Sunday, July 11
There are times we encounter roads better suited to mountain bikes. We began the day with such a road – a monstrosity of loose gravel on which we fought for balance with every pedal stroke. Riding on this road became a game requiring the utmost concentration to find the firmest patches in the road. Of course, this area also happens to be thick with gnats and mosquitoes that form clouds behind riders in an almost cartoon-like fashion. Luckily, the road ended after about four miles.
The fun did not stop there, however. It’s said that Highway 50 is the “loneliest road in America”, but the next stretch of this road was definitely less traveled. The right lane of the road was overgrown with grass, and the roughness of the pavement, while not easily seen, could be felt with every jolt through our saddles. We had rolling hills similar to what we saw in Missouri, but riding slowly was not an option, for the cloud of gnats would engulf us at speeds lower than around 10 mph.
The majority of the day was hot, dry, and gnat infested. There was, however, little traffic in the roads, and today Kieran decided to ride no hands for 43 miles with Henrik supporting him with water and food. These two continued on as the rest of us stopped for a delicious Subway lunch at an RV park.
In the last 20 mile stretch, we ran into these two stopped at a small store that has supposedly appeared in travel guides for CruiseAmerica. After a short break we entered into the canyons as a brief but strong storm caught us on a climb. The entry into Capitol Reef was rather scenic but also repetitive. It was a great relief to finally roll into the campground. And thus began the first of three straight days of the team’s first true camping experience!
-Charlie Ouyang
No comments:
Post a Comment