Day 33: Blanding Rest Day

Day 33

June 18, 2015

Miles: 0

Blanding to Blanding

We are resting in Blanding today.  There's not much to do in Blanding, so it is very easy to rest.  I won't say Blanding is boring, but it is getting there.  That's a joke on the name Blanding - you know, its not bland yet, but it is blanding.  Anyhoo, on to the narrative.  Today is Thursday, but I'll backtrack to a few of days ago.

We arose nice and early on Monday morning, loaded up our bikes, and were at the restaurant when it opened at 7am.  We ordered our usual breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 pancakes, apple juice and coffee.

Restaurants are lonely when you are the first one there

We were done with breakfast and ready to roll shortly after 8am.

With regret I realize I should have had a milkshake

 Our waitress at Blondie's wished us luck and said, "You'll have a little pull as you leave town."  We weren't quite sure what she meant by that, but as we started riding and saw the long ascent before us, her meaning became clear: "Have fun climbing the steep hill that leads out of Hanksville!"

For the past few days we had been riding through canyons, but shortly after starting our ride we found ourselves back in the desert.

The desert is dry

And arid

With a strange sense of humor (a sand boat?)

About five miles outside of Hanksville we saw another rider approaching from the opposite direction.  We crossed the street to intercept him and that's how we met Nick.  Nick started riding from Yorktown, VA on April 15 and is on his way to San Francisco.  Nick is the first cross-country rider we have met so far, so it was exciting to talk to him.  He told us his favorite part of the ride so far has been Kansas, which is odd because we have heard from a number of other riders, most notably Jen and Ben, that Kansas is not pretty and is actually very boring to ride through.  Afterwards, Di and I wondered if Nick was just messing with us.  Or, maybe riding for two months by yourself can make you a little crazy.

Nick, the Kansas loving cross-country bicyclist

We talked to Nick for 15 minutes or so and then it was time to move on.

Di moving on

 The day's ride had an unfortunately large number of steep climbs.  Bike tourers learn to be philosophical about such things as inordinately high number of steep climbs, and accept such events with calm and equanimity.

Di, the picture of cheerful acceptance of yet another steep ascent

The perpetual ascent was the view for the day

The reason it seemed we were constantly ascending is because we had started a climb that would gone on for 50 miles.  That's right, a 50 mile climb.  And the grades would be as steep as 10%.  To put that in perspective, anything over 5% challenges your ability to remain philosophical about riding up a hill.

Picture of side of the road placed here so we don't have to see another picture of the ascent

We took numerous breaks.

Its easier to be philosophical when taking a break

Sometimes the road looked like it was descending, but when we stopped pedaling our bikes would immediately slow and would have stopped if we didn't pedal again.  This was an extremely disappointing development, and it, too, challenged our philosophical approach to the ride, but we found that by uttering a few choice words in a very loud voice helped restore our tranquil resolve.

That seeming downhill is really not a downhill.  Rats!

Even though the ride was constantly uphill and we were not letting that bother us at all, we could still take time to appreciate the beauty around us.

Look, the road is still going up!  Oops, I mean, look, beauty.

Di taking a break next to a giant loofa.

We rode until one o'clock and took a lunch break at the Hog Springs Picnic Area.  It was nestled inside a canyon with a small stream, but the best thing about it was it had shade.  There is no shade in the desert, so we were happy to find a place with a roof to keep the sun off us for a little while.  We met a family from Germany that was also eating lunch.  They were here on vacation and were hiking in the canyons.  The day before their six year old daughter had hiked six miles and their three year old son had hiked three miles.  I guess in Germany you are expected to hike your age.

Di leaving Hog Springs

There are a lot of strange names for places in Utah

Leaving Hog Springs, we ride to the right, which is uphill, naturally

We continued riding.  Uphill.  Philosophically.

Ha-ha, more uphill

Di ready to ride off the mountain to stop riding uphill

 We continued riding.  Uphill.  Yeah, philosophically.

Another break

We continued riding.  Uphill.  Perhaps less philosophically.

Shot of something other than an ascending road

Another shot of something other than ascending ride

We continued riding.  Uphill.  Philosophy abandoned.

Sigh, another break.

Preparing to take a break.

We continued to see the beauty of Utah.

Nature's beauty.

Nature's beauty despoiled by man

 We rode on a bridge that took us over the Dirty Devil River.

The Dirty Devil River and surrounding canyon

The Dirty Devil River again from the other side of the bridge.

Who names these places anyway

 We continued riding. Uphill.  [insert mild expletive here] philosophical.

That's Di in the distance (going uphill, in case you didn't know)

Me, in the classic Di pose

We were surprised to cross the Colorado River again.  We thought we had left this river behind us, but we were happy to see it again.  Most of the water in this area is in the form of a river bed that appears as though water may have been there a few years ago, so it feels go to see the healthy Colorado flowing by.

The Colorado River

The Colorado River (a normal name, for a change)

We continued riding.  Uphill.  Whatever.

Still riding.  Uphill.

 We had expected to ride just under 50 miles before we came upon a small grocery store.  Di had called the store the day before, and the woman at the store assured her the store was right on Rt. 95.  Well, we were on Rt. 95 and no store.  At the 49 mile mark, we rode past a sign that announced the town of Hite.  We had heard from a number of people that the campground at Hite was closed, but it was a strange coincidence that Hite was at the same mileage point as the store should have been.  Di and I discussed riding the two miles into Hite to see if the store was there, but we decided against that course of action because we had been told with certainty that it was on Rt. 95.  So we plodded on.  Uphill, by the way.  After climbing a very steep section for a little over a mile and a half, Di decided to flag down a motorist to ask about the store.  The first car she flagged stopped and told her that there was no store coming up.   In fact, he said there was no building of any kind for the next 45 miles.  We were disappointed, in that same philosophical way we were approaching the day's climb.  The gentleman then gave us 10 bottles of water, a bunch of apples and bananas.

Di talking to flagged-down-motorist

After the gentleman left, Di and I discussed what we should do.  We decided the store had to be in Hite and that the woman gave us crappy information.  So, we turned around, knowing we would have to climb that steep section again in the morning (a 10% grade), and rode to Hite.  We got there pretty quickly because it was all downhill and we found the store.  There will not be a picture of the store because they gave us crappy directions, so no picture for them.  There was a visitor center that was closed and a ranger station that was no longer manned.  Hite used to be a bustling place, but dry weather and questionable water practices in California have made the shoreline recede by over 4 miles, so nobody comes here anymore.  What was important to us was the bathrooms were open and clean with running water and there were picnic tables under an awning.

Di relieved to be at Hite

Di getting ready for bed

The next morning (Tuesday) I got up at 6am and made coffee for Di and me.

Di in the tent drinking coffee as the sun comes up

The sun shining where Lake Powell used to be

 We had gotten up early because we had a long ride of 50 miles ahead of us, it was going to be hot, and there would be no stores of any kind along the way.  Di loaded her bike with 5 liters of water and I was carrying 9 liters.  In case you were wondering, a liter of water weighs 2.2 pounds, so we were carrying a significant amount of weight in water now.

We started riding at 8am, which is only two hours later than we had planned.  I felt the impact of the additional weight (almost 20 pounds) immediately and found I was struggling to make that 10% ascent we had climbed the day before.  We were still on that 50 mile climb, so once again we were constantly riding uphill.  My luggage plus the water weighed close to 90 pounds and I guess this was just too much for me, because after 19 miles I just couldn't go any further.  I was exhausted and had no more energy.  We were in the desert in the middle of nowhere, but Di and I set up the tent and I crawled inside to take a nap.  I slept for about an hour, woke up and ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that Di made for me.  I was so tired I just wanted to stay in the tent.  I told Di we should stay here for the night and continue tomorrow, but she was less than enthused about staying in the desert for the night and still having 30 miles to go tomorrow before we could get any water.  So, we packed up the tent and resumed riding.  I have to admit it was the worse ride I've ever taken.  I was so tired that all I could do was stare at my odometer and count down each tenth of a mile.  There are 300 tenths in 30 miles, so it was 299 to go, then 298 to go, 297, on and on. I had to stop frequently and each time I pointed out to Di a possible tent site.  It never worked.  Di always had some reasonable excuse to dismiss my proposed tent site: "Nah, that slope is too steep."  "Nope, its in a hollow and if its rains we will be in trouble."  I was too tired to refute her.

We continued riding.  This kind of riding can only be referred to as survival mode.  Despite this, at one point I realized I had taken no pictures for the entire day.  We crossed a bridge over a river and I took a picture of it so there would be at least one picture from the day.

Too tired to record name of the river (Swine Filthy Demon River?)

We slogged on, uphill, until we reached the entrance to Natural Bridges National Park a little after 8pm.  From there we rode over 4 miles to the campground, only to discover all the sites had been taken.  Luckily, a couple from Switzerland saw us looking for a place to pitch our tent and offered to let us share their site.  To say we were extremely grateful would be a gross understatement.  I wish I could present a picture of them, or of our tent set up a little ways from theirs, but I was too tired to take any more pictures.  One was my limit for the day.

The Switzerland couple gave us use of their picnic table and sat and talked with us as we prepared our meal (Mac'N Cheese).  Di set up and used the stove for the first time, at the Switzerland couple were enjoying watching her learn how to do it.  The guy said that now when I collapse in the desert from exhaustion and need to sleep in the tent, Di can have I nice hot meal prepared for me when I awaken.  Di wasn't as amused as the rest of us.  We went to sleep immediately after dinner and I slept like a log.

Wednesday morning we got up around 7am, talked with the Switzerland folks for a little while until they left for a hike, then made coffee and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for breakfast.

Di enjoying breakfast next to the Swiss couple's tent

We started our ride a little after 10am.  Our ride was going to be relatively short, less than 40 miles, so we knew we didn't have to leave too early.

We still had a few steep climbs, but we rode at a nice easy pace and really were able to take the climbs philosophically.

Di riding up hill philosophically 

We took frequent breaks under whatever shade we could find.

A shady character

A shade oasis in the desert

 A woman was driving by and stopped to over us some water and food.  Her name was Joy and she said her girlfriend, who is an avid biker, told her she had to stop and offer water to any bicyclists she comes across.  There are so few places to get water that the bicyclists need to count on the kindness of strangers.  We happily accepted the water and Joy told us that she has never had her offer of water turned down.

Di hydrating during a climb

And then, Blanding!  And a rest day!  Ahhh!

Tomorrow, on to Dove Creek.