections.

As I dropped down North Wash toward the Colorado the canyon falls through layer after layer of sandstone: from the pale rose color at the top, down through the wine red of the Kayenta layer to the deep pink of the Wingate layer. There are other layers that give the canyons a lovely set of complicated colors. It reminds me a lot of hiking down the Escalante. It would be easier to enjoy the view if I wasn't fighting a persistent hot wind blowing up the canyon from the lake below. There are lots of box canyons on the side, some with the cool alcove type caves I've found in Escalante that stay cool all day long.

 

The stream in North Wash comes and goes, sometimes there sometimes not, getting it's biggest boost at Hog Springs. Hog Springs has several lunch tables, a rest room, and water in the stream if you have a water filter. The stream lasted for a couple miles before dissappearing in the heat and the sand and the wind.

The traffic is quite light, an occasional RV or truck with boat in tow, some tourists. Motorcycle drivers have thinned out.

 

Not long after Hog Springs the canyon floor opens up so it's less interesting. Alas, just before the Hite overlook the road climbs back up to the top of the Kayenta layer through a series of very steep inclines. Hite overlook has a nice view of Lake Powel, muddy and low because of draught. You can see the Hite center on the other side, high above the water level now, just barely visible in the picture. It looks close but it took me nearly an hour of hard cycling to get there. The road goes down to the Dirty Devil river, then up, then down to the Colorado, then up steeply for about a mile before getting to the turnoff for Hite where you again head down hill.

 

 

While heading for the Colorado river bridge I found a National Park campground with lots of sites but no amenities beyond an outhouse. No water or shade but it did have plenty of sun and sand.

 

 

 

Fortunately the Hite store was open. Mike had told me he thought the store closed at 2pm so I had kinda hurried during the day. However, I didn't make it to Hite until nearly 3pm, hot and thirsty. It was a great relief to find it open, open to 4 as a matter of fact. As the day had heated up and my water had gotten hotter and less pleasant to drink I had begun to really count on the Hite store. It was so just dandy to get some cold drinks and an ice creme sandwich, all enjoyed sitting in their air conditioned oasis from the 100 degree heat outside.

I broke another cleat today. The replacement cleat has the same problem on the right shoe that I had on the left shoe, it would disengage while climbing hills and pulling back on the pedal. I could only get about 3-4 strokes before it would disengage. I limped into the Hite and added a shim under the spring like I did for the other shoe, which seemed to fix the problem.

Mike rolled in about an hour after I arrived, doing pretty well, wearing his bicycle gloves stuffed in his helmet to protect his ears from the sun, which strangely matched the full finger gloves he wore on his hands to protect them from the sun, along with his long sleeve shirt. Over the years I've noticed several people puzzled by my use of long sleeve shirts in the hot desert, I expect Mike get's they puzzled enquires double time. I also found out more about the 80 lbs of stuff he sent back. He had a 17" laptop, a tent big enough for him AND his bicycle, a floor pump for his bicycle, and God knows what else.

I'm determined to leave early again tomorrow, he's thinking about the advantages. I wonder if either of us will wake up early as we're both pretty tired. But, tired or not, the evening light over the cooling desert made me appreciate another day.

 

 

 

 

 

There's a campground at Hite but Mike and I decided to spend the night in the little rest area, it has a nice table and relatively sand free, and a great view.

 

June 3, → Natural Bridges Nat Mon UT, Km 83.91, Avg 11.6 kph

I got off by 4:30am today, determined to get in as many miles as possible before the temperature rises too high. It was dark so for the first few miles I was riding in the dark using my headlamp. I managed to cover10 miles and all of steep climbing for the day before I got any direct sunlight.

The first few miles were very steep climbing up out of the Colorado canyon then up through the thick deep red layer. Then the road drops down to a thick pink sandstone layer that forms a wide bench above the White river in the canyon below. In the middle of this flat area the White river has carved a narrow deep canyon. The layer slowly rises toward the east so the rest of the day was a pretty steady monotous climbing, mile after mile, up out of the Colorado river basin. But, the walls on the valley edge and the intermittent views of White Canyon made for some beautiful views. I frequently stopped to attempt a picture showing the narrow canyon with the road on a pink bench above. Most failed to show both the canyon and the bench, I think I would need an helicoptor to capture it.

As I climbed I came across a small memorial to some cavalry men who were killed by Navajo in the mid 1800's. It seems a small party of cavalry men and a guide had for several days followed some Navajo who had stolen horses, followed them up the White Canyon. Along the way, in a dry lonely spot the Navajo had turned and ambushed the cavalry group. I suppose these small dramas played out in similarly lonely places, both sides in this war of civilization dying and winning as fate determined. I was mostly surprised that cavalry would engage in this effort for a few horses and that they expected the outcome to be anything else but an ambush. Now to me, itseems such an obvious waste to chase after a few horses and so obvious they would be ambushed, yet to those cavalry the outcome was not obvious and worth the risk. What did they understand that I do not see? I don't know, but today this place remains an odd monument to hubris and tragedy.

It wasn't as hot today, probably because it cooled as I gained altitude. It was hot and sweaty in the sun. I got to the campground about 12:30pm.

Mike came in about an hour later. He claims to have left about two hours after I left, a claim I'm not fully prepared to believe given his overweight and lack of conditioning. However, he's doing well and looking fit so I'm taking him off my worry list. Besides, I need more time to worry about myself.

Later, while waiting for the sun to go down Will from Conneticut rolled in. The campground was filled up but the ranger told him about us, so we have three for dinner tonight. Will's on his way from San Francisco to Florida,he's an aspiring writer and day job bartender. Will loves Scotch, knows a lot about Scotch, but alas doesn't actually have any Scotch with him right now. Will is one of those romantic searchers I find on the road from time to time. He's young, not yet chastened by disappoitment, full of life and excitement for the future.

This was the most company I've had for an evening since I started the trip so I was pleased to stay up talking into the night. We had much to share, from the hippies at Mesa Market to the cowboy rednecks at Hanksville, the difficult climb up from Cedar City and the Escalante Grand Staircase so many miles ago.

 

June 4, → Monticello UT, 62.3 miles, Avg=8.3mph

The weather forecast at the visitor station predicted high of 72, overcast skies and chance of showers. So, I relaxed a little in the morning and left about 6:30am. It took 30 minutes to climb back to the highway 95. From there the road climbs up to a shallow pass about 7000 feet, then starts the long steep descent into Comb Wash.

Comb Wash has a broad floodplain at the bottom with some nice unofficial camping places off the road. At the top of the canyon wall looking out over Comb Wash you can see the road rising steeply up the other side with a dramatic cut in the canyon wall at the top through which the road goes. It looks daunting but turned out not so bad when I actually cycled up.

 

 

 

A few miles further the road descends Cottonwood Canyon and then climbs steeply up the other side. This was the steepest most difficult part of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike caught me coming up out of Cottonwood Canyon. I stopped for a snack and found a place in the shade where I could look back on the road as it descended the canyon and climbed the other side. While he descended I went back to my bike and started out again. I was curious to see if he would catch me. Afterall, he's 80 lbs overweight and even though I'm not a very competitive person I still felt a little challenged to stay ahead. Alas, I could see Mike slowly gaining after each little hill, slowly getting bigger and bigger in my rear view mirror. He finally pulled even, a little more out of breath than me but spinning well. We cycled together down the side of Westwater Canyon and then up the other side. After Westwater Canyon the route turns quite flat until Blanding, easy but boring. For the rest of the way into Blanding we cycled together, roughly at the same speed

From Natural Bridges to Blanding there was little traffic on the road. Lots of motorcycles as usual, RV's, ranch pickups, but something new too. Every 30 minutes a truck passed with a sign warning it could be used only for radioactive material. Hmm, should I worry? Evidently Blanding claims to have been in on both the beginning and the ending of WW II. They were at the beginning because the Japanese had purchased some special metal used to build their famousMitsubishi Zero fighter. Later, the uranium for the atomic bomb came from this area. I guess the radioactive trucks means they still mine uranium here.

In Blanding I got a hambuger and the always popular root beer float with Mike. This was the end of the trip for Mike, he was going to spend the night then find a way out of town and eventually an airport so that he could attend a wedding. Too bad, I was getting used to meeting up with him at the end of a cycle day. After some refreshment I was soon off for Montecello. One faces a long steady 14 mile climb up from Blanding, then a small canyon crossing at Verdure, then into Montecello. By the time I got to Montecello it was raining lightly so I opted for a motel. I think I'll take a rest day here and do some maintenance on my bike.

The traffic picked up after Blanding. The highway has a wide shoulder with little debris, but I tried to stay left of the white line as much as possible anyway. The wind picked up after Blanding but it was at my back.

I found a motel and went over to the Taco Time for some food, as I was finishing my meal I saw Will pull into the gas station across the street, about 7pm. He was tired and a little wet but in good spirits. I treated him to the floor in my motel room for the night. He's been camping straight for a month and I think the thought of a dry warm room really hit the spot on this rainy night. Will is in search of America on this trip, a search so many of us share, hoping that a cycle tour will conect him to an authentic culture of an authentic America. I'm not so sure what's authentic and not authentic but perhaps that's an old man's handicap. Will loves the cinema, but not the mainstream movies, arty movies that have meaning and a message. He loves to find the layers of meaning in a movie like the Wizard of Oz. I hope he finds what he wants on this trip.

June 5, Monticello UT, rest day

Will told me about a little family run Mexican restaurant that I've come to for lunch. It's not very attractive on the outside but the inside looks nice, modest but newish and clean. It's really a family affair. The mom and grandfather are running the kitchen, the about 12 year old daughter and maybe 10 year old son mange the tables. The kids are doing a pretty good job but bicker like brother and sister. You don't have to understand spanish to recognize sibling bickering. The food is authentic Mexican instead of Tex-Mex. They have huevos mexicanos and the taco plate comes with the little miniture tacos garnised with onions and cilantro I've eaten in Michocan. The only Americanized part of the experience is the little platter of tortilla chips brought to my table instead of hot flour tortillas and the medium salsa is actually medium instead of hot.

Will spent the day at the library catching up on his writing while I did a little maintenance on my bike. Poor Roadboy needed some oil on his chain and a little tender loving care overall. Will's going to spend the night again, I think he sort of likes a little luxury, don't we all. I'm happy to help him, plenty of people have assisted me along the way.