Arizona, Colorado and Utah

June 2007

Durango, CO

Grand Lake, CO

Moab, UT

Cedar City, UT

My flight from NY last night was delayed out of Philadelphia, as usual, but this time I allowed myself an extra day before starting my trip.  I used this time to mount some new riding lights that make me look like a locomotive coming down the road.  I left Phoenix, on this solo trip, at exactly 7AM for the 455 mile ride to Durango, CO.  You have to get out of Phoenix early to avoid a melt down.  At 7AM the temperature was already 92.  That's a pretty nice temperature when riding in the dry west.  In NY I'd be miserable and sweating like a pig.  As you reach Flagstaff, about 2 hours north of Phoenix,  the higher altitude makes riding considerably cooler. 

The ride to Durango isn't very interesting.  It's basically mile after mile of sage, sand, dust, sun, and heat.  I arrived in Durango just as a thunderstorm let go taking me from too hot to too cool in about 10 minutes, but it felt good.  After last year's miserably hot ride through the Mojave Desert I've decided to try a new cooling vest and a white jacket, the Joe Rocket Phoenix 4.0.  Today it seemed to help a lot.  The cooling vest works by evaporation and kept me cool for about 2 hours before requiring a re-soak.

June 17.  Sunday.  Durango to Grand Lake, CO. (map 3-7)

I got another early start, 7AM, for another 450 miles with a planned stop in Buena Vista to visit some friends.  Beautiful morning and absolutely no one else on the highway.  Part of Hwy 550 between Durango and Ouray is known as the "Million Dollar Highway" and when you see it you'll know why it cost so much to build in the 1800's (one theory, the other that it was named for the gold taken from the area).

June 18.  Monday.  Grand Lake to Moab, UT. (map 7-12)

Lingered a while in the town of Grand Lake and left about 8:30 for Moab.  Leaving Grand Lake, the headwaters of the Colorado River cut a gorge through the mountains.  I followed a train as it snaked its way along. 

Morning was beautiful and the road was wide open.  I was pretty pumped up, riding alongside the massive train on a road made for biking.  With perfect timing a song from my youth popped on my XM radio:  Born to be Wild.   Now I was really pumped up!

Most of the morning I passed bicyclists along U.S. 40, participants in the Ride the Rockies race.  I looked forward to a cold beer in Moab and a jump in the pool but neither met my expectations.  The beer was weak (this is Utah after all) and the pool was "Out of Order, as is so often the case.

June 19.  Tuesday.  Moab to Cedar City, UT.  (map 12-15)

Traveled some familiar routes today but most are new to bike riding.  My cooling vest and white jacket kept me quite comfortable today as temperatures hovered around 95°.

June 20.  Wednesday.  Cedar City to Phoenix.  (map 15-18)

Headed back to Phoenix.  Climate switched from desert to alpine and back to desert.  A lot of boring sections and a near empty gas tank.  Plenty of time for a self-portrait.

Arrived in Phoenix about 4PM, temperature 113°.  There's a huge difference between 95° and 113.

Saw a lot of bikers on this trip, probably 10% of all traffic.  Weather was great, as it typically is in the West.  Another fun trip.  What's next?

The End