Utah…mother nature guards her borders well

October 5, 2008 to October 9, 2008 

 I came into Utah during the tail end of a rain storm, and I just left it ahead of a killer cold front that is currently on its way. My first day in Utah was actually a half day. I’d been riding through spotty showers for the previous two days in Colorado and figure I was through when as I was nearing the visitor center a dark cloud just opened up. In the mile it took me to get to the visitor center everything below my waste (I had the rainjacket on) got soaked. Lucky for me the visitor center had a candy bowl with a bunch of sugar daddies and great restrooms with those obnoxious Xcelerator hand dryers which just happen to be great for drying clothes off. Needless to say that within an hour I was dry and on my way. I spent my first night in Utah in Vernal in a park right next to the police station (recommended by the cops of course).

Entering Utah (Western Utah was amazing)

The next day I took a short, 75 mile ride and went from Vernal to a little rest area on the other side of Duchesne which is definitely not pronounced the way it looks. Ten miles before I got there a super friendly black Lab (the dog) began following me and chased me all the way there. Don’t ever try and outrun one of those things. Even when I was going 20+ mph downhill he was right with me. I spent the night on a concrete table top which with the temperature in the upper 20’s was pretty cool (body heat can’t heat up a concrete slab).

On the way to Provo I went through the Provo canyon (incredible!)

After the previous short day, I climbed my third highest pass at 8,020 ft and ended 102 miles further West in Payson, where my dad and I camped at the local park. My dad and I actually met in the Provo visitor center--Provo being home to America’s largest private college, Brigham Young University. For dinner I had a peanut butter sandwich, but to wash it down I had an amazing cup of hot green tea…delicious!

I hope they don't actually swim here (that is for sure snow)

The final full day in Utah was pretty amazing. I rode 112 miles which included a 6,000 something (who’s counting at this point?) foot pass. At the top of the pass I stopped at a gas station and as I was leaving the attendant seriously said to me “Be careful, I hope you don’t get hit by a car.” Just not something you wanna say to a guy getting passed by hundreds of cars (or tens in Western Utah) a day.

A tarantula I saw on the road in Utah and chased after for a pic, haha

The final day in Utah was ridden entirely on the “loneliest road,” Hwy 6/50. Check out a map; that’s what it’s called. I rode for 83 miles on it and passed little more than a few cows grazing near the road, and it continues like that all the way through Nevada (the fun ahead!!). However, due to 25 mph head winds (you try riding across a plain with that kind of winds if you don’t believe they suck) and a cold front that sent temperatures into the teens, we’ve (my dad and I) driven to San Francisco, CA for a little hiatus; it was either stay in San Fran for a few days or stay in Ely, NE for a few days. I drove through last night, and we got to Berkeley at 4:00, with enough time for a few hours of shut-eye at the first gas station we saw. I’ve already checked out Berkeley which can be summed up with a word…beautiful. They have a concert every Friday in the commons area outside the food court, and today it just happened to be some alt. rock band. An alternative rock band… Who does that? Anyway, tomorrow is San Fran, and then the plan is to head back through Yosemite towards where I left off on Sunday. Only 600 something miles left to go!!!