Day #6—Cycle Moab back to Monticello, UT--Sat May 28, Memorial Day Weekend

54 miles by bike 

I ate a fantastic breakfast at the Inn—scrambled eggs and sausage, fruit, yogurt, etc. I ate with two couples from Denver who were excited to be going jeeping that day. I guess I forgot to say that Moab is also famous for its jeeping, even having a jeeping festival in April. The jeeps, like the mountain bikes, delight in riding over the slick rock, up and down steep trails, and to the edges of the canyon rims. These couples (in their late 30s I’d guess) were going for an 8-hour jeep ride, but were still popping Ibuprophen after the previous day’s ride. 

Didn’t get out until 8 am or so. It was about 70F when I left, with a mild headwind, so I enjoyed the 9-mile ride back out through the valley, though there was a lot more traffic going south this Memorial Day Weekend. Came upon Hole in the Wall at mile 13 toward the end of the steep curving, downhill, and stopped briefly to catch my breath and buy more water. 

The traffic thinned before the long 3-mile climb, and for that I was grateful. Most had turned off for destinations in Canyonlands and elsewhere to spend their holiday. While climbing I was passed by only three vehicles: a tandem FedEx semi, a brand new turquoise semi cab piggybacking two other turquoise cabs, and a motorcyclist. 

Looking back at the disappearing shoulder at the top of the Hole in the Rock hill

Roadside rock jumble; not something one wants to be below on a bicycle

This gravelly rock was green but my camera did not capture it well; probably copper or some other mineral in the rock

Yeah! This time I am going d-o-w-n!

Just a reminder of what awaits one who needs to take a "green door" break at the side of the road

It was a long slog past Wilson’s Window and then to Church Rock at mile 39. The day was hotter and the headwind had picked up. By the time I reached Church Rock it was fierce! I looked it up on the computer when I got in, and learned that it was blowing from the south at 25 mph! Made the whole day feel like a long, hot, breathless climb. 

Here's a better pic of Wilson Rock taken on the way back to Monticello; I was on the opposite side of the road and climbed higher up

Much more fun to ride downhill on the way back to Monticello than up as on the way to Moab; that's the shaded rest area to the left

I am clean, rested, and fed now so shall send this off. Few new pix today as they would be the same as those I took yesterday, though I should have taken one of the motel. 

I’ll be camping for the next four nights, so there may be no report until I hit a Quality Inn at Lake Powell on June 2. Hope you all had and are having a great Memorial Day Weekend. 

Peter & Sonja: Try to keep your heads above water! Hard to think of Vermont mud season when it is so dry out here.