We woke up well rested, feeling cleaner than we've felt all trip, after getting a hot shower and washing our clothes at the nicest RV park we've seen yet.
We got a quick breakfast at the local coffee shop, the owner was concerned about some big virus sweeping across the world (we hadn't heard anything about this yet) and was frantically wiping down all surfaces with Clorox bleach wipes. Glad we were protected.
We left breakfast full and feeling leery of the 26 mile and 5,000 foot climb that lay ahead. It was time to get it.
Our climb was broken into two parts, separate by the small town (pop. 205) of Boulder, Utah. The climb up to boulder was absolutely gorgeous. We hugged the Escalante River for the first part, the road leading us between towering canyon walls on both sides.
We made it to the top of our first set of canyons for the day and rode the Devil's Backbone what felt like alongside the clouds. 4,000 feet in the air with no guardrails or shoulders on either side of the road.
Lesson #35: Don't stress. Things are meant to be used. And when you use something long enough it is going to eventually break.
As we were closing in on Boulder I heard a speaking that sounded like something being tightened on my back wheel and then a pop. I had broken a spoke. Again. 3rd one this trip.
We pulled over and started unpacking the gear so we could fix the tire. Before we could even pop off the back wheel a Subaru pulled over with a full size bike pump hanging out the window.
Side note - the difference in ease between pumping a tire with a hand pump and a full size pump cannot be articulated fully with words. In terms of time and effort saved by using a full size pump its the equivalent of traveling by horse drawn wagon or cruising in along in a smooth and reliable '93 Ford Taurus.
We trued up the back wheel as best we could and crossed our fingers we could make it the remaining 50 or so miles with a bum back wheel to Torrey where there was a bike shop.
Lesson #36: There isn't a lot of diversity in Utah. At all.
Thank you Sanjay and Carol!
We downed a few burgers for a late lunch and jumped back on the road for the final 16 miles of climbing. As we were pulling out an old man yelled - "You're heading that way!? Get ready for a few hours of hell." Great.
The climb was long, and hot, and we took many frequent breaks every few miles. As we were approaching the summit there was a large herd of cows on both sides of the road, and throughout the forest.
Growing up in Iowa we've been having staring contests with pigs since day one. These cows didn't mess around. They stood right on the shoulder of the road and kept a firm, emotionless stare that didn't break. Ever. Stone cold stunners up there.
We crossed the summit, relieved and back wheel still intact.
We flew the last 20 or so miles downhill into Torrey and stopped at the local gas station to reload.
The man behind the counter turned out to be the pastor of the local Southern Baptist Church in Torrey. He generously told us we could stay there for the night and use the restrooms there. It was a small church that was left open and unlocked, 24/7.
Thank you to the pastor.
Here's hoping to quick repairs tomorrow morning at the bike shop and full day on the road. Utah is gorgeous.
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