No tent from the night before meant we were on the road quicker than normal. Time to climb.
3 down, 7 to go.
We climbed our last section of Utah mountains into the town of. We had heard a few hundred miles earlier of a small bakery that couldn't be missed.
We found the bakery and feasted on Reuben sandwiches, Waldorf salads, fresh cookies, and homemade granola.
Lesson #44: Apprenticeship is the best form of learning.
The bakery had an incredible story. Seven years ago they started an apprenticeship program for 10 to 18 year olds in the community.
It came out of three boys knocking on the bakers door and asking for money for the movies. The bakers solution was figure out how the kids could learn, do meaningful work and get the money they wanted for the movies. Seven years later the bakery is a safe haven for community kids where they learn accounting, how to run a business, people skills, and how to bake.
The baker was part of the Navajo tribe and told us about how he incorporates the Navajo traditions of the value and energy that come from children into his baking.
He was passionate about their local community garden that was supported by 9 Navajo families. It was priceless to see him beam talking about how the garden brought generations together where grandparents could teach their grand kids their culture of gardening.
Lesson #45: Eat dinner around the table. Don't underestimate how important this is.
He talked about how fundamentally important it is to eat dinner around the family table. He talked about how it is a sacred space were families pass down values, share stories, and build a sense of cultural pride. Shout out to the fam. May we forever break bread around the same table.
Lesson #46: Trust is priceless.
He told us about the struggle over Navajo land rights and water rights. And how the tribe's leadership has been selling off off their land and water rights to private corporations.
He talked about the pain and betrayal of the corrupt leadership of his tribe and how he or his family and community members have never seen the profits from the casino on their land. Not a penny. Apparently the majority of investors have no Indian heritage but the casino holds and operates as if it is legally owned and operated for the benefit of the Navajo tribe.
With much to think about we left the bakery full and started the final climb for the day to Dove Creek, Colorado. We were going to make it out of Utah safely. (Thank goodness we no longer need to sleep with one eye open.)
We slept in the city park, across street from Sheriff's house and hid our tent / bikes behind a shed. We split a pizza and waited for cover of night to pitch tent.
Lesson #47: The problems we experience our self-created. We can fix them but our values and priorities have to change.
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