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 My campsite at Camper World After a good couple days of rest, being with friends, and taking care of things I left Salt Lake today with a ride out to Heber, UT that saved me a day or more considering the passes involved. Since I am a bit behind schedule that is good.
Despite my elevation profile for the ride from Heber to Vernal looking like it was mostly downhill after Daniel’s Pass, it didn’t really feel that way. Overall it might have been but there were some definite hills today. On the plus side, I seemed to be able to go up them without stopping and in a gear or two above the granny gear. Continue reading Day 31: Salt Lake City to Camper World (4 miles west of Duchesne, UT) (September 29)
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I spent my rest days in Salt Lake City mostly resting. In addition to sleeping, relaxing, and talking with my friends, I also cleaned my bicycle, cleaned and oiled the chain, and readjusted the rear derailleur. I had never really spent the time to adjust a derailleur, but after hanging my bicycle up with some parachute cord to the underside of my friend’s deck so the wheels could easily spin, it was not too difficult. I have been cleaning my chain regularly, and carry around a little can of 3-in-1 oil. I know it is not the best oil for cycling since it is relatively light, but it seems to work OK, and there was nothing else where I bought it.
I had ordered new front panniers that were the same make as my rear panniers (Ortlieb) and in the same color to make sure everything matches. After all, I gotta look good. Although some might argue that since I chose the bright yellow I wouldn’t look too good. I wear obnoxious, fluorescent green shirts and jackets. Certainly not going to win any fashion contests with them, but I like to think that because I wear them people can see me more easily. The sooner a motorist can see me the better, I think. The same thinking went into my color choice of panniers. REI offered red/black, black, and yellow/black. All have reflective patches to be seen from the front or rear of the bike, but red and black are really dark so they don’t help to be seen from the side. The yellow is not obnoxious, but at least it is lighter and more visible than black or red. Continue reading Day 28 to Day 30: Rest days in Salt Lake City, UT (September 26 to 28)
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 A farm on the shores of Lake Utah I originally thought I’d start out at the crack of dawn. That idea was tossed aside when I got up at 05:00 and really wanted to sleep some more. I just hoped the weather would be more of the same — temperatures in the 70s.
Waking again at 07:30, and feeling much more rested, I ate breakfast — raisin bran, s’mores granola bars, triscuits, and yogurt, then started pedaling. There was a short uphill then a 9 mile downhill. Always good to start off with a downhill. Continue reading Day 27: Eureka to Salt Lake City, UT (September 25)
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 Union Pacific train I did not want to get out of bed this morning and maybe it would have been better to sleep in. Today was the worst time to distance and difficulty. The route from Delta was almost all flat with some mild hills for the last 15 miles but nothing hard. On the flat I struggled to even do 10 mph and there was no wind. My legs did not have anything in them.
Continue reading Day 26: Delta to Eureka, UT (September 24)
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 Sunrise in Kings Canyon After a night under the stars, I woke to the sun rising over the mountains. Because I didn’t have much water left — only about two liters of water and half a liter of Gatorade — I had a small breakfast. I decided I’d eat and drink at the same time while riding. Food was not an issue but water was. Continue reading Day 25: King’s Canyon to Delta, UT (September 23)
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 The sun is about to set I am lying looking up at a dark clear sky where the milky way stretches from one side to the other.
A slow start to the day…I had eaten almost all my food requiring a trip to the Baker grocery store. I hoped they’d have something left after the last time I went there. They do not open until 10:00 and it was seven miles of down hill to get there. After getting some groceries, the plan was to head over eight miles to the Border Inn/Cafe/Slots/Gas station to get some lunch and a motel room. I have not slept well since Ely due to mattress woes. But all the rooms were booked for the long weekend. Still don’t know what the holiday is and when I left at 15:00 only about three of twenty rooms had cars outside. Seemed fishy. Plus, who’d want to stay there? Continue reading Day 24: Great Basin National Park, NV to King’s Canyon, UT (September 22)
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 The cirque from Wheeler Summit Road Today was a ‘rest day’ in the park. It was not much of a rest. I wanted to take the Wheeler scenic drive up to the top. That is 10 miles and 3000 vertical feet one way. I did not count the trip back as it was all downhill. the campsite is at about 7300′. I got going at about 09:15 and was up to the Maher viewpoint by 11:30. It is about 5.5 miles from the camp and is at 9000′ plus feet. I ate my lunch — always good because it makes the bike lighter. Then took a little nap since the noontime sun was beating down. Continue reading Day 23: Wheeler Summit in Great Basin National Park (September 21)
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 Ranger giving the tour of Lehman Cave Another late start after another terrible night’s sleep. Felt like I was up all night tossing and turning. After a quick breakfast I headed down to Baker to get some groceries for the two nights I planned on spending in Great Basin National Park. The thirteen miles of downhill were a good way to start the day. After a quick stop at the Great Basin NP visitor center to get some park info, I headed into Baker.
Baker is a three shop town or maybe a few more but only about three interested me — grocery store and cafes. Unfortunately one of the cafes was closed until next week and the other did not open until lunch time. So I went to the grocery store and felt like I was clearing them out. I bought the last chicken flavored ramen, pretzels, Doritos, cheesy rice & broccoli boil dinners, and single serve shredded wheat and raisin bran.
Continue reading Day 22: Sacramento Pass to Great Basin National Park, NV (September 20)
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 Sunset from Sacramento Pass Getting a very late start (09:00) from Ely the road was all uphill to Connor’s Pass. It was not steep but just constant. I thought it was just my usual morning slowness but after an hour and a half of not getting into a speedier groove I realized it was because it was all uphill.
The scenery was more of the same basin-range with sage brush. It was still dramatic and beautiful. Continue reading Day 21: Ely to Sacramento Pass, NV (September 19)
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 The locomotive letting off some steam Today was a rest day even though didn’t really need one. I wanted to ride the Ghost Train.
I started the day with pancakes from the Silver State Restaurant. Seems like a pretty local place. Well, besides the guys driving the two Vipers and the Corvette parked outside, everyone else seemed to be local.
After breakfast, I walked over to the Nevada Northern Railway Museum at the old Ely passenger depot. It used to be an important part of town with the old, turn of the century storefronts. But now the storefronts are mostly boarded up, vacant, or falling down. Now the town is sort of a series of motels along Rt 50 most of which my father would have proclaimed, “What a DUMP!” and those are the open ones. There seem to be an almost equal number of ones that are closed down with peeling paint and weeds taking over the parking lots. Interspersed among the motels in various stages of doing business are other stores most of which are vacant and for sale. Continue reading Day 20: Rest Day in Ely, NV (September 18)
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