Independence Day. This is an account of the toughest day of our lives.
That is no exaggeration as the three of us embarked on an 84 mile ride from Baker to Milford but with the weather conditions all against us. We had temperatures hitting 105F (40C), a 30mph cross headwind and a stage profile to make even the great Eddy Merckx wince. This was all in the desert with no sign of civilisation throughout the entire day therefore meaning we had to carry all our food and water for the duration of the ride. This is coming from three chaps who have completed a half marathon, an Olympic Triathlon, Three Peaks Challenge, circumnavigated Sri Lanka on a bike as well as 750 miles ride from North Wales to North Scotland. We are quite used to pushing ourselves but we can all say this day was our toughest yet.
It began incredibly early we were out on the bike by 05:15 to try to beat the heat. A cool morning travelling through the first bit of desert as the sun rose up above the hills, we were all on a relatively good mood. Then the wind began to blow and it did no relent all day. As anyone who cycles knows a headwind means making a lot more effort for the same speed, no conducive to progress. We hit the Utah border within the first seven miles and this made us very happy as it meant we had completed two states (out of nine) and moved into Mountain Time Zone (one hour closer to home). But soon after this boost to our moral happened the wind picked up harder and the road began to climb. We started to climb at a steady gradient for the next 26 miles, moving up over 6800 feet from our start at about 4000 feet.
Then started the same old basin range topography that had become our very best friend over the last week. A flat 15-20 mile stretch followed by a 6-10 mile climb the same for the decent and flat section repeated.
That is no exaggeration as the three of us embarked on an 84 mile ride from Baker to Milford but with the weather conditions all against us. We had temperatures hitting 105F (40C), a 30mph cross headwind and a stage profile to make even the great Eddy Merckx wince. This was all in the desert with no sign of civilisation throughout the entire day therefore meaning we had to carry all our food and water for the duration of the ride. This is coming from three chaps who have completed a half marathon, an Olympic Triathlon, Three Peaks Challenge, circumnavigated Sri Lanka on a bike as well as 750 miles ride from North Wales to North Scotland. We are quite used to pushing ourselves but we can all say this day was our toughest yet.
It began incredibly early we were out on the bike by 05:15 to try to beat the heat. A cool morning travelling through the first bit of desert as the sun rose up above the hills, we were all on a relatively good mood. Then the wind began to blow and it did no relent all day. As anyone who cycles knows a headwind means making a lot more effort for the same speed, no conducive to progress. We hit the Utah border within the first seven miles and this made us very happy as it meant we had completed two states (out of nine) and moved into Mountain Time Zone (one hour closer to home). But soon after this boost to our moral happened the wind picked up harder and the road began to climb. We started to climb at a steady gradient for the next 26 miles, moving up over 6800 feet from our start at about 4000 feet.
Then started the same old basin range topography that had become our very best friend over the last week. A flat 15-20 mile stretch followed by a 6-10 mile climb the same for the decent and flat section repeated.
Having lunch at 11:30 after six hours in the saddle after the second climb of the day we reflected on how close we had been to suicide and what experiences would be better, as heard a few days previously the best was "I rather swallow a deck chair than do that again". This was before our final and brutal basin crossing into a full headwind then a steep (about 7% average) ten mile climb. I cannot really put into words but the previous quote was very accurate so let the stats talk. The only thing that made it better was seeing the Utah shoe tree about four miles from the summit which was looking back a disappointment.
But at this summit which we reached at about 14:30 we knew it was 'only' eight miles down to Milford, again into a full headwind so having to pedal downhill. We had run out of food which wasn't good so energy levels were at an all time low as well as the water consumption rate being extremely high, we were 'running on fumes'.
I cannot explain the feeling I had coming round the side on a hill to see a town nestled in some big green trees, just civilisation that's all that made us happy at that point!
Arriving into the classic style American diner we ordered three lots of large burgers, fries, sodas, pancakes and lots of cold water! We had been drinking what can only be described as bath water temperature water out of our bottles for the last ten hours. Arriving at 15:15 was one of the longest days I have ever had in the saddle as well as the most draining in every manner. We sat in that place for two and a half hours before deciding to move off to find a place to camp.
Being July 4th the Americans celebrate beating the British in 1776 the which was a celebration that we decided not to partake in as we were knackered after eight days of cycling through the desert. We found a public restroom to wash our faces in and a park in which to pitch our tents, covering the sprinkler holes which our panniers.
A trip to the trusted Subway for dinner an hour later was great as well as grabbing some oatmeal for breakfast the next day. We met a lovely Swiss-German couple who were cycling the opposite direction to us, we exchanged tips and advice for each others next few days.
Back in the park trying to get to sleep could be compared to the situation in Eastern Ukraine or Gaza with the fireworks going off all the time as well as the rednecks in their pickup truck roaring around the town drunk as rats waving the Stars and Stripes screaming. We fell asleep extremely quickly into a very deep well earned rest.
Looking back again now a couple days later, it was an unbelievably tough day and just nothing went our way regarding weather which is half of cycling. But we made it and are the better for it, one thing I can say is that I will never return to that part of Nevada ever again unless it is to turn it into a giant wind farm. SS
Day 12: Milford to Cedar City. 54 miles.
After such a tough day previously, we woke gingerly in the park in Milford after an interrupted night of sleep. As we have now found out, trying to get to sleep in a small town in the middle of America on July 4th is neigh on impossible. It sounded like Syria with fireworks being let off well into the early hours of ther morning.
After a quick breakfast on our newly purchased stove we hit the road towards Cedar knowing we had a short day on the cards. However, for what felt like the millionth day in a row, we had a headwind. God only knows when we are going to get this so called prevailing westerly wind! As a result of this, progress was slow before a stop at the next town. This quick stop soon turned into a very relaxing and lesuarly coffee break before we start our only climb of the day. This climb was nothing on anything we summited the day before but given the state of our legs after 8 tough days in the gruelling Nevada desert it was in no way easy. It was however, interrupted when we bumbed into another touring cyclist going the opposite way to us. We stopped and chatted, exchanged blogs with him as well as picking his brains on Utah and the national parks we were going to see before heading back up the hill, legs refreshed and ready to rock and roll.
As we crested the top of the hill, a notification flashed up on my phone from BBC sport reminding me of the World Cup quarter finals which being in the desert were quite hard to follow. However, being only 30 miles from cedar we were back in phone range. We followed the Tour de France and then the Holland v Costa Rica match before arriving in Cedar before the second half, pulling into ther closest restraunt with a tv and watching Tim Krul, Newcastle united's hero on so many occasions save the Dutch. With Krul and dad's new foreign abode it was definitely the correct result and we left the Mexican restraunt stuffed full of burrito.
We thought that after such a tough week, we would reward ourself with a motel for a couple of nights so we shopped around, found the cheapest, most basic and slobbed for the rest of the evening before having a day off the next day. CS
Day 13: rest day, Cedar City.
A lie in...WOW! It was amazing! A lazy morning was spent relaxing in the hotel, I rung home for the first time in 3 weeks which mum was very relieved about before heading out to lunch and then the cinema for the afternoon. The new transformers was a very easy watch with the usual easy on the eye co-star and worth a watch if one has an afternoon free. In the evening, we got our heads bask into gear for cycling and prepared to take on the beastly cedar breaks climb. CS
Day 14: Cedar City to Panguich lake: 45 miles.
After a day off and a lie in the previous day it felt like a Monday morning at school again. It hurt to get out of bed! The motivation to leave the room wasn't the 4500 foot climb we were about to take on but the fabled McDonald's breakfast that we had heard so much about from so many different people. It didn't disappoint.
However, the climb from cedar city or Cedar beaks national monument was nothing short of breathtaking! And it wasn't because we had to climb 4500 feet with an 8% gradisnt for the next 25 miles. Cycling thought the cannons, round the hair pins before plateauing out was spectacular and our photos don't really do the scenery justice. The vivid red, layered stone on the cannons twisted and turned up the hill with the road flicking from one side to the other before taking us round some alpine hairpins, or 'switchbacks' as they are known in local jargon and up to Cedar Breaks National monument. We had no idea what to expect from this so called national monument and I had made a serious effort to avoid looking at postcards and magazines with these epic land forms on to make them more impressive in the flesh. I could have looked at a post card for day, months and years and I would still have been speechless when first saw it.
The amazing thing about cedar breaks is that it got better from the top, with views back down towards cedar city though the red, mars like cliff we had cycled to. Next it was time to take the touristy snapshots but just as we were about take loads of stupid selfies, the heavens opened, the thunder clapped and the lightning flashed. Off we went to the vistors centre where we got talking to some fellow holiday makers who were so impressed with our efforts they decided to give us all their fruit, Something that we have neglected in our diet over the last couple of weeks. The gave us the energy to finish taking our touristy selfies, time for me to try and get as close to a marmot as physically possible without slipping off the cliff face and plunging back down 4500 feet to Cedar City. Yes mum, I am still alive!
Feeling more alive than normal after my little adrenalin buzz we climbed slowly for a couple of hundred feet before decending 14 miles to Panguitch lake where we thought we were going to camp. After a very late lunch at about 5 we were just thinking about heading down to the campsite before I popped into the local store and asked the owner about accomodation. He very kindly offered us his cabin for the night. At first it didn't sound much, but a roof is better than a tent so we took it. When we arrived, we were greeted by what looked like a 5 bedroom skiing chalet and after walking in it kind of was.
We made ourselfs very comfy for the eving infront of a nice flat screen tv before we parted ways into our double beds for the night. All in all, a great day of cylcing topped off by the amazing kindness of the shop owner in Panguitch lake. CS
Day 15: Panguich lake to Bryce Canyon: 45 miles.
Coming soon...
Day 16: Bryce Canyon to Escalante River, 60 miles
Waking up in the middle of Bryce Canyon was awesome! It did however take us a little longer than usual to get on the road and finish the decent we had started the night before.
After about 5 miles we free wheeled into a town called Tropic Where we stopped for a quick coffee and water bottle fill up before the 40 miles to Escalante.
So off we went to Escalante passing another touring cyclist on the way out of town. This time we didn't stop though and and moved slowly on to the Escalante staircase national monument (another huge canyon). Now in England, if there was a national monument it would probably be a small, fairly unimpressive landmark. This was not! The entrance along highway 12 was breathtaking, jaw dropping and another word for mighty impressive in its own right but after climbing into it, I really was speechless! We continued on pointing stuff out, stopping for endless photo opportunities and trying to take it all in. It was all great until we realized that the only way out of the so called grand staircase was to cycle up and out the other side. Getting out of the canyon was a brutal, 1 in 3 gradients, narrow roads and hair pins to rival Alpe d'Huez. But my god was it worth it for the views at the top. Breathtaking, and I'm not talking about being knackered and out of breath after cycling up the hill.
After a decent into Escalante, we sat out the midday heat watching the World Cup semi final between Argentina and Holland before we continued on though the Grand Staircase.
On the way down the Escalante staircase, I decided to take a corner much faster than I should have before my wheels slipped from beneath me on the loose gravel sending me sliding along the gravel hard shoulder for what felt like an eternity.
The result of my little slippage wasn't that bad at all, a little road rash on my left hip, side and elbow with a bigger graze on my left elbow. Thank god we only had a mile to the campsite which was to be our first night in a paid campsite. The bonus of my crash was that I was able to play the sympathy game and we managed to get the camp site for free. I suppose every cloud has a silver lining! After a wash in the creak we had a bite to eat and hit the hay.
Photos coming soon, and it's worth having a look at them because the scenery has been awesome!
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