13th June 2018 Wednesday – I’ve slept on worse….

- May 21, 2018

Hello Everybody!

Route: Blanding to Hite Campground (sort of)

For the non-mathematicians out there:

Distance: 50 miles (Total 2,589)	Average speed: 12.2 mph
Calories: 961	Cycling time: 4h 07min
Average cadence: 67 rpm	Climb: 2,457t, Descent: 2,070ft
Heart (yes I have one): Max 119 Aver 98	Aver Temp: 32C, Max temp 41C
Temperament: Sizzling, Weird, Getting the hang

Made a fairly early start for me at 9am. I would have been a bit earlier but I decided to send a final weight drop to the Airbnb host in San Francisco. I was also carrying additional water, namely 2 expandable bottles, my usual 3 bottles and 4 pints in my expandable 8 pint carrier.

Imagine me in silk underwear and the picture is complete....

and the pre-version

At the start of the day - little did I know

a great descent to follow this gap but then a very naughty climb, oh dear

Utah is much wider than I thought

Cows are very dangerous - see next

See I told you

Hite is just down this road

The route went 4 miles down the main highway and then turned right onto a quieter road although it did have a steady flow of traffic. It was warm although 30C at 9am it did not feel too bad.

The route peaked at about 28 miles and around the 25-mile mark, it was getting very hot.

Minding my own business, I saw some people in the bushes, well there were some buildings as well. It turned out to be some very old native American religious place where the men would smoke something akin to cannabis only a bit stronger. I said hello to a man and once he offered me some water I was a happy camper. I managed to bag 2 bottles of cold water as mine were getting decidedly on the warm side.

I got to the summit of the climb and met 2 men and a woman reading the signs telling about the history of the area. They also gave me some water – a theme is developing here. Apparently, Butch Cassidy roamed these parts.

Sign #1

Sign #2

I now had a reasonable 25-mile drop which was very but nice but the heat was brutal by now. I mostly had a tailwind but when it turned into a headwind it felt like when you open the oven door and your eyeballs or glasses steam up. Not fun on a bike though. I did see 42.7C at one point and it felt like it. For lunch other than energy stuff, I had the first half of my Subway Sandy.

One of the guys at the summit had said that the campground I had planned to stay at had a store but it was closed. I decided to chance my luck and when I got to the turn-off I waved down a motorbike rider (I knew this as he was riding a motorbike) who was turning into the road. He said he would check about said store and ride back to me. I decided to go anyway and when I saw him at the store it was just closing. However, he had bought me 2 bottles of water and a couple of choc bars as well as something out of his bike box. What a very nice chap. Name of Alfie and he was just riding while his wife was away. The store had also run out of petrol so Alfie was not that pleased as he needed some. I never get in this position myself oh no, not me.

The place was empty given the extended heatwave they have been having. My options were to put the tent up once it cools down or sleep in the open on one of the tables at the deserted Ranger office. I picked option 2 as you no doubt would have guessed.

Also, a group of Lithuanian people arrived on Harleys looking to swim in the reservoir but sadly the water was far too low. One of them had an Irish accent as he had stayed in Ireland for quite a while – very funny to listen to him talk. They gave me 2 bottles of water and we all had a nice chat about nothing in particular and then they left.

"Irish" bloke on the left

Someone moved the toilet

I had a dehydrated meal which was OK but a bit too spicy and I’m glad I left out the chillies. I had the second half of my Subway Sandy. Will hopefully try to set off very early tomorrow given the heat of today. I will let you know how I get on tomorrow.

PS I will add photos when I get to an internet source that can handle the traffic.