Day 35 Milford Ut. to Baker Nv. 86 miles

morning sky

wide open plains

ribbon of asphalt

Made it to Nevada. I am in the west coast time zone also, 3 hours behind. I have been extremely lucky weather wise. It rained most all last night. When i was ready to start riding this morning the rain had stopped, the roads were still a little wet and within an hour any storm clouds were behind me. This was not the longest riding day but it was the longest day with no service stops of any kind. Nothing between Milford and Baker but asphalt. All of the route through Nevada will be like this. Today was the longest. I am also very fortunate that the temps are not too high, since I have to carry a full days worth of water and food. Don't forget mondays courier times article.

Day 34 113.5 miles Panquitch Ut. to Milford Ut.

sheep herder

What started out as cool and overcast with the chance of rain all day ended with only a short sun shower and partly sunny skies. The final climb in Utah was not as tough as advertised and the decent was a fitting reward. I will definitely be in Nevada tomorrow where I will move into west coast time. The hills seem to be spread out nice and even with equal uphills to downhills. They are not as tall or steep. This whole deal will be wrapping up soon. Only 720 miles to go.   DON'T FORGET       MONDAYS COURIER  TIMES ARTICLE

Day 33 67.5 miles Escalante Ut. to Panquitch Ut.

personal bike path

tunnel through rock for cars

Another modest day on the road in preparation of a 3800 vertical feet 32 mile upward climbing day tomorrow. The elevation profile on the map does not always accurately portray the severity or steepness of each climb. But just in case I figured I would give myself a few extra hours of recovery time today. Most people do not equate Utah with being very mountainous. I can tell you first hand that the southern portion definitely is. Tomorrow will be my final day in Utah and the completion of the 8th of 10 maps. A grand total of 3014 miles to date. Next is Nevada then on to California. There was an 8 mile stretch of bicycle path along the route today. Very nice.

Day 32 64.5 miles Torrey Ut. to Escalante Ut.

UP

TO

THE

TOP

Feeling much better today having ridden such a short day yesterday. In hindsight there was no way that I could have made it to the next town feeling the way that I did. Todays ride started out at 55 degrees and crystal clear skies. The first 21 miles were all uphill which took me 3 hours alone to complete. The balance of the ride was a combination of flat road, some extreme downhills and a few more steady uphills. The terrain in this area is an odd mix of many different settings. The first backdrop that I encountered today were a mix of highland meadows and pine cone timber ridges. Next I began to cut downward through a series of white and pink limestone. All in all it is a dizzying universe of pinnacles,castles,spires and towers, an ever changing kaleidoscope of a hundred different colors and formations.

Day 31 48 miles Hanksville Ut. to Torrey Ut.

Hey! What can I say. If you put the last 2 days together and average them out thats still 93 miles per day. No really, i just could not get it going. I felt as if I had no strength at all. Not only in my legs but my arms as well. The day started out very nicely, cool with calm winds. It quickly became very windy and overcast. I knew that I had some rolling hills coming, but nothing that I could not handle. I was also distracted a little this morning in that I spoke with a cycling buddy of mine who predicted that I could finish the entire trip in 30 days. Thats not going to happen. The only way that this could have been possible would have been with a very lightweight road bike carrying only the very simplest of gear,like one change of clothes and a patch kit. I also spent time on the phone with a reporter from the Bucks County Courier Times. They want to run a human interest story and needed all kinds of information. They also need an action shot of me on the bike to print with the article. The article should appear in this coming mondays edition. So with the day half shot in the behind and I feeling like a slug up a tree I happened on the beautiful little town of Torrey (pop.173) to rest up. Of course after I checked in the sun came back out, oh well time to rest. Enjoy more of Southern Utah.

Day 30 148.5 miles Monticello Ut. to Hanksville Ut.

colorado river

Took a huge bit out of Utah today. A favorable breeze, cooler temps and overcast skies all assisted in making this day my top mileage day to date. Colorado is by far the most beautiful of all the states I have visited. I can honestly say that Utah is a very close second. The pictures tell the story. The red stone canyons, buttes,mesa's, hills and valley floors all add to the unique almost lunar landscape of this territory. My original intent was to camp at Lake Powell which was at 98 mile mark. I arrived at that spot much earlier than expected. With the next town a short 50 miles away and baby Domenic supplying me with a rare tail wind, Team Little Man put the hammer down and laid tracks for Hanksville.

Day 29 98 miles Rico Co. to Montecello Ut.

leaving colorado

starting to flatten out

a whole different landscaoe

Team Little Man Domenic roared into Southern Utah this afternoon leaving the beauty that is Colorado behind. It is amazing at how quickly the surroundings changed as I headed out of the mountains. The area now is mostly flat with very few trees. I am still at 7000 ft. which helps to keep the temps very comfortable. I lost my riding partner yesterday to a day of hiking in Telluride. I wish him all the best of luck. It looks as though i will be camping tomorrow. There does not seem to be any other option as there are no indoor sleeping accommodations on this section of the route. I doubt that there will be any internet as well. This area is extremely remote with very few towns. Wish me luck. Oh yes, I almost forgot. I stopped along the roadside this morning to see if I could be of any assistance to an older couple foraging in there trunk. He had a walking cast on one foot, she had a walker. I changed a flat tire for them in record time. The husband was so thankful he offered to pay for tonights lodging. That worked out well.

Day 28 87.5 miles Montrose Co. to Rico Co.

our saturday night hosts

2 tough climbs today but what can I say. I am still in South Colorado enjoying the most pristine landscape that nature can afford. I am hoping that some of this will carry over into Utah which may be later tomorrow afternoon. I am pretty beat from 4 consecutive hilly rides. I may sleep in a little tomorrow to recharge. I will also be finishing map 7 of 10. I still have all of Utah, Nevada and California to go. I feel as though I am on a distinct downward path to finishing on this 4th full week on the road.

Day 27 99 miles Sargeants Co. to Montrose Co.

Another splendidly beautiful day of cycling through southwestern Colorado. But first a little about last nights accommodations in Sargeant. This tiny little town consists of one entity. An R.V. park with a cafe, tent sites, general store, and cabins and t,p's for rent. I opted for the cabin. Coolest little thing you can imagine. Like having your own miniature house for the night. Also the temp's dropped into the 50s, which was awesome. And the star lite night sky was amazing also. I know that I have said this before. These pictures of the surrounding countryside do not even come close to the magnitude of mother natures gift of the Rocky Mountain Range. Tonight I am being hosted by a fellow cyclist whom I met while he was out riding last Sunday in Kansas and I was progressing west.

Day 26 79 miles Westcliffe Co. To Sargeants Co.

Another monster day of climbing but also an amazing day of scenery. Crossing the continental divide at 11,000 ft above see level can not truly be experienced by viewing pictures. Around every bend was a new and awe inspiring  vista. I stumbled upon a cycling companion. Brian is a 22 year old recent college grad from Ithaca New York. He is starting a job as an accountant in Boston in September. It is nice to have someone else to share in the suffering of this days 5000 ft. of climbing, along with the unspoiled majesty of this area. The terrain will level out these next few days. A welcome break for sure. Will download pics soon.

Day 25 57 miles Pueblo Co. to Westcliffe Co.

view from my motel room

Late start today due to bike needing repairs. If ever I was to have problems with the bike, this is the place. I had the bike in the shop at 9:30, I was out the door by 11:00. For some reason I did not feel quite up to par today. I felt tired with little energy. Maybe this was due to not getting up and getting going as early as I am used to. Anyway, I knew that there was a big climb today (4000 ft.) so i just needed to gut it out. As the mountains began to slip under my wheels I felt a new energy. Even though the climb was challenging the rewards were spectacular. The shot of the sunset over the mountains were taken from the deck at the motel. Much more to come tomorrow.