San Jose to Denver

As a kid I loved to go camping and one of the attractions of self-contained bicycle touring is to re-live those memories. Up to now I’ve been staying at developed campgrounds complete with hot showers and flush toilets. This trip introduced me to primitive camping. Yes, there was that one night at the base of Monarch Pass where we slept in a tee-pee complete with cots and propane heater but that was just a new and different experience.

I actually grew to prefer primitive camping over developed camping during the course of this trip. In fact, my favorite memories are the 2 nights we camped in the Utah desert with no facilities whatsoever. Don’t mean to get gross, but a sponge, a little water, and baby-wipes do a fair job of keeping you sanitized. It just seems that people content with primitive camping are more down to earth, friendlier, and more enjoyable to be around. Up to now I didn’t know I could be like that too.

Our last night of camping was at Kenosha Summit Campground at over 10,000 ft elevation. This was definitely bear country and at Ranger Rick’s suggestion I put all my food in one plastic bag and left it well away from my tent. I was disappointed to see that bag undisturbed the next morning. Not only were there no bears, but even the birds - including those devilish ravens – showed no interest. This was also the only night of the trip where I fully zipped up my sleeping bag and pulled the built-in hood over my head. Temperature got down to the upper 30’s overnight but quickly recovered in the morning with the rising sun.

Going into this trip I expected about 50% camping and 50% motel. I haven’t tallied up yet but I think we ended with 75-80% camping. There were 2 nights when we stayed in a motel only to learn later that camping was available.

–jerry schonewille

I made it home safely, driving a rental car from Denver International Airport to San Jose over a two day period. It was an easy trip of 1300 miles with about 10 hours of driving each day. I paid more for gas than the rental car, and saw virtually no RV’s on highway 80.

That final bicycle riding day last Sunday was fantastic – 85 miles with nearly 7000 ft of downhill! Rick remained in Evergreen after lunch to stay with friends while I continued on to Denver. Another of Rick’s friends, Thomas – who had ridden up to meet us – showed me the way. We had a sweet 11 mile downhill on Hwy 74 to Morrison where we got on some bike trails that led to the Bear Creek Trail which we rode east until we intersected the Platte River Trail. Thomas rode home while I continued on the trail which passed by the REI store near downtown Denver. I stopped at REI to get a local bicycle map and seek advice on how to get to the airport because that was the only place where I could get a one-way rental to San Jose. Everyone said forget it, it can’t be done by bicycle (argh!). Eventually I worked out a plan to ride to Stapleton where the old airport is located. Stapleton has many Hotels/Motels which are now relatively cheap and frequent bus service to the new airport. Spent the night

Thanks Rick and Sarah for suggesting a stop in Wendover at the Utah/Nevada border. This turned out to be exactly half way home and thanks to the gambling/Casino aspect on the Nevada side of town provided cheap room and food and gas. Funny how part of the town is in Utah with a different time zone and different regulations regarding alcohol (beer) sales.

While driving through Nevada I heard a report on the radio that Mormon Crickets are getting nasty in Eureka and Austin. Estimates are that they will inhabit 12 million acres by end of summer.

Great Trip. As a bonus, I went 4 weeks eating and drinking everything in sight and still lost 8 pounds!

–jerry schonewille

It was fairly cold last night, and I had to wear my fleece jacket, pants and beanie cap. We got up and had some oatmeal, arranged our gear and headed down to meet Thomas. This is our last day on the road.

We had a great downhill to start the day. We rolled off 15 quick miles before I saw George Hincapie’s clone headed our way. Yep, that’s Dr. Thomas alright! It was great to see him again, and to ride with him. Thomas and I used to ride together back in the late 80’s when he was on his Peugot and I had my Centurion.

We stopped at breakfast at the Bailey lodge after I put the hurt on Thomas on a short uphill. That would be the last time I would hurt him all day!

Traffic was, to say the least, hideous. Everyone was passing us at 65 mph or more, and we had little shoulder to work with. Apparently there are few routes from Denver over the mountains, and this was a busy one. We even saw some traffic lights! Jerry and I have seen few of these since leaving California, and we had to adjust to the sight of them.

Jerry and his GPS guided us into the turn to Evergreen, route 73. It was nice to get onto a quieter road. A racer type guy with a team uniform passed us…I said hello and promptly got snubbed. Per usual, I could not let things pass like that. Me and the Mother Trucker (my bike) got out of the saddle and dusted him off. He passed me on an uphill and I latched onto his wheel, unwilling to let such a snobby guy go.

I backed off and Thomas caught up to me. He suspected my competitive side had kicked in. Mr Racer guy got about a 200 yard lead when Thomas and I decided to bridge the gap. Thomas passed him and the guy did a double take! Hey, watch out for us guys with touring bikes! After 1,700 miles of tough biking, I have some very serious legs going here.

We rode into Evergreen and stopped for sandwiches/coffee. We took a few pictures, at least one which you can find on this blog site.

We took a couple pictures of Jerry, me and the rock the little kid gave us on Day 2. If you did not read that, he was a 3rd grader who was intrigued by our trip. He asked me to bring the rock to Colorado to live with the native rocks. I will take it to our friends house here in Evergreen.

Jerry continued on with Thomas to find transportation back to San Jose, so you will soon have him to deal with once he rests up. He is threatening to join Donny Axtell’s ride returning from Sierra to the Sea tour. Jerry will probably be updating the stats for this blog upon his return.

We certainly missed Dick on the last half of the trip. His easygoing style and good sense of humor was always appreciated. He is feeling much better, by the way, and is back on his bike.

Me? I am going to ride a few miles up the road to Jerry and Cynthia Howell’s house, get a shower, kick back and wait for Sarah and the cats to arrive. It’s been a month since I last saw them, and I have a lot of riding miles under my belt.

-Rick

After a very windy night in Buena Vista in Fran’s backyard, we had some breakfast and killed some time looking around town. We then backtracked a bit and turned east on Hwy 24/285.

The traffic was as dense as yesterday, but with a very narrow shoulder. It has been a long time since we had to deal with such a volume of vehicles on the road, and I can tell you that I prefer the lighter traffic of Utah and Nevada!

We climbed up over Trout Creek Pass and dropped into the South Park basin, a huge area (I mean probably hundreds of square miles) flat as can be and surrounded on all sides by 14,000′ peaks. It is beautiful, but I could not enjoy the scenery as much as I would like due to road and traffic conditions.

We stopped in the town of Fairplay, which was a tiny little burg last time I was there. Well, now they have motels, RV parks and a Pizza Hut. Things are booming there. They even have good cell phone reception.

Sarah was on the road this morning headed to Denver with our cats, Feisty and Buddha. Everything was going fine until she stopped for gas. She carefully got out of the car, making sure the sleeping cats did not escape, pumped her gas and got back in the car. No cats to be seen!

It sounds like she got a bit frantic, but she soon found them huddled together in the covered litter box! Feisty emerged after awhile, but apparently Buddha spent the entire day there.

Jerry and I camped at 10,000′ in a National Forest Service campground. Tomorrow we will meet my old friend Thomas Notides, who is staying about 20 miles down the road (he says he doesn’t camp anymore).

We knocked off 60 miles today. My average was 10.5 mph and I spent 5 hr, 40 minutes in the saddle.

-Rick

On Wednesday I made contact with Fran, who is listed on “Warm Showers”, an internet site that puts bike tourists in touch with folks who are willing to host them. Fran is in Buena Vista and told me that we were welcome to pitch a tent in her yard, but that she was heading out to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

She was heading west on Hwy 50, and we were on the same route heading east. We arranged to meet on top of Blue Mesa Pass.

Although we only spoke to Fran for a couple of minutes, we found that she leads bike tours throughout Colorado. She recently moved to Buena Vista, and has hosted a few tourists since. She asked me to water her plants and she was off to some stomping in the Telluride meadows to the sound of Bela Fleck (I made that up; I don’t really know if she is stomping or if she really likes Bela!). Thanks Fran, for your hospitality; please visit us in CA so we can return the favor!

We attacked Monarch pass with vigor and both ended up a little chilled on top (over 11,000′). Jerry took a couple of pictures and we bundled up for the decent. I did not stop until I got to Poncha Springs, one town away from my father-in-laws childhood home, Salida.

We started to get some rain, but persevered on. We were right next to the Arkansas River for much of the last leg of the day…it is a very well known white water rafting area and Salida was hosting a big festival this weekend.

So here I sit in the Buena Vista library, all caught up! We have taken a shower at the community center (3 minutes for a buck), going to do some laundry, maybe chow down on a steak and set up our tents in Frans backyard.

The trip is coming to a close…two short days and we will be at Cynthia and Jerry Howell’s ranchette in Evergreen. My old friend Thomas is going to ride some of the last leg with us; it will be nice to see him again. In Evergreen I will be seeing Sarah and the cats for the first time in a month or so…I do miss them, and a month away is a long time.

But hey, a couple entries to go…keep tuned in….something sensational might happen! After all, Fran did ask me to water her plants…that could turn into something exciting!

I rode 53 miles today at a 11.2 mph average. Time in the saddle was 4 hr, 45 min.

-Rick

The winds at Blue Mesa Lake died down during the night, so Jerry and I were able to maintain our position next to the restroom (as opposed to blowing through the sage trapped in our tents). We got up early and headed out of Dodge in search of a good breakfast.

It was a flat (Jerry says it was 800 foot climb, but I call it flat) ride to Gunnison, a town of about 5,000 ranchers, students and retirees. It was a good mix, and the friendliest small town I have run into. The population was diverse and appeared to be educated. A nice change from the Utah crowd.

At a gas station I inquired about breakfast (”ya like good bacon? Go to the Quarter Circle Cafe!”) and a barber (”Machete Eddy is right down the road a piece!”). I took their advice and had some of the best deep fried bacon I ever had. I guess beauty is in the mouth of the beholder. Overall, it was a good breakfast and we left happy and full.

Jerry headed out of town and I stopped in to see Eddy the Barber. This was a legacy barber shop, as Eddy’s dad had run it for years before handing off the scissors to junior. It was nice to stop into a place where I was instantly “one of the guys” and had a few laughs with the locals. A good stop, and a haircut to boot.

Next stop, the library to update the blog. They opened at 10, and they had reading camp prior to opening. Lots of kids carrying books out. Reminds me of my years as a youngster at the West Elmira library in Southern NY state.

As I was leaving town, I made a pit stop at the park. When I came out of the restroom, I found a graying fella, in his 50’s, complete with a handlebar mustache and bandana. He told me he had been riding from Stockton, CA for 30 days. I assumed he meant on his Harley; he certainly looked the part. Nope, he was on a GT mountain bike loaded with a 60# duffel bag on the rear rack.

We talked about his trip; he had turned north in Utah, while we went south. He had some hot, dry days and had become dehydrated. He told me that his kidneys were just beginning to work again, and that he had been resting up a few days.

I introduced myself and held out my hand, waiting for a reply. He paused, considered things for a moment and said “I’m Cowboy”.

I’m not sure what “Cowboy was running from, but I hope he stocks up on more water before heading out in the desert.

The ride to Sargemts was fairly uneventful, with rolling hills and ranches with hundreds of acres of green, flowing grasses. When I got to the campground, I found that Jerry had opted for a teepee, complete with propane stove, for the night ($25), rather than camp on crushed rock in our tents ($20). A good choice.

We had a couple meals in the cafe at the campground, ran out of things to read and hit the sack about 8:30.

I rode 50 miles at a 13.5 mph average in 3hr and 39 minutes…my shortest day thus far!

-Rick

We left our camping site in Montrose and headed to downtown Montrose for breakfast. We ate at the Daily Bread and it was great! Another good spot that we learned about from a local.

We had a stong tailwind all day, which is a blessing on the flats and uphills. However, on the downhills it can be a curse, sometimes changing directions and blowing you into the traffic lane.

This was probably our least inspiring day of riding for awhile, and the campsite proved to be the same. Forty mph winds forced us to set up right next to a restroom for shelter from the wind.

I toted a watermelon all the way from Montrose and enjoyed it for dinner. It was one of those small ones, not the 20 pounder type Sarah likes to take around Lake Tahoe.

I rode 53 miles today in 5 hr, 22 min at a 9.9 mph average.

-Rick

Today was the day of bugs, beavers and antique cars.

Early in the day we hit a hatch of flying insects along the river. Millions of them. It was tough not to suck a few down with each breath. I also noticed at least 50 beaver dams along the way. Industrious little guys. The day was full of antique cars going someplace; they would pass us every few minutes. Most of them were Model T’s, but there were others that were shiny and chugged along at a nice speed.

We had lunch in Ridgeway at a nice place. The True Grit Cafe was a nice old fashioned place with great food.

As we neared Montrose, I was floored by the traffic. Sarah and I had been here in the early 90’s, and really liked it. This place has exploded! Fortunetely the downtown area is still intact and triving.

We stayed at the Montrose RV park, which was under construction. They charged us only 10 bucks and we had a pool, nice grass to set up our tents and a brand new laundry, which we did not use.

We had dinner at the Red Barn, an institution around here. Our server was Mary Ann, who is planning to to go to the Cordon Bleu to be a pastry chef…oo la la! Tres Bien!

We rode 64 miles today. It was mostly downhill, and I covered the distance in 4 hours at a 16 mph average.

-Rick

What a great night’s sleep overlooking McPhee Lake. We woke up with the sunrise and rode into Delores. It is a nice little town on a fast moving river. My source for bike racing on this trip, Mark Cooney, says it is a mecca for kayaking.

We had a great breakfast at the Ponderosa (not the old steak place!) and I stopped at the library to update the blog while Jerry pushed on.

Just as I was finishing my entry, I hear someone call my name. Mathu from Holland has once again surfaced! Apparently she was sleeping in her travelling home, the Silver Spirit (an old Toyota wagon) behind the building next door to the library. She saw my bike and thought I might be in there.

She told me of her latest adventures and we parted ways in front of the library. Meeting her and experiencing her joy for life has been one of the highlights of this trip. It’s all about the people, isn’t it? I am sure we will meet again during this lifetime when I can listen to more of her stories.

The climb today was long, but the grade was very forgiving. At many point I was climbing at 12-14 mph, not bad for being fully loaded. Watch out Java Jive Double Expresso riders! When I return in September I’ll be faster than ever!

Did you ever put playing cards in your spokes when you were a kid to get that snapping sound that was soooo cool? There are grasshoppers up here that make the same sound when they fly!

The cottonwood seeds were flying like snow, and at times piling up like it too. They tickle your nose when you inhale them too.

About mile 29, the grade increased and I had not caught Jerry yet. I keep seeing these big rodents in the fields…two times the size of a squirell, yet half as big as a woodchuck. Marmots maybe?

I finally found Jerry in Rico, a small town that seems to be experiencing a housing boom and a declining business climate. It was hard to find food, and we had to settle for a Conoco gas station where they charged outrageous sums for stuff. The hot dogs were on the rollers so long they were black…yum!

I pushed on to Telluride, where we anticipating camping at Town Park. What we did not know was that the entire place was being eaten up by the Bluegrass Festival. Sounds like fun, but it would not start for days. I stopped at the Visitor Center and they guided me to a nice condo for only 75 bucks…a great deal.

We rode 77 miles today; I was on the bike 6 hr, 14 min and averaged 12 mph.

We were happy to leave Blanding…we did not even attempt breakfast in fear of what we would get. We pushed up the road 20 miles to Montecello, where we found one place to eat in town. It’s Sunday in a religious area, after all!

The restaurant we stopped at was in their final day of being open. The owners were not LDS, and apparently the locals were not patronizing them. They seemed very frustrated…the windows of the restaurant said “Bikers Welcome!, Truckers Welcome!” Maybe they should have said “LDS Welcome!”…

In Monticello we ran into Dave Ware, a cyclist riding to raise money for MS research. His wife was diagnosed two years ago while in her 50’s, which is late in life.

Dave was in his 29th day of riding from Virginia. He was cranking out 100 mile days on an old Specialized mountain bike with wide, knobby tires. He was heading toward Cedar City, then down to the Grand Canyon and home to Orange County. Go Dave, go!

Our very special friends Down-Under, Rowan and Margaret Boutell, had written an email suggesting we stop at a cafe in Dove Creek. Friends of theirs, Greg and Francie, had recently purchased a the business and were trying to make a go of it here in the bean capital of the world.

Unfortunetly, Sunday was their day off and I did not find them. But they have a nice little spot here, and we wish them luck. We will stop in for a latte next time through!

Our campsite was very nice for tonight, overlooking the lake. I ate my emergency backup food, my Top Ramen…yum!

We cranked out 85 miles today. I was in the saddle 7 hr, 28 min and averaged 11.3 mph. Today was fairly flat compared to past days and we seemed to fly!

Rick

Woke up to an unbelievable sunrise. Watching from the ledge I slept on, I watched swirling red clouds with a blue background that changed by the minute. It was a quiet night, and not a creature was stirring…wait, that’s a Christmas story!

All the while we passed through this section of desert cicadas were calling from the scrubby junipers. Everytime I tried to locate one, they would stop as I neared the tree. So they remain a mystery as to details. I was particularly interested in their coloring.

I stopped at an Anasazi Indian ruins built into the cliffsides. I wish Jerry and I had found such a great spot to hide out from the thunderstorms.

There I met a couple in their 80’s that were hiking up the trail like a couple of young people. Chuck and Ruth return to the Utah desert each year to investigate Indian ruins and petroglyphs.

I met another interesting couple at this stop. Buzz, a retired airline pilot (I wonder if his supervisors knew he went by “buzz”!?) and Susan, a part-time dean/faculty at UCSC, are from Aptos, CA and are traveling for six weeks in their Honda minivan. They have it set up to sleep, with a bed that takes up the entire rear of the vehicle. It is raised so that they may store supplies underneath.

The most interesting cargo they were carrying was alive though. They introduced me to their two cats, Keaka and Chui (leopard in Swahili) who travel the whole way with them. Keaka never left her carrier, but Chui was happy to get out of the minivan and start wandering around.

Chui was blind since birth. She never had any eyes. Buzz found her 19 years ago wandering the street. The vet told him to put her down, but he refused and they raised her to be a loving 4.5 pound pet.

Two years ago Chui lost her hearing, but she still likes to investigate her dark and silent world with her nose. Susan told me that she even will jump to the ground from the van, not really knowing what is below!

Along the way Jerry ran into the Dutch hippie chick, Mathu. She had been down on Lake Powell following her Lonely Planet guide. She sent a postcard with a lizard on the front to me through Jerry. I kept looking for lizards the day we went on our hike in Bryce.

We crossed through a few canyons, decending a few hundred feet, crossing the bottom, and right back up a few hundred feet. Some of the grades we found were the steepest we had seen since the Sierra foothills.

We pulled into Blanding early and got a motel room. I could not wait to take a shower! My friend Lynn Repetsky would be so proud…if she could only smell me now! Lynn is infamous for her mountain bike rides on the Great Divide, where she does not bath for weeks at a time.

Blanding was kind of….well…bland. We went for ice cream and they only had vanilla. Jerry wanted beer, and had to backtrack 4.5 miles to get some. Cell phone coverage was spotty, and I could hear Sarah when I called her, but she could not hear me. We had steaks that night, and after a long discussion with the waiter, we determined medium-rare meant a pink center. Jerry ordered his medium. Both came back medium well, and a good piece of meat magically turned to leather.

It was nice to sleep in a bed again and watch a Perry Mason episode. We knocked off 50 miles today. I was in the saddle for 4 hr, 30 minutes and averaged 10.9 mph.

-Rick

After last nights thundershowers, everything in camp is damp and gritty. Leaving the area, we head down a canyon toward Lake Powell, with spectacular scenery the whole way. We talk to the ranger and he tells us that the water levels are at last years high…the boat launch is about 1000 yards from the marina now.

The second mechanical ocours on a slight downhill. My rear tire, without my knowing it, has worn all the way through and blows with a loud bang! Good thing I borrowed Dick’s spare when he left.

I fix it and catch us with Jerry, who decides it is time for him to change his rear also. I find some supplies at the Marina, which was closed for inventory. The ranger had told the manager that she had to open if bikers needed supplies and she graciously does.

From Lake Powell is a long, gradual accent up to Natural Bridges National Monument. We find more Gatorade at Fry Canyon, which we heard was closed. Gwendolyn, the manager, tells us that she has just opened again, but may not always be there. We were lucky today.

She has seven kittens running around, so I get another dose of cat petting. We head out and find a camping spot five miles or so up the road and enjoy a scenic rest.

I have been wanting to camp under the stars for awhile, so I find a nice ledge over the canyon and get a wonderful light show from sunset to sunrise and everything in between. Life is good!

We rode 55 miles today…I was in the saddle 5 hr, 52 min.

Over two days without a shower and Jerry is starting to smell kinda ripe. Maybe I should say something to him…

We are up a little late today, mainly because of the we drank last night! We say goodbye to Chris and Dale, and head down the Capitol Reef Canyon. The views are as good as they were last night.

Along the way we meet a Dutch rider and exchange information and pleasantries. These bikers are so friendly!

We look for breakfast at a place in Caineville all the travelouges talk about. There are big signs that say “OPEN! COME IN FOR BREAKFAST!”…not a soul to be found. Disappointed, but not surprised, we continue down the road.

Soon we come to a little place called the Mesa Farm Market and Bakery. Also coffee! Sound good…we pull in and find Randy Ramsley hard at work on some bread loaves. Randy serves us coffee (each cup individually made!) and cinnimon rolls and gives us great information what we can expect during the next couple days, which may be our hardest yet.

Randy grows certified grower of organic produce as well as bake, and supplies four of the restaurants in Torrey. He also can be found at he Torrey Farmer Market…not farmerS market, but farmer market, since he is the only farmer there.

We purchase a loaf of wheat bread for dinner tonight and head east toward Hanksville, where we find a grocery store and a restaurant, where Jerry says we can eat “our last meal”. Mind you, we have some solitude ahead of us.

Just after we pull into the restaurant, 18 French Harley riders pull in. They are travelling all the Canyonlands, starting in Vegas. They speak little English, and some of you know how well I speak French. It’s ironic that they are here doing the American thing, and we are doing the French thing (riding bicycles).

We have our first mechanical on the trip…Jerry has broken a cable. He asks a gentleman in a pickup if he can borrow some wire cutters. We get more than just a tool…we get some of the life story of A.L. Swanson.

A.L. (that’s not Al, but A.L.) is 88 years young. Originally from Lubbock, TX, A.L. spent his life working “for god”. Whenever a church was in dire need of guidence, A.L. was shipped there to clean things up…and I believe he probably did. He had great stories to share with us and wished us luck in our journey.

Leaving Hanksville was not as easy as it sounds. The wind gusts almost blew me over as we turned on State Highway 95. The next town was 122 miles away, and we were unsure if we would find any services.

Along the way I saw a man stopped, adjusting the cover on his 25′ ski boat, that was being pulled by his Ford F250 diesel. He was being followed by his wife with one child in the back seat. She was driving a Caddy Escalante SUV. With all the gas problems we are having, I referred to this as the “Three Big Pigs”. The waste is incredible.

As we approached the end of our day, a huge thunderstorm came ripping into the area. It was big and scary! Jerry and I hunkered off the road grade under a tarp for about 30 minutes or so. We got little rain, but heard in other towns it was quite a storm.

We pulled off into a little canyon that Randy at the Mesa Market told us about and bedded down for the night. We had his bread, soup, salami, cheese and tea. Our total for the day was 68 miles.

Seems like every time we take these journeys, we start hearing the horror stories. The logging trucks. The two mile tunnel that ends up being 1/5 mile. The huge hills with huge inclines.

The horror story for this trip is Hogback Ridge. I started hearing about this narrow stretch of road with the perilous drops back in Bryce. Calf Creek was only a few miles from this onery narrow strip of pavement, if it was paved at all.

If we had not known it was there, Hogback would have just been another stretch of road. Jerry and Rick 1, Hogback 0.

We knew we could not face the Hogback on a full stomach, so we had breakfast in the small town of Boulder after the first climbs. What a breakfast it was! Great food and service at the Boulder Mountain Lodge. Plus, they had a cat there I could pet! His name was Scotty, and he helped me get my cat fix. We heard it was 103 degrees in Boulder yesterday.

On the way out, we met a very nice couple travelling from Yuma to Michigan. Chris and Dale worked winters in the Southwest and were travelling with their little travel trailer (I swear, it isn’t more than 10 feet long!).

Boulder is in a lush valley on the side of a mountain range. If I was going to disappear into the boonies for awhile, you might look for me here. It is a cool place.

Many times on this trip we have been faced with optical illusions. It’s kind of like going to the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz. We think we should be going downhill or at least be on the flat, but find ourselves peddaling up a very gentle grade.

I saw my first Turkey Buzzards since leaving California. They have plenty of work to do around here; all kinds of rabbits on the road.

The climb today was over 5,000′ and my butt is me. I make a bold move and change the position of my saddle one centimeter forward and it makes all the difference in the world!

The climb up the mountain is beautiful…lots of mature aspen and pine. The decent back into the red rocks is even better though, and I scream down about 20 miles of decent, sometimes getting over 40 mph. All with no traffic!

In Torrey, the town before Capitol Reef NP, I run into Dale and Chris in the visitors information center. They invite Jerry and I to drink and eat dinner with them! I gladly accept for both of us and will meet them at the park campground.

The ride to Capitol Reefs is stunning. The red hues is so deep it is incredible! I have been near here a few times, but never come into the park; I will be back again!

Jerry and I clean up as best as we can and have a wonderful time with Dale and Chris. They are friendly, open hosts and show us the inside of their tiny trailer. We discuss lots of subjects, and George Bush’s name comes up a few times. Maybe you heard us where you are.

Today was 62 hard miles. I was in the saddle 6 hours, 11 minutes and had a 9.9 mph average.

-Rick

The day started off quiet enough. We had breakfast at Ruby’s (Jerry managed to get three meals in at that place!), and started to roll. Dick was looking a little anxious, and suddenly announced he was going to rent a car and return home. Jerry had caught a cold earlier in the week, and Dick wasn’t feeling so hot. Rather than hold everyone up, he decided to call it a trip. Thanks Dick, for joining us. You are truly a gentleman, and I enjoyed your company!

Jerry and I helped pack Dick into a Camry, and then we headed off into the heat of the day. And it was hot. They are breaking records all over the area, and some of them are heading into the low 100’s.

We entered the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument, finding the scenery fine and the roadkill to consist of rabbit. I watched two Ravens fight over an old carcass….little did they know there was a fresh one 1/4 mile down the road.

I trudged into the town of Escalante and headed for the library. They would not open untill 3 pm, and it was only 1:00. I had lunch at a diner, and had a good hamburger and a surly waitress. All the locals got great service though. I guess tourism isn’t high on her list.

Jerry showed up about an hour later and we got some groceries. I headed back to the library and logged on to the slowest internet connection in the world. After writing posts for awhile, having them get lost, trying again…well, I just gave up. I head out on the bike to catch Jerry, who had already left.

About 12 miles from Escalante, we found the most incredible canyon! Well, it’s not like we discovered it or anything…it was right along the road! But the Calf Creek Canyon was incredible. We decided to stay in the BLM Campground….we managed to get one of the 13 sites, swam in the river, washed our clothes and had some dinner. We would have liked to have made the 6 mile hike to the 126′ falls, but enough was enough.

During the night, the stars disappeared and the clouds started to boil…of course we had not put our rain flys on! We scrambled around in the dark and got ready for the downpour. It ended up raining a little for 5 minutes!

It was a tough 65 miles with hot temperatures. I rode for 5 hr, 2 min at a 12.8 mph average.

I hope everyone is enjoying the blog….thanks for the nice comments!

-Rick

I slept until 7:30, when it got too warm in my tent to be comfortable anymore. My saddle sores were killing me, and the last thing I wanted to do was get on the bike. I locked it up, had a light breakfast and headed out to the park for some sightseeing.

Now I never meant to go on a big hike…no intention at all. I took the shuttle to Bryce Point and started toward Inspiration Point. On the way I was looking a neat plant with a red-veined seed pod. I pointed it out to a young blond woman in hiking duds and pigtails. We spoke a little, and I soon realized that this was the same traveller Jerry and Dick spoke to yesterday.

We walked and talked, and after awhile came to the “Hat Shop”, where rocks are perched on spires that will eventually erode away, causing the “hat” to topple. She asked me how far I was going; I really had no plans, so I asked if she mind if I continue with her. No, she didn’t mind, but warned me that she was going 13 miles to the floor of the park and back up. And so it goes.

Mathu and I spent quite a day talking about all kinds of subjects, singing “She’ll be coming around the mountain” in Dutch, and discussing life. We managed to get lost once, and bushwacked our way back to the trail, Mathu taking the lead. She had a good handle on directions and topography, better than me. I left her to take the lead.

We finally made it to the rim with about 12 ounces of water left. We hitchhiked our way back to the shuttle bus area…it always helps to have a cute blonde do the thumbing for you. We were picked up by a nice Belgian couple.

We parted ways at Sunrise Point. I must say, I was very impressed with this young lady…she was wise beyond her years, and the world is just one ice cream cone that she is eating up. Mathu, I wish you luck in your journeys….thank you for sharing your day with me.

I joined up with Jerry and Dick, who had a much quieter day. Jerry was busy sampling the the buffet at Ruby’s for lunch, and we returned for dinner. I also managed to take a tumble in the parking lot riding at 1 mph!

Today was going to be a bear…and not the furry kind. The original plan was Cedar City to Panguitch and take the day off tomorrow. The day was almost 60 miles with over 5,000′ of climbing.

However, to get a full day off tomorrow I was going to have to go all the way to Bryce. That would add 20-some miles and another 1,000′ of climbing. But my saddle sores said they wanted the day off.

I left the KOA early, stopped at a grocery store and was on the road by 6:30. Traffic was light, but a ferocious headwind was coming out of the canyons. The local DOT decided to chip-seal six miles of the uphill, not helping matters.

I got up to Cedar Breaks National Monument at about 10 am. A bike tour group that passed me in a van gave me a round of applause as I entered the parking lot. I took in a ranger talk on geology and viewed the magnificent scenery. About an hour later I pushed the rest of the way up the mountain to our highest elevation yet, 10,700′.

At this point I expected 26 miles of outstanding downhill to Panguich. I was kinda disappointed! There was some good downhill, but lots of short uphill sections which broke up my rhythm.

I found nothing open in Panguich, so I had a disgusting sandwich at a gas station and a couple of cold drinks. Dick and Jerry later told me that I missed a Subway at the end of town…drat!

I pushed on to Bryce, knowing that Dick and Jerry would be staying the night in Panguitch and biking into the park tomorrow. Climbing Red Canyon was a delight; great scenery and a bike path to boot! The tour leader from the group at Cedar Breaks ran up with a
Gatorade…that tasted good!

I pulled into the NFS visitor center and took in the displays…very nice! Lots of great pictures, but when I asked the staff about some of the flowers and critters I had seen, I got kind of a blank look. As I pulled out a group of very loud Harleys with radios blaring pulled in….welcome to your national park.

I made up to Ruby’s, the area just before the park, and secured a quiet campsite. They had a pool and hottub, and I met one of Ruby’s ancestors there. The whole massive complex is still owned by the family, and he ran the hotel front desk. He even looked like Ruby, who was his great-grandfather.

I talked with Jerry on the phone. He mentioned that they had met a young Dutch lady travelling the country in her station wagon. Jerry was born in the Netherlands, by the way!

I rode 83 miles, was in the saddle 8 hr, 14 min and rode at a 9.9 mph average.

-Rick

We slept in the Lions Club town park last night. The price is right…free! Most of the sites are for RV’s though, covered with gravel. But there was a beautiful lawn next to the RV sites. I set up my tent there. Jerry and Dick decided to sleep on the concrete under the pavilion because of the “unknown sprinkler system schedule”. I decided to roll the dice and enjoy a nice sleep on the lawn.

About 5 am I heard the sprinklers in an adjacent field. I quickly packed up my gear and got off the lawn ASAP. About 10 minutes later the field exploded with water gushing everywhere! Great timing on my part. There was even a sprinkler head right where my tent was located!

We rode together to Minersville, the next town on the way to Cedar City. We had a cold drink and I headed up the pass, putting some miles on between myself and the gang.

Once I crested the summit, I could see Cedar City in the distance. The heat and wind began to build, and before you know it I was battling Mother Nature. It seemed to take forever, and I rolled into town about 5 hours after I started. I got another cold drink and passed out on a lawn waiting for Dick and Jerry.

Once they rolled into town we found a nice campsite at KOA…right next to the highway! It had all the amenities though, and we got some wash done and had a nice dinner at a Mexican restaurant.

We rolled off 57 miles today…my average speed was 10.1 MPH.

-Rick

We got up before 5 am today, expecting a long ride, strong southerly winds and hot temperatures.

They call Hwy 50 the lonliest highway in America…no way! Highway 21 was so isolated, it was unbelievable. I rode one stretch of 15 miles without seeing a soul.

At one point, I was off the bike watching some pronghorn sheep rip it up through the desert. I heard a noise down in the ditch next to the road. I looked down to find a whole family of badgers romping around in the dirt. I looked by my front tire, and there was another one five feet from my bike! They seemed very unconcerned by my presence until a truck went by…great timing…and they dashed into their burrow. I have seen one badger in the park, and that was at a distance at dusk. To be so close to these normally elusive creatures was a treat.

At 58 miles, I decended into a very hot, very windy basin. This was painful, and I was not having much fun. It took me forever to get across and start the climb.

About halfway up I ran into a camper broken down by the side of the road. Helping the owner was Klaus, a German living in Mexico. He was driving a Land Rover Defender and it seems he lives out of it, camping as he goes. Klaus gave me a root beer that got me to the top.

There are some very cool lizards out here…sand colored and banded with black, they run like a critter out of Jurrasic Park.

After a very tough day (the toughest in my opinion), I pulled into Milford and had a cold drink. Today’s ride was 84 hot, windy, difficult miles.

I covered 40 miles in the first three hours.

Our last day in Nevada! Baker is on the Utah border near Great Basin NP. Nevada roads have been fantastic…the pavement quality is better than I have ever seen. Now if they could get rid of the rumble strips…but that was never a problem, with the light traffic. We rode in the lane all the time, and drivers gave us a wide berth.

Forgive us, but we ate breakfast at McDonalds this morning. We wanted to get going early, as temperatures are starting to rise. We stocked up on food at the local grocery store, I picked up more sunblock and…this is embarrassing…dipher rash ointment! My butt is killing me, and the saddle sores are back.

Just outside of Ely I stopped at Comins Resoivoir, where the raucous sounds of birds filled the air. I had to call my Ranger buddy Scatty Patty to help me ID some of them. Saw Yellow headed blackbirds, Cinnimon Teal ducks and lots more I did not see but could hear.

At mile 27 we came upon Majors Junction, which isn’t mentioned on any of our maps. It was a nice surprise, and I had lunch while Jerry and Dick had a beer.

As the road bent north for another summit approach, I noticed a dirt road going straight up the mountain. At the base was a historical marker indicating a ghost town and mine on the mountain. It looked doable, and after conferring with Jerry’s GPS (once again, why did I take mine out of my bag!?) and taking Dick’s Adventure Cycling map, I set off on a very loaded mountain bike ride.

Up top I found a graveyard that had headstones dating from the 1880’s until about 1926. One I noticed was Stanley H. Moyer, who lived a short life from October 10 until November 18, 1926. Maybe his short life was a blessing, as life looked very rough on the mountain.

Many of the graves had the Marriott family name. After leaving the graveyard, I went by some residences with active residents. One house belonged to Bill Marriott; the family name lives on after all these years.

I crested the summit at about 8,000 feet (estimated) and started the long desent down. On the map this dirt road looked like a shortcut from the paved route, but it ended up being just about the same mileage.

Dick and Jerry pulled in about 30 minutes after me. We did wash, showered and had an excellent meal at one of the local restaurants. The owner even invited to spend the night behind the business, no charge. However, we were already set up at a local campground.

Todays ride was 60 miles. We have ridden over 800 so far, and will go over 900 tomorrow as we have a long ride through the desert.

-Rick