Day 39 - Utah...where have you been all my life!

I just want to start out by saying that I LOVE Utah! I knew Utah had a lot of rocks, Mormons, and that it hosted the winter Olympics a few years back, but I never imagined how beautiful the landscape and the people are here.

Yesterday, Tuesday, we rode from Escalante to Penguitch, Utah. The 64 mile ride took us 5 hours and to our good fortune, we were finished unusually early, by 2:30pm. We had a rest day planned for today, Wednesday, which was much needed as all 3 of us were a bit physically and mentally drained.

Yesterday's ride was another beautiful trek. Our route meandered us over sheer cliff faces, hallowed canyons, rivers, and over two small mountain passes with steep descents. In the early morning hours, I hopped off my bike to tackle a big boulder I thought I could easily climb...it turns out that the boulder won that battle. I only made it halfway up...but if I wasn't wearing my biking shoes, I am confident that I could have conquered that boulder (see picture). We stopped for lunch in Tropic and were kept company by a little yellow lab we decided to call "Rex". Sam fed Rex, against my good advice, left over PB&J crusts.

Our ride was all down hill after lunch (literally). It was the most surprisingly beautiful descent we've had and I think it caught all of us off guard. As we made our way to Penguitch we had to pass through The Red Canyons. They are rock formations that are several brilliant shades of red. There are two rocks that have been hallowed out and the road actually passes right through them (see picture). We all ended the days ride on a high. The scenery could not have been more spectacular and we still had the rest of the day to relax and enjoy to ourselves.

Sam and I toured the town of Penguitch and met the nicest people! As we walked from shop to shop, people inquired about our travels and what brought us to their town. They were very eager to hear more about our bike trip and several folks gave donations to the orphanage. We had a great dinner a Cowboy's Cafe and watched a thunder and lightening storm roll through.

Day 34, 35, 36 (We Reach Utah), 37, & 38

Sorry to leave you all hanging like that after day 34, but my access to a computer has been very limited as we've been in remote areas. So, thank you for bearing with me and I'll try to catch you all up as best I can. We got Sam's bike fixed in a matter of minutes after the bike shop opened up in Montrose, Colorado. We camped at two very nice campgrounds on Day 34 and 35. We rode from Montrose to Telluride and camped 12 miles outside of Telluride at a campsite that was surrounded by big, beautiful mountains (and some still had snow). On day 35, we rode our bikes out of Telluride to Delores about 73 miles west of Telluride. It was a steady climb out of the Valley which peaked at Lizard's Pass a little over 11,000 feet above sea level. The views were well worth the effort to climb to the peak. We met several other riders along the way (we only got passed by on other cyclist...I'm guessing he was around 60 years old and he was SPRINTING up that mountain! I hope I'm that good in 40 more years - wow). We arrived in Delores, exhausted, but happy with our day's ride. We set up camp and headed into town for a dinner at the Naked Moose - great place!

On day 36 we rode from Delores, Colorado to Blanding Utah which was about 85 miles. We were all sad to leave Colorado, but at the same time, we were all excited to reach our sixth state. None of the riders on the trip have been to Utah and we are all excited to see what Utah has to offer. Something I find very interesting as I ride from state to state is the fact that I can notice a change in the landscape as we ride. It's easy to notice when you are riding a bike - we rode from vast mountain ranges in Colorado where the air was cool and crisp and into the hot, arid Utah desert. I was able to see a marked difference in the landscape as we descended from the mountains in Colorado and crossed the state line. I think Utah is one of the prettiest states I've seen. The vast, rocky landscape is almost alien to me. There is a startling contrast between the beauty of the rocks themselves and the haunting sense of isolation they seem to exude. It is the first state I've been to where I'd be afraid to wander off too far in any one direction for fear of getting lost in a maze of rocky mountains, gorges, and canyons. This place seems timeless and pristine, very beautiful.

Day 37 we rode from Blanding Utah into the Glen Canyon State Park (84 miles) and spent the night at the remote Hite Recreation Area. To the east of Hite there are no rest services for 74 miles and to the west of Hite there are not rest services for 54 miles. Hite consists of a trailer that is convenience/grocery store and a gas station. Gas has been the most expensive we have seen, pushing $4.95 a gallon. The campsite couldn't have been more beautiful. After spending the day riding through gorgeous towers of rocks and canyons, we rode a mile off route down to a pristine lake where we set up camp. The lake had been completely dry only 3 years ago. You could see a white line imprinted on the rock walls across from our campsite where the water level used to be. It was only recently that the water returned to the lake. Besides ourselves, there was only one other group of campers there - a group of 3 riders also on their way to San Fransisco.

Today, day 38, we woke up early, eat breakfast and started our trek to Torrey, Utah. It was 54 miles from our campsite to the nearest town, Hanksville. We got to Hanksville a little after 1pm and stopped at the only place to eat in town, Stan's Burgers and Shakes. Stan's made the thickest milkshake I've ever had, I'm not even convinced there was milk in that shake, it had to have been 100% pure ice cream. Either way, it hit the spot. Unfortunately, I think we were all a bit weighed down after eating such a big lunch on such a hot day. We usually have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We were a bit sluggish out of the gate after lunch and around 5:15pm we decided to call it a day. Mr. Mangum picked us up in the truck and drove us 12 miles to our hotel. After camping last night and not being able to take a shower, we were all pretty happy to have a hotel for the night. We should be able to make up those miles pretty easily tomorrow as we only have a 64 mile day scheduled.

It's late and I need my sleep. I'm sorry I had to summarize so many days in such a short time and leave out some humorous details, but hopefully I will be able to share more of our daily shenanigans as we continue our journey to San Fran! Good night!

Day 34 - Bike Issues....

We are sitting at the Comfort Inn's continental breakfast waiting until 10am when the only bike shop in town opens. Sam's front tire is totally warped and riding 35mph down a mountain pass would not be a good combination. So while we wait, I thought I would let you all in on a link that brings up all of the pictures Sam has sent to her University's Alumni website. Check them out....they are awesome! Also, the UIW's website also has each town we stay in, local weather, and fun facts. A great site! You can click below under "Pictures" or plug in this website...


http://www.uiwalumni.org/s/803/index.aspx?sid=803&gid=1

Day 33 - Back on Track

After falling behind 4o miles in our first two days in Colorado due to bike problems and hail storms, we are now back on track after biking 106 miles today to reach Montrose. Today was the perfect ride - we rode the first 43 miles in 2 hours and 7 minutes. Since we spent the night on Monarch's Pass at 11, 312 feet we had about a 9.5 mile descent from the peak. The temperature hovered around 45 degrees and there was little traffic on the road. We averaged about 35mph on the way down the winding mountain pass. The morning mountain air was crisp and almost cut through the layers of my dri-fit bike clothing, but more than anything it woke me up! It was refreshing and exactly what I had needed to start my day off on the right track.

We stopped in Gunnison which seemed like a big ski/golf resort town around 10:30am for a quick restroom stop. We ended up sitting in McDonald's scarfing down a mid-morning snack consisting of a vanilla ice cream cone, hash browns, and an apple pie (or two). We continued on our way to reach Sapinero for lunch on the banks of the Blue Mesa Reservoir. We dined on PB&J sandwiches, some turkey and cheese, all sorts of chips, cookies, fruit, etc and watched some sailboats glide across the crystal clear water.

We were making great time all day long despite the fact that we stopped many times for pictures. We landed in Montrose to find ourselves without a suitable campsite, so we are staying in a hotel for the night. We ate dinner at a local place called Rib City and then grabbed some ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. I must be packing away about 2-3 times more calories on this bike ride than I normally do. I only hope that I can go back to my old ways once I'm finished!

We have 2 more days of riding in the Rockies. Tomorrow we ride a mere 66 miles to Telluride, which I have been told is a hot spot for celebrities. I will keep you all posted on any sightings.

All is well here, I hope you are all doing fine too!

Day 31 & 32 - The Rockies

This is going to be a quick summary of the past two days. Yesterday (Day 31) we entered the Rockies after a quick trip back to Pueblo to fix a bike problem. That put us behind about 3 hours. We didn't quite make it as far as we'd like yesterday, but we ended up staying the night in Silver Cliff. We climbed about 4,000 feet yesterday which wasn't too bad and rode about 86 miles. My knees felt great and the altitude didn't effect me much. Sam and Bob did well on the climb and we were happy to reach Silver Cliff. I had a few favorite parts of the day, but seeing the Rockies up close with white fluffy clouds, ominous dark rain clouds, and cascading sunbeams all at once was a pretty amazing sight!

We grabbed some dinner at a local place called Pizza Madness and watched a beautiful thunderstorm roll in over the mountains from our seats in the restaurant. We all went to bed early...even Sam who stays up late most nights working on her blog. She passed out on the bed in her jeans and hoodie.

Today (Day 31), we woke up early and grabbed some breakfast in town at the Country Store. Breakfast was delicious and also came with free entertainment. There was an elderly gentleman sitting in the corner talking with anyone who would listen...he was a real comedian. The waitress said he was the village clown. He must be well liked around Silver Cliff, he was allowed to walk outside with the coffee mug he was drinking from at the restaurant.

We started off on a good pace. We had a decent from Silver Cliff to Cotopaxi which was about 23 miles north. Once we descended into Cotopaxi we followed a river for about 20 miles before we started our slow ascent 5,000 feet to Monarch's Pass. We stopped for lunch in a cute mountain town called Salida. While I ate my PB&J sandwich I watched two kayakers paddle upstream on a fast moving river right next to the town park. After lunch, I checked out an outdoor store that was having a huge sale...I was good, I only bought one thing.

The craziest part of the day was when we got dumped on by a hail storm. I was a head of Bob and Sam and couldn't see them when I met up with Mr. Mangum in the support vehicle. The hail got bigger and began to fall faster. Bob walkie-talkied Mr. Mangum saying he and Sam needed to be picked up. So I grabbed a sleeping bad and say under a rock while Mr. Mangum went back from Bob and Sam. I was there for about 20-25 minutes by myself watching the hail come down hard. I guess the people driving by got a kick out of seeing a biker squatting down on the side of the road with a blue sleeping pad over their head. A big white pick-up truck pulling a camper pulled over, rolled down the window, and just as I thought they were going to ask if I wanted to sit in the truck and get out of the storm, the lady with a thick head of silver hair pulls out the biggest camera I've ever seen and asks if she can take my picture. All I could do was laugh! A couple other cars pulled over and actually asked if I needed a ride. I thanked them and politely declined since I didn't know where the others were. They came back eventually, I changed into a dry shirt, put on a windbreaker, and we were all on the road again. We only had about 3 miles to the peak which was 11, 312 feet above sea level.

There were more storm clouds rolling through, so we took some pictures at the top of the pass, warmed up with some hot chocolate, and headed for shelter. It was already 5:30pm and all we wanted to do was get warmed up. We have about 40 miles to make up, but that should be pretty manageable for us. I got some great pictures today, not to mention a home movie of my time under the sleeping pad during the hail storm. I can't wait to share it all with you.

Have a great night!

Day 29 (Happy 4th of July!) & Day 30 (Rest Day)

We reached Pueblo, Colorado yesterday just in time to celebrate the 4th of July! We rode 107 miles in 6 hours and 47 minutes. The day's ride had us following Route 96 for another 107 miles...I think we've been on 96 for over 400 miles (since the mid-way point in Kansas). It was also our 6th straight day of riding over 100 miles. If you added up all the miles we've ridden since leaving Pittsburg, Kansas last Sunday, it totals well over 600 miles. We've been told by several people that Kansas is a difficult state to ride, especially going east to west, but it didn't seem to slow us down any. To me, it felt like we were a new group of riders - we were riding with a higher purpose. Despite some aching knees and other physical ailments, physically and mentally we all reached a higher level on the bike. 9 hours of sitting on the saddle was no longer a big deal for any of us. With great company, music, scenery, we pushed our bodies for a week straight. After falling behind a day in Pittsburg because of the bad weather, we all wanted to get back on schedule as soon as possible. We all looked at the maps and we reworked the route a few times. We chipped away at those lost 89 miles from the rain storm last Saturday and today's rest day definitely feels like a well earned break.

We averaged 15.7 mph on the day's ride, which is a great pace considering if was our 6th 100 mile day. There are three reasons I think helped move us along a such a good pace yesterday. The first is that with each day, we are all becoming stronger riders (as I mentioned above). The second reason is that we all knew we had a day off the following day and we wanted to finish the ride as quickly as possible (also Sam was really excited to see the fireworks). Lastly, I think the main reason we picked up our pace yesterday can be contributed to the fact that 3 miles west of our stopping point for lunch, Ordway, we could see the Rockie Mountains looming in the distance. The Rockies are stunning! I've never been to the Rockies and I can't think of a better way to see them than inching my way closer that beautiful range on my bike. It makes the experience that much more rewarding. I've been thinking about the Rockies since I dipped my back tire into the Atlantic Ocean back in Yorktown, Virginia and I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment after yesterday's ride.

Our bike ride has brought the Mangum family into a small reunion of sorts. We are staying with Sam's Uncle Jack and Aunt Adelina in Pueblo. Sam has not seen her uncle since a family reunion when she was a small child about 20 years ago. She actually told me a story of her Uncle Jack last week on one our rides through Kansas. He promised her a penny for each Pecan she picked up in the backyard and Sam, being who she is, picked hundreds of them! Her story ended when Uncle Jack left the reunion and Sam was left unpaid for her hard work. Last night, without a word from Sam and as we enjoyed a great dinner on the patio overlooking the Rockies, Uncle Jack handed her $5 for her efforts some 2o years ago. It was priceless! Sam thought her uncle lived in Denver and it wasn't until yesterday that Mr. Mangum hooked up with his brother to make arrangements for us to stay at their house for the next two nights.

To top off a great reunion, a great dinner, and an overall perfect day, we spent the evening sitting on the back patio watching the neighborhood being lit up by fireworks for two straight hours. I have never seen a sight like this in my life. There were fireworks exploding in every single direction I looked. Uncle Jack's neighbors must have stockpiled fireworks for the past year! There was a constant popping and an explosion of colors. It was the best, and most random, fireworks display I have ever seen. Some of Uncle Jack's more adventurous neighbors were lighting them in the street and throwing them with their hands at the last minute. I didn't hear any ambulance sirens, so I'm guessing they are all okay.

Today we dropped our bikes off at a local bike shop in Pueblo. We need them fine tuned before we start our ascent into the mountains tomorrow. I must have jinxed my bike from my earlier postings, but since my tune-up in Pittsburg, my bike has not been shifting as smoothly. Unlike on the Blueridge Parkway in Virginia, the Rockies will be a series on long slow climbs. Hopefully it will be less stress on my knees than the Blueridge with its short, steep ascents. After the bike shop, we headed to Kinko's where I am now updating this blog. The rest of the day will find me eating a lot of food (apparently we are having Mexican for lunch) and resting my body! I cannot post pictures until I log on with Sam's laptop, but I will try to update my pictures as soon as possible so you can see how much fun we are having. Check out Sam's blog later today for updated photo's from the 4th of July celebration.

I hope all is well with everyone and thanks for your support!

Day 28 - We Finally Reach Colorado!

Wow... I can't believe it, I've always wanted to visit Colorado and now I'm here. The bad news is that it still looks like Kansas....flat! I know this scenery won't last for long. Despite the fact that eastern Colorado seemed flatter than what I saw in Kansas (I honestly felt like I could look to my left or right and see for a hundred miles), it was a great feeling to finally reach the state line. All three of us jumped off of our bikes and RAN to the sign!

We made great time today. We were on our bikes for a little under 7 hours and covered 108 miles averaging about 15.4 mph. The temperature today was unseasonably cool and there was a nice breeze that actually wasn't blowing in our face. For the first time I wore a long-sleeved shirt while riding. It reminded me of weather in Nova Scotia except it doesn't smell like fresh saltwater air in western Kansas or eastern Colorado, it smells more like cattle manure.

I got my first flat tire of the entire trip this morning. After 1,800 miles of riding on all types of roads, a staple from the hotel room floor punctured my inner tube. I replaced the inner tube and we were on the road in no time.

Other than reaching our 6th state, nothing too eventful happened. We rode on the same road for 108 miles, route 96 West. Towns and rest stops were few and far between. We passed another group of 3 riders, except they were carrying all of their gear with them on their bikes. Since we have a support vehicle with us on the road, the only thing I carry on my bike is my camelbak which holds my water, camera, and some snacks. I feel a bit guilty when I see those other riders carrying all of their belongings on their bikes, but then I quickly get over it and am thankful for the support vehicle. I don't even want to know what those riders think as we cruise on by them with our light racing bikes. We've actually been laughed at a few times. Most of the other riders have touring bikes which are a bit more sturdy, but our racing bikes allow us to go pretty fast. We've gone over 400 miles in the past 4 days and tomorrow we plan of riding well over 100 again to reach Pueblo, Colorado (population 20,o00) were we have a planned rest day. We'll definitely need the rest before we hit up the Rockies in a few days.

I hope everyone is doing well and thanks for posting your comments!