:: shift7 ::

:: north/south adventure ::

utah: day 15, fri 12 sep
panguitch lake - springdale

stats:
100.0 @ 16.7 = 5:57:39, max 45.0, trip total: 1,151

eats:
half a jelly & honey sandwich, banana nut harvest powerbar, peanut butter & jelly sandwich, chocolate chip cookies, doritos, gatorade, ice cream (cookies and cream and raspberry cheesecake), chicken enchilada, homemade brownie

sleep:
RV campground, $7

thoughts:
now that's a climb! zep at te comi na uni que zo ah. that's what it sounded like when i tried to talk/sing on the way up. no air to breathe. i couldn't make sense before i needed to gulp down another breath. it was a long climb and at a high elevation. today we reached the highest point on the route and the lowest point so far. 11,000 and 3,300. it was cold and it was hot - 40 in the morning and 95 in the afternoon. it was extreme- all day long. it was also a long 100 miles.

so going up first thing in them morning was really tough- not sure if it was the lack of air or the skimpy breakfast or the mental strain of starting with 20 miles of up and over 3000 feet-- or the unique combination of all of them. in any event it was tough. it was up and up with some downs- which only added more ups. there were pockets of cold air that made it seem like winter- with three layers of clothing and busting my ass i was still cold to the core. and then the next corner would make me want to shed and start to sweat. but the payoff was amazing. over looking this canyon with red walls that looked like a play sand castle. i just snapped off some shots knowing it was useless. like asking god to sign an autograph - after seeing it, does it really translate?
a small insight clip

so i'm hanging out eating my lunch and scribbling some things down. i put my bike out so it could easily be seen from the road. so when thomas gets here he won't pass by. sounds odd, but i actually passed this spot by a couple hundred yards when i decided to turn around and check it out. the biker mentality- there looks like there is more climbing, and there was so i'll stop when i'm on top. and you really couldn't see it from the road. so... i specifically sat out to make sure he stopped. here he comes, i wave, i can see him clearly so he can obviously see me. its the middle of the day and its only about 50 yards. i even yelled thomas! sure enough he passed right by! what? i grab all my shit strewn all over the place, not even putting on my helmet to go after him. stuff hanging off like a bag lady. and once i reach him by yelling at him from behind he stops. i couldn't stop laughing - it was like scott on the training ride- in the zone- totally zoned. after working all morning you just had to see it and i didn't want him to miss it- and for some reason it was funny. it was good to laugh.

as it turns out there was another "scenic view point" just ahead.

that was only the beginning. i descended at top speeds only to climb back to 9,900 which was the final pass into the west side of the range. that's when the real fun began. 4-8% downhill grade for 10 miles. and to my surprise it swung back under the view we were just looking down on. looking up makes it look so much more majestic. but it was a toss up on whether to take more photos or just barrel down the mountain.
screaming down at 35-40 clip

coming into cedar city it felt like another day. people were out in shorts. we dropped to 5500 feet and we were on the west side of the range. it quickly got hot- 80s and then 90s. then it was hot. real hot - sweaty hot. the rocks, the landscape, the mood, it was all different. a light tail wind to slowly drop even more elevation. we were now sucking down the water and breathing heavy from the thick air. but it felt good. the sun beating on us. spinning down the road at 20 plus making up for a slow start. another 20 miles went by in less than an hour, then the next 20.

we got on interstate 15 for another 20 miles (the only route available and recommended by adventure cycling- so please no gasps). its actually a safe ride- you have your own lane (the shoulder) which is more than the inches we have on many other roads. plus there are no blind corners and cars can use the other lane to keep their distance which they usually do. and the double and triple long trailer trucks (they attach two or more trailers like a train) on a 75mph road makes for a strong breeze in your direction. always a plus. for instance you can be going 16 into a head wind and as soon as they pass you can be going 22. nice boost. not everybody enjoys it like i do.

after that and being at our lowest point- 3300 feet it was back to climbing to camp- the last 20 miles. we were now in zion country. the layers of rock and strands of mountains almost took over my sense of direction- i was starring and nearly ran off the road. every turn of the road was another postcard photo. which one do you take? every angle had a different story. it was a calm way to end the day and ride into camp. springdale is right at the entrance to the park.

tim made it in today - bill picked him up from las vegas. its great to see him and so hard to phase him in to all our inside jokes and references. but he'll catch on quick. he's already dishing out shit to bill and thomas and he hasn't started riding. then again, with those two you need to start early before they get to you first.

we had ice cream at a local joint before getting to camp. a true century type of day. perfect to cap the day. it tasted like oxygen, it was soothing the pain.

it's another clear night - still warm compared to previous nights an its about 11pm. so i'll be sleeping out under the stars - all of them- there are so many. surrounded by the famous southwest canyon walls and a river rumbling down. kinda serene, kinda surreal, kinda inspiring.

i'm here at a picnic table plugged into some RV hook up (not sure whose), charging up my camera and ipod, listening to awesome mp3s wondering why i haven't been here before. why it took me this long to realize so many things. but that's ok - i know it now. it's like i should be having a bottle of champagne.

note:
for those that worry: my ankle is doing great. i don't feel a thing.
for those that don't care: it hurts sometimes, and it feels ok the rest of the time. i try to keep from pushing it over the edge but its hard. part of the joy is the push, the pain, the challenge. the difference between going 7mph and 8.5mph over a pass, rolling over hills at 22mph instead of just making it over them, beating cars down the pass at 45mph on 35mph rated turns. i'm taking care of it on an as needed basis.