I was lacking a bit of inspiration yesterday. Maybe I was tired.
Not today - this was one of my best days of riding and it became one of the toughest.

I covered 66 miles in 8.5 hours. There was 1 big climb which peaked at 9,600 ft.
The first 42 miles was a long push to this pass. The last 22 miles were supposedly downhill to Torrey, Utah.

Things started with an 8am departure from Escalante, after breakfast of course.
Following a gentle bit of climbing we hit what I would describe as a roller coaster for bicycles. It was serious fun. The road weaved and dipped and for good periods was downhill. Of course with uphills as well which were slow.

What made today special was the scenery we passed through. It was so stunning. Big jagged rock faces, huge canyons, crevices, rivers, and smooth road cutting right through it all.
After a lot of fun things got steep and some hard climbing began. We were trying to get to Boulder where lunch was planned. Before that we had to get past some very high grade roads.

It was always encouraging to see people giving thumbs up and waving encouraging hand gestures on the way up. Stopping at any view points was also another time to receive pats on the back and words of encouragement from various people.
No one offered a lift though.

We had been warned about a section of road before Boulder with big drops on either side of the road and no barriers. Word was that it wasn't for the faint hearted.
It wasn't scary though. Traffic was minimal, the weather was perfect and the views were again, bloody unbelievable.
Chris and I continued to ride together but his pace seemed to be slower than me today. I think he had forgotten how to use his higher gears.
I was keen to make good time so didn't bother slowing for him. I knew he would catch up when eating lunch in Boulder.
Halfway through eating my lunch I got a text from him, 1 word saying 'flat'
FLAT I thought!!! That was bloody hilly. What a strange thing to say.
As I was eating my desert the cogs in my brain clicked in and I realised he meant flat - tyre. I was beginning to think even he couldn't be this slow. He texted again at that point and suggested I just carry on.
He had it under control. Who would plan to ride 4000 miles and not have a puncture repair kit and or spare tubes?

Boulder was 28 difficult but fun miles from the beginning. I would describe the next 14 miles to the pass at 9,600 ft only as difficult. It was a relentless climb that seemed to go on forever.

Leaving Boulder was brilliant though. As I was paying the bill a cowboy passed the cafe followed by hundreds of cows and calves. I realised this was going to slow me down a lot, but I was definitely going to enjoy the spectacle.

Cars were already backing up as I joined the road. I slipped alongside them all until I reached the lead car which couldn't push through the throng any faster. We were surrounded.
They were making a right racket mooing all the way through town and beyond. Shitting and pissing everywhere.
I was running the gauntlet again. Waiting to get splattered. My wingman (couple in car next to me) offered to take my picture which was nice of them.
Every now and then I would try and make a small charge to see if I could push my way through. Some scattered but there would always be a big one in the clearing that didn't understand and looked like he was going to run at me instead. So I bided my time but eventually found a gap and a way around.

The majority of cars were stuck for a long time - I was miles down the road before any passed me. Except my wingman who also found a gap fairly quickly.

It was great to finally reach the pass. The ensuing downhill was fast and views good. There were too many small climbs to make it really fun descent though. It became a bit of a struggle after so much climbing beforehand.

On the final approach to Torrey I heard a car coming from behind me and abuse being shouted out of the window. I just caught 'you British bastard, see you in the next town'' and then saw Chris smuggly hanging out the window as it disappeared into the distance.
Jammy bastard.

A slow start.
The first stop before leaving Panguitch was the bakery to buy some freshly made doughnuts for the journey. They were amazing - I must eat more of those.
2nd stop was the local diner for a large breakfast, lots of coffee and a sandwich to go, for the journey!!
3rd stop was a general food shop to buy some further things to eat - for the journey!!!
Finally at about 8.45 we (Chris and I continue to ride together) made it out of town.

It was a nice day on the road. 67 miles covered over 2 climbs, neither of which were too punishing.
It started off with yet more fantastic scenery. It just keeps on coming! An amazing red canyon appropriately named Red Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase Escalante National monument.
All day there was something new to marvel at. It's really getting boring now ;)
Of course you can never get bored of this.
The weather was kind. Occasional head winds but generally it was behind us and cool temperatures. Much cooler than I'm used to.
The final approach into Escalante was a gentle downhill stretch lasting about 8 miles. To the left side if the road was a imposing, steep rock face that seemed to follow us forever and made for some great pictures.

My knees continue to give me grief. I'm just ploughing on without grinding them too much. Using the lowest gear possible to maintain a half decent speed. I'm really hopeful they will just re adjust and work out this is what their job is from now on. No more hiding under a desk or dashboard.
I'm sure they will get stronger if my brain sends the right messages to them. Mind over matter.

Tomorrow it's either another 60 mile day to Torrey or if things are going well we might push on for a 95 mile day ending in Cainville. A decision will be made at Torrey though.

Brief update today. Looking forward to a good sleep.

:)

I registered on couch surfers . com last week and placed an advert and a request for help with accommodation when in Cedar City.
I got In touch with super friendly and helpful Luzzy and Lena who were kind enough to offer me a bed in their spare room.
They also looked after my bike while I drove to GC and Zion which was really kind of them.
When I returned from my road trip they were hosting three more cycle tourists so they had a full house.
The other three were also riding to the East Coast, 2 to New York and 1 to Maine.
We all agreed to hit the road together this morning, leaving at 6am!!!
That was a little earlier than I was used to, but for the opportunity to ride with other people, it was worth getting up early for.

As we prepared to leave one of the other cyclists, Rachael looked unwell and was sick a few times. I think this is what happens when a vegan eats spam but thats another story.
Rachael and her companion suggested Chris and I ride ahead and they would hopefully catch up a bit later once she was feeling better.

So the two of us set off seeing as we had already made the effort to get up and ready, which wasn't easy at 5.30am.

The riding was basically split into 2 halves. 30 miles uphill and then 30 miles downhill.
It was a long day - About 9.5 hours from door to door and we covered 61.5 miles. The climb was long and slow and lasted nearly 6 hours. I went to the highest altitude i have ridden to at about 10,600 ft.

Our route was to take us very close to Cedar Breaks National Monument. Unfortunately the road to this attraction/park was still closed because of the winter weather. We checked the latest road advisory and it said it had not been plowed and was still shut.
We were prepared to take a detour which was a massive shame. At approx 9,700 ft we arrived at the entrance to the 'closed road' and should have carried on past it.
The snow was not that bad on the road we were travelling and the weather was looking pretty respectable at this point.
We also knew that the 'closed road' only climbed another 1000 ft max so couldn't see how conditions would change that much.
Anyway after deliberating for about 10 seconds we decided that there was no way this road could still be impassable so we climbed around the barrier and proceeded to Cedar Breaks National Monument with quiet confidence in our plan.

It was a master stroke and our hunch was correct.
We had the whole national park to ourselves, no cars or tourists. The music was on and the road was fine, mostly.
Ok, there were a few patches where deep snow covered the road but it was pretty easy to get over or around.
We has great viewing points with fantastic outlooks and no hustle or bustle for a good spot.
Cedar Breaks is another breathtaking natural formation on a big scale. Had I not been to GC the previous day I would have been gormlessly open mouthed again just as Chris was today. ;)

As we were coming close to the end of the so called 'closed road' the weather was closing in.
It started to sleet, literally as we approached the back of the 'road closed' sign, about 8 miles from the start of our digression.

We paused victoriously for a picture and then re joined the open, public roads. As we did this the sleet turned to heavy snow and the temperature quickly plummeted to about -2C.
This was the beginning of the descent down the mountain and it was tough going. My glasses were misting on the inside from my warm breath (diverted by my face cover) and they were getting covered in snow on the outside. Visibility was only about 30 metres anyway.

It was a pretty hairy ride until we got down to about 7000 ft where the snow disappeared, temperatures slowly climbed and the feeling came back into my fingers.

After this it was a pretty gentle ride into Panguitch, home got the night.

Tomorrow the plan is to head to Escalante. More miles to cover but less severe climbing so hopefully a slightly easier day.

Dear Americans. I have only just scratched the surface but from what I have seen so far, you are lucky to live in such a special place. I wish England had some of this.

Zion and Grand Canyon both blew me away.
With very limited time I didn't see much of either, but I'm hopeful I saw some of the best bits.
In Zion I opted for the 5 mile hike, climbing approximately 1500 Ft up a rock formation calked Angels Landing.
In equal measures I climbed with awe and fear. The pathway zigzagged steeply up a severe rock face and through an enclosed canyon type area . There were no railing or guards to protect you from a massive fall but this probably helped preserve the beauty of the place.
It was raining all the way up so things were a bit slippery.
100 feet from the top the path disappeared and occasional metal poles stuck out of the rock, joined up by metal chains. Many people stopped climbing here.
You were expected to hold on to these chains for dear life if you wanted to continue to the very top.
The chains were not a constant though. There were gaps which meant it was just you on a slippery angled rock face at times. Other people coming down needed to use the same chain and preferred footings. It got quite gridlocked. There weren't many options when choosing your next move.
I didn't make the very top. I got to a point where It dawned on me I had nightmares that sometimes started just like this - so I decided to work my way back to safety.

But wow, what an adrenaline rush while surrounded by such beautiful landscape.
I think on a dry day with good footing I would have continued that last bit.

I couldn't understand how the Grand Canyon could beat Zion but it did.
In my opinion they were both equals in for pure stunning landscape but the scale of the Grand Canyon is what sets it apart.
It could be called the Great Grandest Grand Canyon!!
Standing up on the north Rim it was hard to process what you were seeing. It looked super imposed.
If you haven't been the only good thing about that is you don't know what you're missing.

I'm half glad I saw both these places alone because I would have spent the whole time worrying my comrades had fallen off a cliff. It was bad enough with people I didn't know. Some girls I met asked me to take a picture of them on a ledge and they were nuts. They had no fear. I was like stop, don't go any further!
See the picture of me sat on a ledge looking rather scared. They decided to go the next step down and hang their legs off that.

I was sad to leave.

Back to work tomorrow with a cycle ride out of Cedar City. Not sure where I will end up yet. Big climb ahead though.

Dear Americans. I have only just scratched the surface but from what I have seen so far, you are lucky to live in such a special place. I wish England had some of this.

Zion and Grand Canyon both blew me away.
With very limited time I didn't see much of either, but I'm hopeful I saw some of the best bits.
In Zion I opted for the 5 mile hike, climbing approximately 1500 Ft up a rock formation calked Angels Landing.
In equal measures I climbed with awe and fear. The pathway zigzagged steeply up a severe rock face and through an enclosed canyon type area . There were no railing or guards to protect you from a massive fall but this probably helped preserve the beauty of the place.
It was raining all the way up so things were a bit slippery.
100 feet from the top the path disappeared and occasional metal poles stuck out of the rock, joined up by metal chains. Many people stopped climbing here.
You were expected to hold on to these chains for dear life if you wanted to continue to the very top.
The chains were not a constant though. There were gaps which meant it was just you on a slippery angled rock face at times. Other people coming down needed to use the same chain and preferred footings. It got quite gridlocked. There weren't many options when choosing your next move.
I didn't make the very top. I got to a point where It dawned on me I had nightmares that sometimes started just like this - so I decided to work my way back to safety.

But wow, what an adrenaline rush while surrounded by such beautiful landscape.
I think on a dry day with good footing I would have continued that last bit.

I couldn't understand how the Grand Canyon could beat Zion but it did.
In my opinion they were both equals in for pure stunning landscape but the scale of the Grand Canyon is what sets it apart.
It could be called the Great Grandest Grand Canyon!!
Standing up on the north Rim it was hard to process what you were seeing. It looked super imposed.
If you haven't been the only good thing about that is you don't know what you're missing.

I'm half glad I saw both these places alone because I would have spent the whole time worrying my comrades had fallen off a cliff. It was bad enough with people I didn't know. Some girls I met asked me to take a picture of them on a ledge and they were nuts. They had no fear. I was like stop, don't go any further!
See the picture of me sat on a ledge looking rather scared. They decided to go the next step down and hang their legs off that.

I was sad to leave.

Back to work tomorrow with a cycle ride out of Cedar City. Not sure where I will end up yet. Big climb ahead though.

Yesterday was very challenging but also very rewarding and left me on a high.
Today's riding has brought me back down to earth with a bump. Me and the wind have had a major falling out. We're finished.
I afforded myself a late start today, thinking to myself 'it's only 55 miles'! And yesterday was a long day so a bit of extra rest was deserved.

Departing late (at 10) was the first mistake though, especially as the wind got stronger and stronger all day.
As soon as I set off it was there, against me it seemed, no matter which direction the road twisted and turned.
It got steadily worse and worse. After 4.5 hours I made it to the first and only pass, by the skin of my teeth. It was really strong - I averaged 6mph to that point. 6mph average over 4.5 hours!!!!!!!!
Once the pass was reached i hoped things would improve but they didn't. Normally once you start going downhill you get to freewheel and rest a bit. If I tried freewheeling down this mountain I would have stopped rolling forwards and started going backwards.
The whole ride truly sucked. I gave in 10 miles before the end and hitched into Cedar in a big 4x4. I'm not ashamed. I tried my best but it beat me. Had I known how strong the wind would be today I would have stayed at home.

There will be good and bad days I suppose :)

I'm really struggling to make a decision on my next move. My ultimate route is heading east from Cedar City through Panguitch, Boulder, Grover, Hanksville, Dolores, Placerville, Pueblo etc, etc, however,

Zion National Park and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon are about 60 miles and 200 miles south of my current location. That's nothing in the big scheme of things but still a big detour on a bike.
Option 1 - ride the round trip to Zion, Grand Canyon then back to Cedar City. This is the most expensive option as it's a round trip of at least a week and accommodation in both Zion and GC gets very expensive.
Option 2 - drive it and get a taster of both in 2 days and 1 night - Then come back to Cedar, collect my bike and continue the journey.
Option 3 - skip it. Save money and time but I will be gutted to miss both.

It's a nice dilemma.

To add to the mix it might be stormy tomorrow - I don't want to be out in the middle of nowhere on a bike experiencing a repeat of today, but chucking in some rain and lightening.

Any opinions will be taken into account.

Only picture today is some dust being picked up by the wind in the distance. Driving through it was crazy. A compete white out for 30 seconds and the driver decided not to slow down! Scary.

Made it to Milford. Yes.

Unfortunately it turns out it got its name because of some old mills or something.

84.44 miles done in 8 hours 27 minutes. I climbed over 3 passes.

The riding started with a gentle 35/40 mile uphill stretch to the first pass. The gradient was never too steep and I managed to keep an average speed of 15mph up until the wind changed direction.
Once that happened at about 30 miles it was back to slow pedalling at 5mph until I finally hit the first downhill. Still it was a good start and I was praising and thanking the wind gods.

The pattern most days is a tough climb and fun descent followed by an incessantly boring flat, until the next climb and descent.
I touched on this before but it deserves another mention. At first glance it always looks like just a few miles. But the further into the straights you get, the more it dawns on you that the flat, boring, straight road must actually be somewhere between 20 and 6,000 miles long. It's never ending and gets plain boring (see what I did there?)
The climbs and descents are always the most spectacular. The rock faces and hills just look amazing up close.

It was after the first pass, I had done about 42 miles and was heading through the first mind/time warping flat, when I nearly went into a boredom coma. It became a mental struggle and was wondering what I was doing for a few minutes!
I had even gotten bored of talking to myself!!!
I decided it was time to get the sound system out for the first time (while riding) on the trip.
It was brilliant. I felt like one of those idiots in Big Brother when they are played music for the first time in a few weeks. I had forgotten what a stimulus some good tunes can be.
All of a sudden everything was amazing again and the straight started to tick away. Why did I wait so long?
I had avoided playing music before because some of the roads were a little busier and I wanted to be alert. There was very little traffic today so listening to my speaker was no issue at all for me.

I rode a cow and bull gauntlet today. There must have been thousands lining the road. The cows tended to look gormless, calves were just miniature gormless, but some of the bulls looked mean and just stared me down. I was just waiting for 1 to charge and was regretting wearing a red top and using red panniers.
I must have mellowed them with my calming words because none charged despite looking very stern and mean.

The motel I'm in is great. It is modern, big clean room, there is a gym with jacuzzi, laundry, and a great diner over the road that just served me a fantastic meal. I have kissed a few frogs but come good here. I would stay another day if I didn't want keep moving and get to Cedar City tomorrow.

So pleased to have this day behind me. Might treat myself to a beer.

Today I hit Utah, just!

I checked into my motel for the night and during the 20 second walk to the room I crossed the border leaving Nevada and switching into Utah.
In the process I hit my third state and 2nd timezone since my journey began.
My guess is that the establishment are making the most of their border location, taking advantage of Nevada's more relaxed gambling laws. It's full of the usual slot machines. No gambling facilities in the rooms though.

It felt good to get on the move again today.
I went back to the friendly
Pharmacy/sandwich/smoothy place first thing in the morning to buy a some food for my journey. Again they wouldn't let me pay even though I honestly wanted to. It was a really nice gesture for the 2nd time and it set me off in a good mood for the day.

The riding was pretty good today. I covered 64.5 miles in about 6 hours over 2 passes. More great scenery although other days have been more spectacular.
It did get extremely hot at mid day. My GPS said 35 C at its peak. Most of the day I was riding in the high 20's but there were a few clouds about which helped.
The best part today was that the wind was behind me most of the time. It makes everything so much more fun and less of a struggle.
And it's makes a bloody change too.
I'm praying for some good luck with wind and the weather tomorrow. It's the 84 mile day to Milford.
The day I've been dreading!!
I have kept in touch with another rider I met on a day I was resting. He was fine so carried on. Anyway, on this 84 mile day he gave in, flagged a pickup truck and hitched a lift! Said he got sick of fighting the wind. Maybe I will follow suit. We will see.

My motel room today is a beauty. Wooden cladding at its best, artex ceiling, stunning wallpaper, cooker next to the bed, manky, corduroy fabric old mans reclining chair, even a VHS machine. It's a real flashback!

I'm going back to Nevada now for some dinner, if I can stomach it ;)

A small town that seems to revolve around hotel Nevada. The only 5 storey building for miles and miles. Inside you can gamble on slot machines to your hearts content.

As I ate my breakfast a bus load of pensioners arrived on a trip to let their hair down. I guess they are here to gamble because there's not much else to do. Unless like so many others they are just passing through.

The main Street has a few other venues but nothing as 'grand' as this one.
Several motels exist. Some (motor) biker friendly, some with gambling side streams, one with a pool. All claim to have free wifi and a tv and fridge in the room. None advertise a bathtub which is always one of my considerations after a ride. I like to fill it with cold water and just sit and bring my temperature gauge down.

There is very little to do here. I could live rurally in England because numerous cities and towns are always within reach. Not here though, It's a long long way from anything.

Found a nice pharmacy shop which shares the premises with a sandwich, smoothy, ice cream place. Run by several nice ladies. They wouldn't let me pay for my food or sun block!
It's your interaction with locals that really sets your opinion on a place.
I wasn't overly warming to Ely with its slot machine culture and un-homely feel but having found these lovely interested and interesting people I will leave with good thoughts about the town.