Day 19 and 20: yeppp... Still not a fan of the desert

We didn't have any internet connection last night and today we rode 79 miles, 65 of which were uphill. Don't worry, because the heat was easily in the 90's.  After riding for 7 hrs and 42 minutes today, which is pretty good for heat and pulling water and food weight uphill, we pulled into Blanding, Utah at around 7:45 pm.... So tonight i am sharing mainly pictures and sparing details. Tomorrow i will fill in the details with a Day 19, 20, and 21 all encompassing blog post. We have to get up early tomorrow and make it to dolores, CO in good time... One more 80 mile day and we get a much needed recovery day.

Yesterday we found ourselves back in the desert again in 98 degree heat. What lovely surprises everyday. We were luckily prepared with enough water as we had to make it to Hite, UT, where there would be no service stations for another 74 miles.

Hite had little for food and shelter, and by the time we got there, we weren't quite sure where the alleged campsite was, so we kind of ended up sleeping near/on someone's lawn... It looked like an RV hookup. We set up camp there, nonetheless, and it seemed as though 630 came around too fast. We were pretty much out of food and the convenient store want very "convenient" so we had to improvise, which is scary when you have a full day of climbs and you know you are going to be starving.

It was a hard day today. We struggled mentally and physically. One thing I love about us is that we are so good at picking each other up. This journey has been a team effort in every possible way. I am fortunate to have shared this adventure with such an incredible person.

So without further ado, i just be off to sleep.... There will be details galore tomorrow (and maybe more than you are looking for ;) ....)Sweet dreams Utah... We leave you in the morning.
Photo 1-3: leading up to Hanksville (last service station for 50 miles (Hite))
Photo 4-7: our approach to Hite (Ntl Patk that includes Lake Powell)
Photo 8 and on: bam... All if a sudden lake powell appears

Day 17 pictures

So something went awry with posting this blog this morning and i am fairly certain the pictures didn't post. I had about 25 of them.
Here is my second attempt to show you the incredible scenery that we ventured through
Photo 1-4: from Tropic to Henrieville
Photo 5: Lindsay is having a hard time finding the beach
Photo 6- 9: the Grand Staircase Escalante National Park
Photo 10-12: the approach of and the summit of the mountain
Photo 13 - 14: the decent to Escalante
Photo 15-18:the beginning of the canyons
Photo 19-21: the red canyons
Photo 22 on: our climb

Day 17: utah, your hills hurt my legs

<p>As promised i will give a few details about the morning after our hellacious night. We got on or bikes by 8 after enjoying two power bars dipped in peanut butter each. And yes, we were still chilled to the bone. We had been told the night before that Panguitch and Panguitch lake was going to be all down hill... That was apparently false, as the first 5 miles of the morning was steep climbing, easily up to 10,500 feet. We were reassured that we made the right decision to stay in the campground shower as it would have been extremely difficult to climb those miles with cold muscles. The descent was beautiful, the first 7 miles of which were Meadows, which i was honestly surprised about. We saw tons of deer, birds, and, Lindsay's favorite, animal carcasses (mainly because of the smell).The morning light on the dew made the grass sparkle. It was beautiful. Riding in the morning is so peaceful.You get to wake up with nature, with the sun, the day. It is a pretty spectacular privilege.

I

The descent was cold. The morning air  was very cool and the sun was not strong enough yet to warm us up. We made it to Panguitch lake and got some much neteded coffee, hoping that would warm us up.  As i was walking into the store there tttwere two middle aged men with their sons sitting and chatting over coffee.  One of the men must have seen the worn out and exhausted look on my face, as he didn't hesitate to tell me that they didn't start setting beer for the next two hours.  When i came out of the store, we started chatting.  He and his brother were vacationing at the lake with their sons.  After telling me to be careful on or journey, he asked me what "cure" i was "pedaling for" (it is on our shirts).  When i told him he grew quiet, and for a brief moment his smile was replaced with sadness.  His wife had passed away from brain cancer.  He said it had metastasized from her breast. "out of everywhere else in the body it could have gone, it had to go to the brain... That is what killed her." We chatted for a while. He has a son, and he hopes to make it to Vermont one day.  He and his brother were very encouraging.  It was nice to met them. After a night like we had, we had a nice reminder of why we were doing this.  The night in the shower doesn't seem as horrifying once you put it into perspective.
We had a beautiful ride the rest of the day, traveling through some beautiful canyons, including Bryce Canyotn National Park.  We only had to get insert thte rain fly once to protect us from the hail.  As you probably can tell from my pictures from yesterday and Lindsay's, the scenery is gorgeous.  We ended up in Tropic last night, and thoroughly enjoyed pizza and ice cream. I started having a problem around lunch time trying to stay full.  I ate an entire foot long sub and it felt like we hadn't eaten lunch yet.   The same thing happen after dinner... We were both starving and had top easy something before we feel asleep. (we got a hotel... Bed has never felt so wonderful after sleeping in lawn chairs in a shower stall on top of a mountain... I remember telling Lindsay that "these pillows are perfect" right before i fell asleep.
We woke up this morning early and hit the road.  Again, the morning ride was beautiful and we were surrounded by rocky canyons that glowed in the early sun.  It was the beginning of a breathtaking day. 8 miles away in Henrieville, we began our first climb of the day through the Grand staircase  Escalante National Park.  We weaved in through the canyons, had to wait for some cows to get out of the road, and starred climbing.  We were psyched because the climbs weren't that tough, we hit a steep section  and we were sure that the summit sign was going to be there... After all, it was only a 1000 ft climb.  And then things got real. We looked up and saw one of the most horrifying grades we had seen this whole trip.  Our legs were on fire, our breathing was rampant. It felt like every pedal would be your last, but then you would pedal once more.  We made to the summit, flabbergasted because this climb was supposed to be the easy one of the day, and on the elevation map it was relative in size and grade to the last one we did yesterday, and the summit sign snuck up on us... We weren't expecting it.
Nonetheless, our descent was well deserved. It was nice to be back in the big chain ring again as we made our way through the end of the national park to Escalante, which is was breathtaking. I swear we stop every few minutes to take a picture.  (Instead of describing everything, I'm attaching a lot of pictures.  Intimately i can't embed them in the text)
When we had arrived in Escalante at 12:30, we were starving after our nearly 40 miles. We ate at the Prospector Inn that had been recommended to us the day before by the kind man at the lake.  the salad i had was one of the easiest things in the world.  I haven't had veggies like that in what seems like forever.  A huge sandwich later, and we were both still hungry.  After ice cream, we ventured out again.  At lunch we had discussed what our possible destination of the day would be.  Boulder (29 miles away) was half way up our "tough climb," (putting it lightly) and we thought from the map that we would be able top make it all the way up to the summit at 9600 ft and over to Torrey.  We said "lets see how we feel when we get to Boulder."  We were in for quite the surprise.
We started out ascent as soon as we left Escalante.  The landscape reminded us of the desert, and so did the temperature as the heat started to pick up.  It remained a lovely 89-93 degrees for the easy of the afternoon.  Sweating profusely and not feeling like we could get enough water, neither of us could comprehend how we survived the 105 heat in Sacramento on the day of our climbs.  Again, we were fooled by the hill, and thought we were making progress towards our climb towards Boulder.... Nope. Just a super hard warm up.  Love the burning legs.
Towards the top of this endless hill we met a couple who had started off from Southern Florida and had taken about 4 months to get to this point. They seemed as though they were in no rush, and their final stop was Washington state.  They did a lot of camping, but i can't fathom how on earth they would be able take that much time off from work... Or afford the food (judging by the amounts that we are consuming) not only that, but they had to worry about dog food for the poor Jack Russell Terrier that they were towing, or incubating, rather, in a trailor.  it was infuriating.  They told us that we were about to have a nice descent once e reached the top of the hill they neglected to tell us that we were about to be blown away with what we saw.... Canyons that went on forever, that contained every color in them, that tangled the road around the rocks.  I have few words to describe what we saw when we first reached the top of the hill.  I will say that i remember telling myself that if my grandmother (Nana) was there, she would tell me to close my mouth so the flies don't get in.
We followed the 8% grade road down about two miles. My wrists and hands were toured from grasping the brakes.  And just when we thought we had reached the end, we saw another canyon that was completely red, the rocks had changed in shape and consistency. wee flew down those canyons, too.  The road weaved around this incredible red stone, and i was still too blown away by the sights and sounds to think about the fact that we were going to have to start climbing soon.  But it wasn't.the climbing we were used to.  It took the first hill of the day and made it seem easy. This was a leave it all behind, is the bike even moving kind of climb.  And it just kept going.  Everytime i finished a tough section, i would think, there cannot possibly be anymore of these, and then i would turn the corner and Surprise! An even steeper section!  the heat didn't help.  I remember thinking how strange it was that two says ago we were trying to do anything and everything we could to get warm. Now, we were swimming in our sweaty shorts... The other extreme.
We got closer to the top, and a man was driving slowly in.his truck to pull off and take a picture, looked over and got so excited and opened his door and said, "holy moly! Are you out of your mind coming up that mountain?." The next person we saw had been a river guide in the grand canyon  for 36 years.  The first thing he said to us was "are you girls out of your mind."  We told him we were headed to Boulder, and his response of "your almost there" made my day.
We continued on after a lovely conversation as we caught our breath.  We laughed about the v fact that we actually thought we could make it over the entire mountain at lunch. We were running out of energy. And that odd when. We saw the sign on the other side of the road.  It was a warning for caRs about top go down what we came up, and it read: "14% Grade, next 4 miles." I swear my chin dropped to the ground. It made sense why my legs no longer wanted or felt like they could work, why that climb felt so wrong.  I wouldn't have wanted to do that without panniers and with road tires on a good day. Luckily we hadn't seen that sign from the very beginning, as the mental struggle would have been far worse than it already had been.  I am pretty proud of us, though.
Or legs had nothing in them. We stopped for a snack with 6 miles let to go. That didn't do anything either. Neither did the point of ice cram we split when we first got into town.  We left everything we had out there today.  And while it seems impossible to satiate out hunger (as i sit here hungry after the burger, free piece of pie that the lovely waitress have us, eating fig Newtons like it is my job) we have to refuel as well as possible and get some much needed sleep.
Tomorrow will.be difficult. We have the rest of the mountain to climb. We know that the grades won't be as bad as they were in the beginning (or so we have been told), but we know it it's going to be tough. If we can do 4 miles of 14%  at the tail end of a 68 mile day, what is a 10-12% grade first thing in the morning (still tough, and not something i would seek out). What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

Day 18: big climbs, big rewards

When we woke up this morning at 7, our muscles hurt at the thought of getting up. After all, it had hardly been 12 hours since we finished our 11 hour day yesterday. We took our sweet time. I started out the day with a half of a box of Fig Newtons, ramen and a huge bowl of oatmeal (don't worry because 5 miles in to our day i ate a protein bar... I am a bottomless pit). We tried to upload our blogs from yesterday with the weak wifi signal, but that turned into me playing with an extremely friendly dog after he bright a slobbery apple for me to throw him. Half way through he brought me a new, less chewed apple to throw, but would lick it when he stopped it, as is to make sure the slimy factor hadn't changed.

We filled our water bottles and began our tell up the mountain. It was hot and it only took us about a mile to start dripping sweat ( i know, gross, but it is our daily reality. You are lucky that i spare you the details of how it drips down our shorts.)

We made our way, hill by hill, up the mountain, as usual. I stopped for a water break at one point to look up and see two huge cows about 10 feet away in the shade just starring at me. I got off my bike and was hoping they wouldn't charge (you never know how the altitude can effect you). They began mooing, sounding quite upset, and made their way into the middle of the road. Very convenient.

We scurried past them, and continued our climb. We soaked our shirts in the stream, kept hydrated, snacked and joked. After yesterday, the climb wasn't all that bad. We were both glad that we had gotten the hard part out of the way the day before, as it would have been painful to do the whole thing in one day with the 14% grade, as this was 8%.
We were excited to get to the summit, 9600 ft. This will be the third highest climb of our journey. We have one more outside of Dolores that will reach about 11-000 ft. The altitude really didn't affect either of us today as it did on the climb out of Cedar City, which is was a pleasant surprise. I found myself breathing harder at the top, but that may also be due to the fact that we had been climbing for 15 miles, and not solely due to the fact that i was staving my body from oxygen.. I can feel the difference from a few days ago. The body's ability to adapt continues to amaze me. What better way to celebrate with than a can of chef boyardee right near the summit with the horizon to your right. We were proud of our climb, and the fact that these climbs are getting easier and easier. In all honesty, however, we were more excited about the fact that our 1000 mile mark was about 40 miles away! ( man did those miles fly by... I guess that is what happens when you spend so much time on your bike...and have fun doing it).

The descent was gorgeous. Everything we have seen so far in Utah has been gorgeous. Birch trees lined the road, and as they were tall and thinly leaved you could see past them tops of the red canyon below. The birch gave way to pine, but i smelled the change before i visually noticed it. Much of my concentration was directed to speed control and breaking. It is extremely important to stop every few miles when you are descending to let your tires and break pads cool, other wise you risk blowing the tire. It is a fine line between enjoying the speed and flying, but maintaining control of your bike and all of the momentum it carries. At some points today, the crosswind was so bad that it blew me a foot to the left. With such winds coupled the sound of the air rushing past your ears from the descent alone, it is hard to hear cars, and the shoulders are narrow in the winding mountain roads. You need to be able to maintain control to stop for bike if need be in an emergent situation, while carefully enjoying the scenery, and enjoying the fact that you are moving the air out of the way to go down the mountain you just gave everything to climb.

Our descent took us to Torrey just as a storm was rolling in. Perfect timing... We cruised to the town only to find that there was a Subway waiting for us, next to an outdoor gear shop. We stayed there for nearly two hours, and got back on the road at 5. We entered Capitol Reef National Park, which has become my favorite 30 miles of the trip.

The stone of the canyon was a burnt orange mixed with coral, with heights so high that when i looked up, i got dizzy. There were rocks of all consistencies, smooth, jagged, flakes. As we weaved through the stone majesties, into the bottom of the canyon where we saw deer (reindeer, we think) mingling with turkeys and other wildlife in lush meadows next to "pick your own fruit" fields. And almost as suddenly was these red rocks appeared, they faded into more of a white stone color, and the way the light of the setting sun hit them and created shadows created another element of beauty. Every time we turned a bend bend, we would see something new, and just as spectacular. The best part is, we had this all to ourselves. There was a stillness in the canyon that i have not yet experienced on a ride, and it helped that there were no cars, no buses, and few RVs. The peacefulness was there for us to soak in, absorb, and cherish, and share it only with the wildlife around us... Not to mention we hit mile 1000 in this canyon, and our cheers echoed through for miles, it seemed.This is a huge milestone for us. 16 days of actual riding and we have hit 1000 miles, and we made every one of those miles count. What is more, the majority of those miles have been up hill, in more ways than one.  We have laughed, screamed, grunted, cursed, and even cried to get us through those mile when we didn't know if our muscles could.

I wish i had s video camera to capture all of the beauty in the last 30 miles. The stone rocks eventually turned to pale sand mountains that took on a shade of purple as the sun continued to set. This was also the first incredible sunset that the two of us had seen. Pink yellow and purple clouds on one side of the road, and directly across was a big moon in a cloudless blue sky, ready to take over. Everything was profound in beauty.

I remember having a conversation with a religion professor who was very influential in my collegiate career, even though it had little to do with biology. His course was one of my electives, exploring Indian religions, and ended up being one of my favorites. We had diverged from the topic of life and death, as I had still been struggling with the recent trauma of my father's death, and our conversation was headed back to class discussions and he pointed out the window and said "do you see that tree right there, Kate? Everything that makes that tree exist is the same in you, it is just rearranged in a different way. So you see, you are connected...to more things than you know."

His words meant a lot to me that day, but today it was clearer to me what he meant. The majestic beauty in the mountains, the strength in trees, the grace in rivers, exist in us. It is there, waiting to be found, ripened, harvested and adored.  After all, it is where we came from.

The last 30 miles of today was liberating. Thank you, Utah. We head into the valley of the mountains tomorrow.  There is only a campsite and a convenient store for 124 miles.  We will leave with enough food and water for two days.  One more climb this map... Dolores, CO, we'll see you in few days!

Photo 1: the dog i was playing with
Photo 2: our initial ascent
Photo 3: the cow in the road (eventually 3 of them decided it would be fun to live on the dangerous side)
Photo 4: getting closer
Photo 5-7: lunch time fun
Photo 8: the summit!
Photo 9-11: our descent
The rest: the Capitol Reef National Park