I moved on through Price with hesitation. I wasn't sure what to expect the next twenty six miles. You see cycling to your destination can be real slow if you want. I got into price at 1800 and didn't leave till 2200. I washed my clothes, looked at everythinmg in the kmart, dollar store, and then went to the food store. Only leavimg after dark. After 40 miles I needed a major break. Now I need to get through the night. Some would surrender to the road. Not me. Just because I can't find a place to sleep doesn't mean I need to sleep. Sure sleeping would be great, but as long you use public space ( walk along a road) they can"t touch you. Now you can go more extreme and sit some place. Wait till some one comes by and makes you move. Even as a security officer trespass tickets were seldom issed if they wondered into the hotel. Keeping a clean campsite will ease the descion wether or not you should be removed or just pushed on. .
I made it through Helper which reminded me so much of PA life I was suspended while traversing it. The town brought old memories back into my life. Profound memories which send a chill down my bones. It brought back the love for the old buildings grandure. Just like the East coast ripe with decay. An apartment with as much character as a the main person in a novel. A town that you could gaze upon and see the history right before your eyes. See that vistor stepping off the train and taking the town in.
A flood of memories still race through me if I make it through tonight where I am I still might go back just to remonise. Even right down to the state run alcohol store yikes. I remember those days.
I am right now splitting a canyon on both sides something I wish the day light would show me.
I made it to a point of entry (a truck inspection point.) It has everything I could need exect a bathroom. Electricty, gabarge, grass, and light.
Now if I can only stay awake. I drank a cup of coffee. That and I bought a liter of coke.
Hopefully a trooper doesn't wisk me away. I only have Ten more miles but I have a huge climb and the 191 is bustling with truck traffic. I am sure any trooper would understand why I am resting here. Key word resting officer. I bet there isn't a whole lot of drunks on the road seeing I am in Utah.. Well as I said before sit somewhere till they make you move. Considering my options. Plus they haul me in they have to haul my stuff in that could take a whole pickup truck or van. Then have to go through it all. Dam I just washed my clothes.
Keep awake you can do it. Five more hours till light.
It is 0000 and I am just ready to put on some warmer clothes the nice thing about all the clothes I brought is I don't need a sleeping bag all the way down to the forties. Anything lower I am sure I would be fine. Even when I was getting snowed on I had no problems walikng around in my clothes.
They said traffic enforcement next 55 miles. Yet right when I get on the highway I almost got creamed by a Semi for no reason at all. Since there was no on comming traffic. As far as visibility I am much brighter in the night. However it is harder to see where I am going with the oncomming lights and debris littering the shoulder. Ashley forrest here I come!
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Saturday, June 28, 2008
Now at lunch in Huntington. I totally mutilated Ferron Utah.
The ride seemed up hill. Just completed 20 miles. The sun is warming up to the lower, 90s. I ducked into the library before they closed and read my book on the sharks.
I then headed over the city park for lunch and a nap.
If I can make it another 44 miles I will be in the Ashley forest. Thing is if I wait till tomorrow then Price will be shut down for the sabbath.
So I must go into Price today. On top of that I need to here else things will shut down early.
Things are going to get interesting. The camping I see is the Ashley forest. There is a visitor center in Price which can find out further information.
The ride seemed up hill. Just completed 20 miles. The sun is warming up to the lower, 90s. I ducked into the library before they closed and read my book on the sharks.
I then headed over the city park for lunch and a nap.
If I can make it another 44 miles I will be in the Ashley forest. Thing is if I wait till tomorrow then Price will be shut down for the sabbath.
So I must go into Price today. On top of that I need to here else things will shut down early.
Things are going to get interesting. The camping I see is the Ashley forest. There is a visitor center in Price which can find out further information.
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I woke up with the sun cresting my horizon. The lake sending waves of relaxation.
I rolled out of the tent to hear the breakfast bells comming from the mosquitoes.
I tried once and then twice. But like dive bombers they swarmed around me picking area I had missed.
I quickly threw all my gear on bob and split. Running now up hill on the ATV tracks as fast as I could I then started to pedal like the wind not letting up even on the down hill. Just pedal. Now on the bike I was venerable to attack and they knew it. With the tail wind I made up the 4 miles in 15 tops I was flying down the path in the road. They had put loose gravel on the paved road and cars craved a path for me.
I rolled out of the tent to hear the breakfast bells comming from the mosquitoes.
I tried once and then twice. But like dive bombers they swarmed around me picking area I had missed.
I quickly threw all my gear on bob and split. Running now up hill on the ATV tracks as fast as I could I then started to pedal like the wind not letting up even on the down hill. Just pedal. Now on the bike I was venerable to attack and they knew it. With the tail wind I made up the 4 miles in 15 tops I was flying down the path in the road. They had put loose gravel on the paved road and cars craved a path for me.
Now at the mayor's park in Fern I ate something wrote this and attended to my morning rituals.
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I finished with my super and headed to Millsite campsite.
The trek was easy and the climb not to hard.
Upon reachin it I found they wanted 16 $. So I could sit in a used rv/truck lot. I of course left.
I traveled down the road a mile and found a dirt road leading into BLM land. The lack of no trespassing signs for the last 3 miles and a bazillion atv trails led me here. I moved down one of those trails to the lake. The winds even stronger now comming off the lake. I decided to hide behind a sand dune.
The sandy ground made for the softest sleeping areas in a long while. Although last night I slept in grass was a close second.
With the lapping sound drifting in my ear I nestled down to sleep.
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The trek was easy and the climb not to hard.
Upon reachin it I found they wanted 16 $. So I could sit in a used rv/truck lot. I of course left.
I traveled down the road a mile and found a dirt road leading into BLM land. The lack of no trespassing signs for the last 3 miles and a bazillion atv trails led me here. I moved down one of those trails to the lake. The winds even stronger now comming off the lake. I decided to hide behind a sand dune.
The sandy ground made for the softest sleeping areas in a long while. Although last night I slept in grass was a close second.
With the lapping sound drifting in my ear I nestled down to sleep.
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Friday, June 27, 2008
New day!
Feeling better still a little sore and little hope for a rest day. Now back down to the canyons.
I started out on my descent and made it down to 8000 feet before stripping my outer layer of. Sweater and pants. I have my 90s gear underneath to make changing a snap.
I had two moderate climbs for going down hill. The wind had been picking up and creating a cross wind. At one point I was doing the speed limit 30 mph. I made excellent time averaging 8 mph for 30 miles. I arrived at Interstate 70 and then caught the 10 north. It was a series of hills and one moderate climb. The wind buffeted me with a stiff cross wind. Considering the hills and wind I was hauling ass.
Cross winds require technical skill and some elbow grease, while head winds consist of brute cycling force. To make things worse I am on a coal road. The Tandem 18 wheelers make the wind even worse by first blocking it and then drafting with a re introduction of that wind.
If the trucker is aware of this they can slow down and help out. If however they slam on the gas. Yikes you get yanked to one side while the truck blocks the wind, and then yanked back to the other side with the wind. Of course the draft gives you a gusting wind depending on direction. Pretty much anything with a longer wheel base creates this.
I spent an hour and half fighting my way. Normally I would stop and look for a camp site by now. Yet there is nothing. Press on. My only hope is to get to Ferron then head out to Millsite state park. I most likely won't make it there due to the unforeseen hill I know is there. This might be my first stealth camping. With the heat I should be able to sleep bag it and forgo the tent. No shade here and no where to hide.
I made into Emery just at noon I stayed for a couple hours and took a nap.
Thing about having no place to sleep is your not in a hurry to get there. In fact you want to time it so you go to sleep late at night and wake up early.
Emery was the last settlement by the Mormons in the 1880s. The SR 10 was paved in 1940. To bad since then they neglected to put shoulders on a trucking route. (A shoulder was added after Emery but south bound was tight so 15 milesof no shoulder so far) If they can build a tunnel for the irrigation canal (went 1500 feet)in the 1880s for there crops you think they could provide a means to travel on bike. From the looks of the town very tiny and dying. They moved the town 3 miles south to accomadate more people ha! They still built it on a hill. They could use a few more people who would stop after 40 miles of nothing. Car travel has all but killed rural Utah. Now comes 5 dollar gas. I can only imagine what will happen to them in five years. I have seen North Dakota dying with the consolidation of farms. Sure to happen out here.
Our leader built our nation on cheap oil rather than hard work. Our quick economic gains will revert back to the olden days. Hardship and poverty.
Feeling better still a little sore and little hope for a rest day. Now back down to the canyons.
I started out on my descent and made it down to 8000 feet before stripping my outer layer of. Sweater and pants. I have my 90s gear underneath to make changing a snap.
I had two moderate climbs for going down hill. The wind had been picking up and creating a cross wind. At one point I was doing the speed limit 30 mph. I made excellent time averaging 8 mph for 30 miles. I arrived at Interstate 70 and then caught the 10 north. It was a series of hills and one moderate climb. The wind buffeted me with a stiff cross wind. Considering the hills and wind I was hauling ass.
Cross winds require technical skill and some elbow grease, while head winds consist of brute cycling force. To make things worse I am on a coal road. The Tandem 18 wheelers make the wind even worse by first blocking it and then drafting with a re introduction of that wind.
If the trucker is aware of this they can slow down and help out. If however they slam on the gas. Yikes you get yanked to one side while the truck blocks the wind, and then yanked back to the other side with the wind. Of course the draft gives you a gusting wind depending on direction. Pretty much anything with a longer wheel base creates this.
I spent an hour and half fighting my way. Normally I would stop and look for a camp site by now. Yet there is nothing. Press on. My only hope is to get to Ferron then head out to Millsite state park. I most likely won't make it there due to the unforeseen hill I know is there. This might be my first stealth camping. With the heat I should be able to sleep bag it and forgo the tent. No shade here and no where to hide.
I made into Emery just at noon I stayed for a couple hours and took a nap.
Thing about having no place to sleep is your not in a hurry to get there. In fact you want to time it so you go to sleep late at night and wake up early.
Emery was the last settlement by the Mormons in the 1880s. The SR 10 was paved in 1940. To bad since then they neglected to put shoulders on a trucking route. (A shoulder was added after Emery but south bound was tight so 15 milesof no shoulder so far) If they can build a tunnel for the irrigation canal (went 1500 feet)in the 1880s for there crops you think they could provide a means to travel on bike. From the looks of the town very tiny and dying. They moved the town 3 miles south to accomadate more people ha! They still built it on a hill. They could use a few more people who would stop after 40 miles of nothing. Car travel has all but killed rural Utah. Now comes 5 dollar gas. I can only imagine what will happen to them in five years. I have seen North Dakota dying with the consolidation of farms. Sure to happen out here.
Our leader built our nation on cheap oil rather than hard work. Our quick economic gains will revert back to the olden days. Hardship and poverty.
The rest area in Emery was functional with toilets, water, and shade. The latter two the most important.
I pressed on at 3 and the ride was smooth desert sailing eith a few more moderate climbs.
I made it into Fernon and stopped at the library where I found a couple of books to read for my trip. Iwent to food town for some liquds and now I am heading to Mill site shortly.
As I mentioned nice wide shoulder on my side and smooth.
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Went for a walk I almost can get a frickin signal.
Found a box and started collecting trash amongst a hillside with knee high shrubs. Cows hand carved a path or paths. As evidence of their past. Filled that box up in no time. To bad I can't get money for these cans.
Might be getting sick. My throat is raw. Funny I just polished off a 1/2 gallon of OJ last night and I was fine.
Looking forward to the descent and moving forward to the interstate. Should be 100 percent tomorrow right! Should be interesting trying to find a camp site tomorrow. Not very many close options. You will see!
Found a box and started collecting trash amongst a hillside with knee high shrubs. Cows hand carved a path or paths. As evidence of their past. Filled that box up in no time. To bad I can't get money for these cans.
Might be getting sick. My throat is raw. Funny I just polished off a 1/2 gallon of OJ last night and I was fine.
Looking forward to the descent and moving forward to the interstate. Should be 100 percent tomorrow right! Should be interesting trying to find a camp site tomorrow. Not very many close options. You will see!
I met a man with so much hatred yet immersed with so much compassion.
I struck up a conversation with Roger, woa guns and ammo guy. Nice to be camping next to him. Typical wants to blow all the other people to hell. He wants to get a bumper sticker that states "Save the world kill a tree hugger." Tried to stay away from the freedom and not really get into why so much hatred. Yet he is religious LDS.
We of course related in an odd way. Both wanting to remove ourselfs from soceity. ( For different reasons)
I sat in his truck and talked for about twenty minutes he stated he was getting TV from montorose 250 mi. First time in a passenger seat in awhile felt weird and he had the heat on. His wife is struggling to live, but a true fighter. They are having problems with the church or temple. They are trying to get sealed. (Marriage) the LDS is looking at their past and not liking them. Even though they're invovled heavily with the LDS.
At any rate since he drove a truck for a living he gave me an entirely different route description than the guy from the visitor center. Called him a stupid son of a bitch. And then gave good reason.
He also was able to give me some good ideas on camping. Agreeing me with that it is going to be tough finding a camp site. The guy can't ride bikes anymore and I felt bad. He stated he saw 30 to 40 cyclist going to Hanksville. He also contradicted the visitor center and said there was water along that route and persisted I go the shorter route to Denver.
Good luck Roger and god bless Kathy.
He of coursed offered me water and I collected around a gallon and a half.
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