51.5 daily
1126 total
Here's a last look at Hanksville.
Fifteen miles out I meet another cyclist. I think this is the sixty-something guy I heard about. His trip has a direction but no ending. Back in Missouri he narrowly missed the tornadoes. His gear selections are heavy and he describes the cracked seats and rims he's had along the way. This dude is a real tiger and I figure he'll always reach his goal.
It is now midday and my head is really starting to scramble in the hot sun. I spy a leaning rock that offers a sliver of shadow and I make my move.
A first glimpse at Lake Powell
There's a quick zip down to lake level and then it's climbs to rivers Dirty Devil and Colorado.
Shade! Oh, and the Colorado River, too.
Around here I start seeing cyclists that are too cool to return a wave or a "hello". They're part of the "Tour of Utah" bike race.
Hite Marina has become the largest question mark on this whole trip. I discover that it is far from deserted and lots of folks camp and RV here. I eat two microwave pizzas at the general store. It is unbelievably hot so I delay setting up camp and hang out in the shade of the ranger station for a while. Here's a view heading down to the lake.
After setting up I take a dip in the lake. The water level here rises a foot a day. Folks here are glad because Hite hasn't seen this much water in a long time.
As night falls, the RV crowds crank up the generators for a few hours- why get away from it all when you can bring it all with you? It's still really neat here and once it's quiet again I notice bats. Tons of bats! They chase bugs until sunrise. At midnight a bizarre wind kicks up and almost blows my tent to pieces. The lake churns so violently it sounds like I'm camped right beside a creek. I fix the tent and I can't believe how hot it is. The rocky lake bed retains its heat and my tent feels like a sauna!
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