Hwy 191, which I dubbed "Road Kill Hwy," brought me to a pit stop in the middle of nowhere at the junction of I-70. From the looks on the maps I thought I would be able to hop on a side road and parallel the freeway to Green River. However, that was definitely not the case. In any case, I stayed here and had lunch at the convenience store and ate outside the closed run-down cafe. Boy, was it windy here. As I ate my burrito, I studied my maps and google and researched my next step. Where do I go from here? I know which direction I need to go in. It's just a matter of finding a suitable path, road to take me there...
According to Google's bicycling directions, I had to back track about a mile to a turn off. What turn off? I didn't notice a turn off while riding in. Oh well, what choice did I have? I had to trust Google and hope for the best. I didn't have anything else to go on. And I tried at all costs to avoid the interstate freeways as I remembered what happened on I-15. Therefore, back I went and found my turn off. In short, this road quickly turned into a gravel/dirt road. I rode for awhile before I was forced to walk due to the deep dirt and large rocks. This road took me through two gates both of which were a little difficult to open while keeping my bike upright. I had no place to lean it up against. The gates were not locked but one had a sign to inform me to close it once I'm through. I rode and walked and walked and rode for a long time...Periodically I'd check Google and saw my location getting closer and closer to I-70 and my destination. It was too late to turn back now, and even so, where would I go? I didn't have much service and even if I wanted a ride, these country roads witnessed no traffic. In all directions I saw nothing but desert fields and hills. In front of me, meandering among the hills I spotted I-70 way off in the distance. As long as that was within sight, I remained calm. That was where I needed to come back to. The dirt road I was on began to go up and down and through ravines where it would be impossible for an automobile to pass through and across. I had a tough enough challenge to push my bike along. I prayed that this experience would end and that pavement would reveal itself. It was beautiful out here all alone, despite the dirt and rocks and nothingness. As I trudged along, I daydreamed about Lewis and Clark and the first pioneers who settled here. What life was like back then! It's so quiet and so simple out here.
Eventually, hours later I came to Old Highway which parallels I-70 to Green River. I was thankful, but not for long. I know now why this is called an old highway - no longer suitable for normal traffic. It was a broken up road and you could see remnants of the yellow lines that used to remain on the highway. Part of this was paved and part was not. It was a challenged to navigate. I dodged the red gravel as best I could, but slipped some here and there. I stopped frequently to walk around the broken pot holes. At this time I also got pretty dizzy which caused me to walk even more slowly. My bike tires remained with the slow leaks and then the rain came. It wasn't much rain, but enough for me to get out my rain jacket. I had to pump up my tires anyway. So there I sat, dizzy, pumping up my tires in the rain. I had to get to Green River soon. This was not what I expected the day after Moab. Oh the challenges - but that's what adventure involves. I propped up my bike and prayed to God that He would take me safely to Green River where I can get a good night's sleep. I prayed that He would heal me and give me the strength to endure the rest of the day.
At long last, I saw the end of Old Highway and the emergence of civilization. I rolled my bike into Green River, over a bridge and followed the signs to Green River State Park. As I pulled in, the park attendant informed me that the only sites they have left are "powered full hook ups" which were $28 a night. Well, I most definitely was not going tp pay that much to sleep. The park attendant saw how exhausted I was and said, "I'm sorry, I know you're tired. You can either stay here or check out A/OK RV Park down the street. They are probably a little cheaper. Not sure how much but are probably cheaper." I was in no mood to argue or do much of anything for that matter. I had no energy left. All that was on my mind was a bed...anywhere. I couldn't believe that he couldn't break the stupid "rules" and offer a piece of grass for me to lay on for the evening. From what I saw it is a large park with lots of grassy areas. I couldn't care less about the amenities like showers, laundry, hook-ups, etc. At this point I cared about sleep alone. What rubbish this was. There is no compassion, no breaking or adjustment of rules for a worn out, dizzy cyclist like myself. I walked down the road and came to the RV Park. As it was getting late, the office was closed. There weren't many people there, so I was able to find a spot easily enough. I sat on the table a while to catch my breath and ease my dizzy nature some. Then, I quickly set up my tent as best I could in the state I was in. It was still wet and light rain was falling.
August 3 (Green River to Unofficial Truck Stop @ junction of 193/123, 51.02 miles) Green River - Unofficial Truck Stop @ junction of 193/123. LONG haul on Hwy 191, the road kill highway - squirrel, racoon, deer hollowed out to view guts, deer cut in half, birds, skunk, fox, cats, opossum, rodent, etc... From Green River, I was unable to directly hop onto 191. According to Google, the safest route was to travel 20 miles out of my way south, west and then north before I merge onto the highway once more. With my experience, I knew this would pose a danger in and of itself and would be a dirt road the whole way. Looking at the map, I saw that 191 heading north was only 2 miles away. Therefore, it was a no brainer for me. I jumped onto I-70 and rode like the wind for those 2 miles. That sure beats riding 20 miles wandering aimlessly in the middle of nowhere. By golly!
So there you have it. I was back on Hwy 191 traveling north. I was shooting for this unofficial truck stop at the junction of 191 and 123. I found it on www.freecampsites.net. That site was hit and miss. You never know what you're going to get, but in this case I had to trust it.
I found the truck stop with ease as it was on the corner of the two highways. It is super duper windy here. I had the hardest time setting up my tent. It almost blew away several times. I had to weight it down with my panniers and other gear. The ground was too hard for the steaks. I tried to steak it but they didn't stay well. Throughout this whole lot, there was a lot of glass on the ground everywhere. I was careful not to roll my bike over any. Also, I saw a huge ant hill that I tried to avoid and camped away from it. I hung out here for some time walking around, getting a bite to eat and watching cars and trucks turn onto 123.
All night long the strong wind blew the sides of my tent. It wasn't the most restful of nights. A few times a car would pull in and shine their lights into my tent. I didn't get the best sleep this night, but at least it was free. Despite the trouble getting here, I made it to this truck stop in good time with a long while before it got dark. So I even thought about moving along and getting more ground behind me, but in the end I realized I'd be better off if I stayed here to rest. Tomorrow is a new day. Alas, the Lord's mercies are new every morning.
August 4 (Truck Stop to Price Canyon Recreation Area, 36.38 miles) Truck Stop - Wellington - Price - Carbonville - Helper - Price Canyon Recreation Area. This was a nice ride today - other than constantly pumping up my tries due to the slow leaks. Riding through the canyon was a bit dicey - rumble strips and little shoulder. At least I didn't have far to go today. But nature, the environment, the weather, God...they usually use that as reason to derail me. But today was a fairly pleasant one.
I came to Price Canyon Recreation Area which just happened to be 3 miles straight up a 6% gradient mountain. I rode some but pushed my bike most of the way to save my knees. There really was no point in riding this. On a brighter side, it at least was paved. I took frequent brakes and turned around to view the ant-like cars below in the canyon and the railroad tracks and the spectacular view. It was hot today and pushing my bike up the mountain just made it even hotter. I was grateful when I could stop in the shade of a tree for a breather. The whole way there were no cars that passed me either way.
When I arrived at the recreation area an hour or two later, I found I was all alone which I didn't mind one bit! I stoked out the different campsites to find the right one that would suit me the best. After claiming my spot, I made the short walk to the viewpoint overlooking Price Canyon. The view wasn't what I expected, but it was nice to say the least. It was very quiet here all alone high up on this mountain. I walked back and set up camp when soon my quiet was broken from an RV's generator behind me that lasted into the night. So much for my peace and solitude. I ask again, is anything sacred anymore? I found an old wet purse behind a tree near my camp and looked through it but all I found was an old sandy hot wheel car and nothing else, so I put it back.
Since I had the time, after doing some journaling I decided to finally put my last new tube in my rear tire so I didn't have to keep pumping it up. I was putting it off because once I used my last tube, that was it. I had some patches left, but no more tubes. But I thought this was as good as time as any. After I changed it I cleaned my chain and derailleur and greeted the family that walked by. The dad asked where I was headed and as they walked off, the little girl asked, "Where's his car?" and her mom replied, "He road his bike here." I could sense the suprised and stunned confused look on the little girl. People do that? What a strange perspective of the world...
August 5 (Price Canyon to Provo, UT, 65.86 miles) Price Canyon - Soldier Summit - Tucker - Provo. The three miles down the mountain went a lot faster than going up, although it was hard on my brakes. A car came up behind me, quickly honked before I sped right around me. Is anything sacred anymore? They don't want to enjoy life, but rather make those who do, miserable. Why don't folks just enjoy their surroundings? the mountains? canyon? beautiful wildlife and scenery? Everyone is in a rush and when you get in their way, their anger rises. There is something to be learned about traveling at a slow pace. As a culture, we ought to slow down and take in the smells, sights and feels that surround our everyday encounters. Before I left Price Canyon, I shot a few deer with my camera and was amazed at their stature and wildness.
I continued down the dangerous road through the canyon and refueled at Soldier Summit. I couldn't remember if this is where I encountered Hole-in-the-Rock, the museum, etc. or if it was a few days previous. My journal and pictures confuse me. I wrote about it on August 1st in my last blog post. In either case, it is a pretty cool place to visit. I also wrote about the rest area near here where a nice guy who maintains it showed me where to fill up my water. I ate lunch here before moving on. - good 'ole peanut butter!
From here, the rest area attendant warned me of the rough road ahead. From here to Provo there are lots of trucks and RVs on the road which are driven by idiots. He knew I was careful, but the drivers are idiots - which doesn't matter how careful I am. If the idiots drive crazily, then I'm in danger. To make matters worse, the shoulder is almost non-existent.
To find Matthew's place, the WS host, I rode on a bike path and through town. Civilization again. I saw a lot of wind turbines and bicycle friendly communities loomed large as I entered this place. I found his place and waited for him to arrive as he said he'd be a little while longer at the library. His roommate came by and wasn't sure who I was so went in and left me waiting outside. When Matthew arrived, he was a nice young man who made amazing cookies and provided a futon for me to sleep on. He was busy as he was working on his degree. He was going to be moving to Arizona in about a month and had to get things in order. He came and went and told me to make myself at home. I did some laundry, showered and again studied my maps (especially my route through Oregon) while I ate the noodles Barts gave me in Monument Valley, as I had a means to heat them up.
August 6 (Provo to Salt Lake City, UT, 56.70 miles) Provo - Salt Lake City, Utah. More bike trouble today. My brand new tube, the last one in my collection went flat yet again. I patched it a bunch of times, but the fact was I had to get it to a bike shop to repair it for good.
Ten miles or so from Salt Lake City, the tire went flat again. It was late in the afternoon and I knew I had to ride fast if I was to make it to a bike shop before they close. I went the wrong way on a bike path for a few miles before I realized I was headed in the wrong direction. It was still on a bike path, but bike paths here went everywhere and they were occupied by cyclists and runners alike. That's the great thing about this whole area - miles and miles of bike paths. You hardly have to ride on the streets, paths are everywhere, but you better know which direction you're going in. At one point, the path ended or seemed to end and I found myself entering a dangerous construction zone. "Hard hats required." Trucks would constantly enter and exit here. I quickly realized my mistake and left and found the route once again.
I was furious because of my flat tire. I spread out on the path and proceeded to patch my tube. Once ready, I rode into Salt Lake and found a bike shop. Like most bike shops I have been to on this trip, this one refused to help me because they were about to close. I mean, come on!! They wouldn't even look at it which would take a few minutes and to change a tube would take no longer than 10 minutes tops! Again, I was not from around here so I couldn't just come back tomorrow. A nice lady was there who happened to be a host on warmshowers and asked if I had a place to stay. Unfortunately (because she was attractive) I already had a place to crash for the night. I went away and tried to find my WS host's house. I found Elizabeth's place just fine. She had given me the code to her apartment and came home shortly afterwards. She was a really kind college student. She said she loves Oregon and their residents. She has a roommate that I never got to meet. Apparently their schedules are pretty crazy. I slept on the floor in her small apartment but didn't mind...as long as it is a place to sleep I was good! Elizabeth was a nice person to have a conversation with. It was a relief to be here after having bicycle trouble on the road. What might tomorrow bring I wonder? I still needed a bike shop and I might stop at one in the city before I head on my way to Ogden, or I might push on and trust my luck, but I must get to a repair shop shortly regardless.
