Flamed out

Manila to Red Canyon Lodge, Utah. Monday, July 1, 2024.

I was so touched. BFF Eric, who loves to pull my chain and who has dissed this Parking Lots Tour as inane and contrived, nevertheless tried mightily to get me to go back and tag the Henry’s Fork/Kings Peak trailhead after all. Leave your heavy stuff at the motel, bring only minimalist camping gear, camp at the trailhead campsite and get it done. Think how good I’d feel. Silly to bike 2,500 miles and blow this off.

I just couldn’t get my head around it. I didn’t mention that yesterday’s ride ended with a thousand-foot plunge into Flaming Gorge, so steep I hit 41 mph on half-deflated tires. Going back into that same west wind, that same crappy road, up that plunge I just did, and the same chance of thunderstorms was more than I could countenance. I have to go back anyway to do Hood, perhaps Jane and I will take a Western campervan tour with a rented mountain bike, and I can pick up where I left off. I did Gannett in three stages, didn’t I?

Jane and Eric were unconvinced, but I have to listen to my body (a great wimp-out line). Instead I climbed out of the other side of Flaming Gorge, at least with the wind behind me. It didn’t matter. The road was so steep, often a 10% grade, that I wound up pushing it for 5 miles. That’s a lot of pushing. Most of the way was under construction, which sounds awful but is actually a blessing. Tyra the flag woman saw me puffing up to her, and gave me TWO bottles of water. Brock the job boss kept offering me a ride in his pickup. I was sorely tempted, but didn’t want to “break the chain” from the ocean. Even if I did blow off Kings Peak. He allowed me to push my bike unmolested in the closed lane, skirting around the construction vehicles. It was almost pleasant. I only stopped for one picture, rain came in and dulled the colors of this incredible gorge I’d never heard of.

I’d hoped to go another 62 miles to Vernal, but that climb and the rain poofed me enough that I bailed at Red Canyon Lodge, only 26 miles in. In my current enfeebled state, no way could I have gone back to Kings. Crashing early, hope to get my mojo back tomorrow.

Distance 26 miles, 2,617 total. Time 7 hours with stops. Elevation gain 3,100 feet

©️ 2024 Scott Luria