Day 24

Hite Marina to Blanding

80 3/4 daily
1208 total

Sunrise at Lake Powell

>I chomp down a can of tuna and hit the road before seven. The air is still and very warm. A heck of a half hour climb gets me to the highway and back on course. Boy is it steep! The summit gives way to a nice downhill rip and I still haven't seen a car this morning.

The highway rolls near deep and narrow ravines. For this reason, the road must follow the shoulders and contours of every stinkin' butte, mesa or hill along the way. The constant up and down is tiring and I'm not making great time with the headwind. Out here I meet Simon and Neal. They flew out from the UK to ride Virginia to California. They left Blanding this morning and will skip Hite and head straight for Hanksville. That's over 120 miles! My hat, or helmet goes off to those guys. I've heard of folks doing this section all in one bite, but I wouldn't recommend it!

Eight hours and 50 miles later I reach Salvation Knoll. This was the easy part!

Up to this point highway has taken the path of least resistance. 18 miles outside of Blanding that trend takes a turn. Now the road blasts through rock, plunges and soars across the landscape and offers the hardest end-of-the-day ride yet.

It seems hotter at 5 than it did at noon! I dash for shade 3 or 4 times before completing the climb into Blanding. Drum roll please ...... No beer in Blanding! Dry town and proud of it. I can't wait to tap the Rockies!

Day 23

Hanksville to Hite Marina

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!

Day 22

Torrey to Hanksville

48.5 daily
1074 total

A quick scoot uphill leads to a easy glide down to the Fremont River.

Petroglyphs are scribed into the red cliffs.

It's starting to warm up as I approach Cainville.

Once in Caineville I meet two Westbounders relaxing in the shade of a tree. They're from Chicago and en route to San Francisco. Something tells me they are totally fried and ready to get this thing over with. One of them tows a trailer yet wears a backpack as well.??? Put the pack in the trailer man! They ask about Muir Woods and I offer my best advice on S.F.

Out of Caineville it gets quite hot. The scenery is incredible and I stop to quietly enjoy. Shadows from passing clouds slowly tumble down the cliffs like an avalanche.

What would the middle of nowhere be without a yard sale?

>I arrive in Hanksville and I'm thrilled to get my brain outta the sun. There's a guy in a box truck at the Sinclair gas stop and he's BLASTING Hank Williams- " Ya got me chasin' rabbits, pullin' out my hair and howlin' at the moon..."

>I grab lunch and meet Bill and Sandy. They're from Colorado and they're cruising around on a Harley. We talk a while and after they say goodbye the waitress informs me that they bought my lunch! Thanks you two! Seconds later I meet William from London. He's riding the Western Express for a cancer charity. We sit and chat and later split a six pack at my campsite. Ride on Big Willy!

Day 21

Boulder to Torrey

37.5 daily
1025 total

I start a bit earlier than usual and I'm feeling beat by mile five. I figure I'm behind on calories and so I snack a lot and feel much better by 10 o'clock.

This mountain is steep! I slowly grind away and hit my 1000th mile!

Here's a view on the other side of Boulder Mtn. It's a fast ride to the bottom and I hit 48 mph! A viewpoint offers a preview of the super-freaky Hanksville to Blanding ride.

>I arrive in Torrey and wind up at an RV park. The host used to work as a typesetter for Phoenix newspapers.

Once I settle in I meet a dude from Fresno. He's a retired firefighter and he and his buddies used to ride bicycles down the Pacific cost. They towed a horse trailer to carry gear and tired riders.
I take the long walk to a grocery store and stop to admire this shady scene.