Main Canyon (FS 17) to National Forest near Bryce: Das Wind hat mich total gebitchslapped.


Statistics for today
Distance 64.79 kms 40.39 miles
Climbed 1,121 meters 3,678 feet
Ride time (hours) 5.66 -
Avg speed 7.1 kph -
Avg climb 4% -
Max grade 14% -
Statistics for trip to date
Distance 26,854.91 kms 16,686.92 miles
Climbed 281,691 meters 924,183 feet
Ride time (hours) 1,906.54 -
On this page

Saturday, May 3rd, 2014

Some time in the middle of the night I wake up with a bad case of the hungries. I try to ignore it but it's no use, I have to eat something. Then I can't get back to sleep. Having just a sandwich last night wasn't such a good idea. The fitful sleep makes for a late start in the morning.

This morning offers up a continuous climb from 6,700 to 9,300 feet on a dirt road. It's a tough climb, with significant distances of 10 percent grades into the wind, but as dirt roads go this one has a good surface.

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Burned land.
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I'll be going up over that at some point today.
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Sky of the clearest blue.
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Climbing.
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Up at the top it's pretty cold. I have lunch and consider my next move: I could go down the other side to Widstoe or head up a track that follows the ridge to Pine Lake. I take a better look at the track and decide against it. There are fallen limbs blocking it at various places; it looks like more adventure than I was after today.

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Looking back on Escalante.

The descent is rougher than the climb. There is a lot more loose gravel on this side. Widstoe is more like a village than a town, with no services that I can see, so I continue on until I hit the paved road that will take me into Bryce Canyon.

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Utah must have more wacky rock formations per square foot than anywhere in the world.
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Widstoe cemetery. Every tombstone has flowers, seems strange for such a tiny cemetery in such a tiny town.
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Then I see this plaque, it's someone's Eagle Scout project. Good on ya bro.
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The wind is nasty on this road, right in my face, and today I don't have the equanimity to take it in stride. Interesting how some days the wind doesn't bother me but on others it drives me mad.

I arrive in Ruby's Inn tired and cranky. I continue on to the Bryce National Park, the visitor center and the fee booths are closed. I check out the campground... full. I suspected as much being 6 o'clock on a Saturday. I flag down a ranger to ask what my options are. She says just a mile back down the road is National Forest land. Back to the forest it is, but first I need water. I go back to the visitor center but the water fountains aren't working. Back to the campground then. Here I fill up and take off into the forest.

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Hopper.

I find a site with a fire ring already set up and a stack of wood beside. I don't like the fact that it's located right next to a dirt road that looks well-used but I only have a half-hour of daylight left and I'm knackered.

I get the fire going, make supper, and hang out trying to stay warm.

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Camping in the National Forest near Bryce Canyon because the campground is full. Nice spot though.