Cedar City

After my fall from grace, I rode from Escalante, UT to Panguitch, UT, through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Bryce Canyon and Red canyon. The thing that you must understand about Utah is that it is one of my favorite places on earth. They say that if God created the universe in six days, he probably spent three or four of them on Utah . Not only is it absolutely beautiful and a landscape unlike any other in the world, it is one of the wildest places in America. The southern part of the state was one of the last places in the lower 48 states to be settled. In fact, Boulder, UT was the last town in America to have its mail delivered by automobile.

It was here that Butch Cassidy hid from the law. It was here that writer/artist Everett Ruess, a contemporary of Ansel Adams, disappeared near Hole-in-the-Rock in 1933, never to be seen again. It was here that the Fremont painted rock walls with their arresting and in-decipherable petroglyphs 750 years ago. If there is a place I will always be drawn back to, it is here.

Across this place, it is easy to see the hand of God and of geologic time, wearing away at the rock, leaving behind arches, canyons, caves, hoodoos, mesas and a few lucky people, mouths agape, eyes as big as saucers. It is absolutely magical. And haunted by the memories of the ancients.

All my waxing poetic aside, I was to ride up over an immense mountain, a truly magnificent 30-mile climb, today. Thirty-mile climbs are all fine and dandy, but you know the drill. I did a little reconaissance at the Panguitch library and found an alternative route that featured a mere 12-mile climb, but overall, the ride was 10 miles longer. The real catch was that it involved a considerable bit of travel on I-15.

I called the Iron County Sheriff's Office to get the scoop on the legality of my new designs. When the deputy heard my plans to go over the mountain, he informed me that my original route was going to be intensely trafficked due to the opening of bow-hunting season and that my long way was adviseable. It was very nice. The wide shoulder of the interstate felt like my own personal bike lane. And, though part of my ride was slightly illegal, the black-and-whites gave me no trouble.

So, here I am, in Cedar City, waiting to meet up with Mike Allen and do some sight-seeing.

Best regards,
John