After a cold morning ride out of Tuba City at daybreak (49 degrees), the day warmed up as the miles piled up -117 of them today. The highlight of the trip was Monument Valley. The red rock formations will blow your mind.
I didn't get off the bike until almost 3:30 today as I flatted just over the Utah state line on a long climb in the Monument Valley on the road where the Forrest Gump sequence was filmed - Run Forrest, Run.
After another great massage, I had an great 18 oz Ribeye steak grilled to near perfection at a outdoor restaurant named the Swingin' Steak. The steaks on placed on a grill that swings back and forth over a fire pit!
We climber over 4,200 feet today but in the end we dropped over 750' in elevation. I burned 3,300 kcals. My average speed was 16.85 which was helped by the massive descent in to Mexican Hat, UT where I topped 45 mph!
3 comments:
Welcome to Utah! I'm really enjoying the photos! A 117mi ride must go by faster than usual when you're able to look at magnificent rocks and canyons. How's the traffic? The road doesn't seem to have much of a shoulder. Not to sound like a mom, but are you wearing sunscreen?! It could just be the shadows, but your kneecaps & thighs look substantially more tan than your lower legs!! : ) Are you going to Four Corners today?
Hi Mark,
I am going to run out of superlatives. The scenery is stunning. The photo of you looking back gives some perspective of the distances you are covering. Monument Valley is something else. I am sitting in my office typing this and looking out the window at the little lake and 441. Hard to picture myself where you are, but it is fun to participate in this way, even from a distance. Financial institutions are crumbling, the stock market is reeeling, Bush and other politicians are pontificating as if they have answers (I don't think anyone knows exactly what to do), and the world as we know it is changing at breakneck pace, but there is something simple and pure about getting on a bike and riding those miles through land that only God could have created. You have to hand it to Him; he does nice work. Enjoy, enjoy.
Ride on.....or, as you said, "Run, Forrest (Mark), run...."
Rick
As another state falls in the sunset and the ride goes on.....what great accomplishment. It's fun keeping up with your journey as I often try to imagine doing the same.
All's well with the delay, we'll make it happen when we get the green light.
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