Category: UTCO 2012

UTCO7 – Lake Powell

Posted on July 13, 2012October 30, 2016 by Rich

From Hanksville UT to Hite UT Miles 56.8 Total Ascent 1,946 ft (ascent from www.bikeroutetoaster.com) Up by 5:30AM as planned, we gobbled strawberry pop-tarts and coffee for breakfast. I was a little slow moving this morning while Jack patiently waited. We headed SSE on SR95 out of Hanksville, directly into a 10 mph headwind and mild ascent. Time to get in gear, so to speak. The pre-dawn temperatures were cool and the terrain wide open. Isolated thundershowers were evident in the distance, and when the sun finally peeked out, our shadows were very long in the orange glow. A wonderful

UTCO6 – Hanksville

Posted on July 12, 2012October 30, 2016 by Rich

Rest day in Hanksville UT Miles 1.0 Total Ascent 0 ft (ascent from www.bikeroutetoaster.com) Can you say VEGETATE? We enjoyed a prolonged and meager continental breakfast at the nextdoor Stan’s Burger Shak. We did enjoy reading the many wall hanging with cheesy and clever witticisms, e.g.: “I have flabby thighs – it’s a good thing my stomach covers them.” After breakfast, in the adjacent convenience market, Jack and I slowly explored every item on every shelf. I especially got stuck on all the clever little camping items you can buy, like little pooper scooper shovels and fire starting kits. I

UTCO5 – Capitol Reef

Posted on July 11, 2012December 16, 2015 by Rich

From Torrey UT to Hanksville UT Miles 49.6 Total Ascent 531 ft (ascent from www.bikeroutetoaster.com) Comfy quiet rest last night, followed by the usual free but ho-hum continental breakfast, including waffles, coffee, raisin bran, and OJ. Still, an improvement over the trail mix breakfast of yesterday. At first we climbed east on SR24, which then turned into some quick descents, with speedy segments of 8% 2 or 3 times. We encountered an area of chip seal and more downhills, which our Surlys with 35mm tires handled quite well. At the western edge of Capitol Reef National Park, Jack pulled up

UTCO4 – Speed Records

Posted on July 10, 2012August 1, 2012 by Rich

From Calf’s Creek Campground UT to Torrey UT Miles 49.8 Total Ascent 5,511 ft (ascent from www.bikeroutetoaster.com) My trusty Thermarest mattress has started leaking, but it’s a very slow leak, requiring only a few puffs throughout a full evening. At least the soft red dirt was comfortable all by itself. The stars were stupendous, and I left the tent fly open all night, peering up into the night sky at all hours. At 7AM, I noticed that Jack was already up and out of the tent. Immediately I could see that he was looking much better, an immediate relief. We

UTCO3 – Escalante River

Posted on July 9, 2012August 1, 2012 by Rich

From Tropic UT to Calf’s Creek Campground UT Miles 57.5 Total Ascent 2,347 ft (ascent from www.bikeroutetoaster.com) Wonderful low sleeping temperature again last night, maybe down into the mid-50s. As it warmed up in the morning, we noticed the buzzards one by one flapping out onto a nearby bluff, landing on small trees, and spreading their wings in the morning sun. We rolled to Clarke’s again for breakfast, which they executed in much better fashion than dinner. Pancakes were bland, but the eggs were good and sausage tasty and peppery. Jack was still feeling poorly, but was hanging on trying

UTCO2 – Red Canyons

Posted on July 8, 2012August 1, 2012 by Rich

From Panguitch Lake UT to Tropic UT Miles 51.5 Total Ascent 1,461 ft (ascent from www.bikeroutetoaster.com) A late morning awakening to a full bladder. I can typically make it through the entire evening without leaving my tent, but it is always a delicate balancing act between proper hydration and over-doing it. Temps last night dropped beautifully, down into the 40s. It’s perfect sleeping weather when you can rest warm in your sleeping bag, but still breathe the cold crisp air. My tent site selection had not been ideal, since its surface had me constantly rolling into the side of my

UTCO1 – Cedar Breaks

Posted on July 7, 2012August 1, 2012 by Rich

From Cedar Creek UT to Panguitch Lake UT Miles 47.5 Total Ascent 5,273 ft (from www.bikeroutetoaster.com) My darling Linda stayed and joined us for breakfast at Main Street Grill. I use the word “darling” passionately, of course, but in this case I use it actively as well. To arrive at this starting point, Linda has driven us all the way up to Cedar City, and will drive herself back today. And then she’ll repeat the process some 18 days from today, to an even further finishing point in Colorado. A darling. After casting farewells, Jack and I were suddenly and

UTCO0 – Drive North

Posted on July 6, 2012December 16, 2015 by Rich

Today Linda, Jack and I drove up to Cedar City Utah, taking the route through Flagstaff and just missing Page. Once north of SR64 (which goes to the Grand Canyon), Linda and I were on new roads, mostly on the Navajo Reservation lands. We took 89A and 89 northward, crossing the Colorado River at the very impressive Navajo Bridge. In Utah, we took SR14 westward into Cedar City, and only then did we realize that tomorrow’s cycling route would roll eastward on this same road. I sort of disliked getting the preview. Today’s drive was the inaugural trip for our

Summer Tour: UTCO

Posted on June 25, 2012August 1, 2012 by Rich

Jesse and I have continued our Sunday Breakfast Club rides to Jim’s Coney Island Cafe in Tempe. Our regular Tuesday group has since moved there too. The food is decent, and the atmosphere and service are excellent. Any Sunday or Tuesday morning, you might catch one or more of us there – c’mon out and join us. I need to stay on the bike. Jack and I corresponded sporadically throughout the spring, talking about, but not getting serious about, a summer tour. Well, we’ve finally dared each other into it, although neither of us needed much prodding. The two of