pedalpanam

Going to go hiking in the canyons near Escalante, should be back Tuesday or Wednesday.  I’ll be hiking in Coyote Gulch, which I’ve been to two times already.  It will be cool to see in the fall as opposed to the spring.

Despite having enjoyed the company of familiar faces on this trip, I have yet to see somewhere that I already know, up until today.  One of the biggest reasons I didn’t take the more traditional coastal route south through the USA is the canyons of southern Utah.

Today was the first day that I’ve retraced routes I’ve previously traveled.  I’ve come out to Escalante along the beautiful UT Hwy 12 three times now with good friends, by car.  The last time I was here was about 7 months ago, and back then I already knew I was leaving on this bike trip, and kept telling myself, “this will be fantastic on a bike”.

So here I am.  No familiar faces.  But familiar sights, and it is the closest I’ll come to feeling at home in a while.  In particular, the red dust that has coated my shoes and the smell of sagebrush have welcomed me back.

And of course, the junipers.  I don’t often refer to my bike by her name, so you may not know I named her Juniper.  I will be sure to get a picture of her propped up against the many junipers that scatter the area.

I hope to do some hiking and camping down in the side canyons of the Escalante river over the next few days.

Escalante or bust!

Yesterday was just about a perfect day.  It started out in Sigurd, UT, right by interstate 70, at maybe 5,200 feet.  Not a single cloud would appear in the sky the whole day, but it never got too hot.  The day started with a climb up to 7,300 feet, and back down to 7,000 before a climb up to 8,300 feet.  The grades were never too challenging, so it was rather enjoyable.

The approach into Torrey was just what I’ve been waiting for this whole trip.  Around a corner and suddenly it appeared.  Three strips of color; on the bottom, a fluffy yellow-green of grass and sagebrush, on the top, an infinite empty bright blue, and in the middle, a burning mix of reds, pinks and oranges.

I’m now headed to Escalante, canyon country, but I am not sure I’ll make the 64 miles today.  From 6,800 feet here I’ve got a climb for the first 25 miles up to 9,300, the highest elevation of my trip so far.  I’ll be happy just to get that done today.

I better get going.  Once again, not a cloud in the sky.

A lot has gone on since last updating from WY.  Today was the first day this month that I woke up in my tent and it was above freezing.  In fact, it was over 50°F.

After the night in the motel in Afton, I ran into a couple from Germany.  They had also spent the night in Afton in a different motel.  We didn’t bike together very long, I was motivated to make up for lost time and was travelling a little faster than them.  I got to Cokeville, WY that night, having done 3 miles in Idaho.

From Cokeville I pressed on to Evanston, where I had a place set up via couchsurfing.org.  Maurizio was a great host, and took me out to have some Chinese food.

Park City, UT was next on my route.  I had found another place to stay via couchsurfing.org, this time with Pam and Tom.  They moved to Utah from the east coast to be closer to all the outdoor adventures the area offers.  They cooked up a great meal for me and I

The next morning I was planning on leaving and continuing to Helper, UT over the next two days to catch the Amtrak and go to Denver for a quick visit to my 98 year-old Grammie Johnson.  However, I looked at airfare and found a flight from Salt Lake that was cheaper than the Amtrak.  So I relaxed in Park City for a day and flew into Denver on Saturday.

I took the shuttle from Denver to Loveland, and stayed with former North Parkers Sten and Erica.  They graciously let me stay at their new home and dropped me off the next day at my grandma’s.  I spent the morning and afternoon with her.  I had brought along an audio recorder, and got to spend some time asking her questions about her life and hearing some of her stories.

That afternoon my cousin Seth came to pick me up and I hung out with him and Kirsten that evening in Golden.  Monday I took the bus into Denver, with the hopes of surprising my friend Jessie, who had no idea I was coming.  I had to wait around, as she was out for the day, but met up with her and Steve (Hawk) later in the afternoon.  It was good to see them!

I flew back into Park City the next morning and was picked up by Pam at the airport.  I got back on the road and made it to Provo, where I stayed with Josh, who I found via couchsurfing.org.  He is a student at BYU and lives with 10 other guys in a house.  They made me feel very welcome, and took me out for a bite and a drink at a swanky (non-alcoholic) lounge downtown.

A short day because of a rain got me as far as Nephi last night, where for the first time in over a week, I set up my tent.  Although I have had a good time hanging out with friends old and new, it was good to be back on the road again.

I decided that after 3 months and over 4,000 miles on the road, it was time to treat myself to a motel!  It has been snowing on and off all day, and the road just ahead goes over a 7,600 ft pass, which I wasn’t up  for trying in this weather.  Things should be clearing up tomorrow, still cold, but at least some blue skies hopefully.

Well, I am off to get my money’s worth and enjoy some cable TV!