What a funny day!
Before I left Moab in the morning for my drive back to Grand Junction to catch my flight, I actually thought about calling the airline to see if my flight was on time. No - it's too early to call, they either won't know or won't tell me. Wouldn't you know that after I turned in my rental car and proceeded to the United Express counter in Grand Junction that I found out that my flight wasn't delayed - it was canceled! There was a mechanical problem with the plane, and all of the other flights from Grand Junction to Denver were full. Uh oh - who's going to believe me when I call to say I won't make it to work tomorrow because I'm stuck in Colorado with my bicycle!
So, it was a trek through the Rockies by bus... I hate buses - but this was a great ride. The flight that was canceled was a commuter flight - so not that many people (maybe 30). The airline chartered a tour bus just for us, so everyone had their own set of seats - a window view was had by all.
As we boarded the bus the airline agents handed us snack bags, then came onto the bus to offer us a second bag. I took 2 because they each had a bottle of water - but I had to eat some of the other contents too - individually packaged cookies, candy bars, peanut butter cheese crackers, peanuts. Hey - we all had our fill of junk food for the day!
I was booked on a later than planned flight from Denver to Boston since the bus didn't make it there in time for my originally scheduled flight. It was a non-eventful flight, although it was very late by the time I got home. Not a problem though, I slept in for a bit, then wandered in to the office late the next day.
It was a good trip...
Tuesday, May 29, 2001
Monday, May 28, 2001
One day in Arches just wasn't enough...
...hiking to Delicate Arch
I just didn't get enough of Arches National Park in the one day I spent there; the one thing I really wanted to do that seemed a bit much on that first day was the hike up to Delicate Arch. Although this isn't a long hike, it's much longer than the short walks from the parking areas that I managed to incorporate with my riding - it's classified by the National Park Service as a long hike. It's only 3 miles round trip, but it's pretty much uphill all the way out, and the surface under your feet is slickrock. It's not a hike that I wanted to try in my biking shoes.
So, after my round-trip drive to The Needles with a bike ride sandwiched in the middle, I stopped at the hotel to change into regular shorts (not padded cycling shorts) a tank top, and my Chaco sandals (much better for walking than my very stiff cycling shoes). I filled up my Camelbak (again) with cold water and headed back to Arches.
It was fairly late in the afternoon when I started my hike, and although the National Park Service suggests that the hike will take 2 to 3 hours, I walk pretty fast and assumed I'd be back at the car well before dark. I was right; even with taking time to just soak in the scenery, I was back at the car in about an hour and a half.
Delicate Arch is definitely a "wow" sight. It was beautiful to see if from the viewpoint by the road, but it was very very cool to be able to walk right up to it. There were quite a few people up there, and it was fun to talk with some of the other people both during my walk and as I just sat and stared at Delicate Arch and at the other sights.
And - I was very lucky to see some funny mountain goats as I was about halfway back. I saw that a group of people who were in front of me had just stopped and were standing still. I looked around, didn't see anything, and then I looked up. Ah... there were some mountain goats standing on top of a rock. As I got closer, one was looking at us as if to say "what are you doing here?". Silly goat...
I just didn't get enough of Arches National Park in the one day I spent there; the one thing I really wanted to do that seemed a bit much on that first day was the hike up to Delicate Arch. Although this isn't a long hike, it's much longer than the short walks from the parking areas that I managed to incorporate with my riding - it's classified by the National Park Service as a long hike. It's only 3 miles round trip, but it's pretty much uphill all the way out, and the surface under your feet is slickrock. It's not a hike that I wanted to try in my biking shoes.
So, after my round-trip drive to The Needles with a bike ride sandwiched in the middle, I stopped at the hotel to change into regular shorts (not padded cycling shorts) a tank top, and my Chaco sandals (much better for walking than my very stiff cycling shoes). I filled up my Camelbak (again) with cold water and headed back to Arches.
It was fairly late in the afternoon when I started my hike, and although the National Park Service suggests that the hike will take 2 to 3 hours, I walk pretty fast and assumed I'd be back at the car well before dark. I was right; even with taking time to just soak in the scenery, I was back at the car in about an hour and a half.
Delicate Arch is definitely a "wow" sight. It was beautiful to see if from the viewpoint by the road, but it was very very cool to be able to walk right up to it. There were quite a few people up there, and it was fun to talk with some of the other people both during my walk and as I just sat and stared at Delicate Arch and at the other sights.
And - I was very lucky to see some funny mountain goats as I was about halfway back. I saw that a group of people who were in front of me had just stopped and were standing still. I looked around, didn't see anything, and then I looked up. Ah... there were some mountain goats standing on top of a rock. As I got closer, one was looking at us as if to say "what are you doing here?". Silly goat...
The Needles
A drive, a cow jam, and a bike ride
Today I headed for the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. The National Park Service web site describes it as:
Once I was finished viewing the petroglyphs, I figured it would be a straight shot into the park with no delays. Well, I was almost right - it was a straight shot, but there was definitely a delay. I ran right into a very large cow jam! I obviously wasn't using my camera-brain since it took me quite a while to grab my camera and take some pictures. By the time I picked up my camera I had missed quite a few good shots of the cows, the cowguys & gals, and the persistent herding dogs. I have to say that I was very glad that I was in my car and not standing with my bike in the middle of what seemed like hundreds of cows all over the road. I got quite a kick out of the dogs though. They stood their ground and didn't give up when the cows initially refused to move. A second blast of barks from a very determined dog convinced the cows that it was time to move on. But I was stuck there for at least 15 to 20 minutes! My bike decided to stop yelling at me for driving into the park - it was still clean, and I suspect that both the bike and I would have had a good layer of cow shit on us if we'd been in the middle of that mess!
Finally, the entrance to the park! I left the car at the visitor's center and took off on my bike. There isn't much in the way of paved road in this section of the park, but I covered all of it! There were arches and needles (sandstone spires), fantastic colors. It's amazing how different this section of the park is from the Island in the Sky section...
It was a beautiful day and a very enjoyable ride, even though it was a bit longer than I liked in the car. If I go back again - what am I saying, when I go back again - I'm going with hiking boots. This part of the park definitely needs hiking to see the spectacular parts...
There are some unpaved roads in the Needles section of the park, but the park service web site warns that "many of the roads in the Needles District travel up wash bottoms and are unsuitable for bikes due to deep sand and water". And mountain biking in the park is limited to the roads, no single track allowed. It seemed to me that there were some areas in the Needles section that were accessible by unpaved roads and would be suitable for mountain bikes, but I guess that depends on whether you like to ride through deep sand... Sounds like the White Rim Trail and the Maze district of the park would be better destinations for those of you who want to explore on your mountain bikes.
Today I headed for the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. The National Park Service web site describes it as:
The Needles District forms the southeast corner of Canyonlands and was named for the colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that dominate the area. The district's extensive trail system provides many opportunities for long day hikes and overnight trips. Foot trails and four-wheel-drive roads lead to such features as Tower Ruin, Confluence Overlook, Elephant Hill, the Joint Trail, and Chesler Park.It was a bit of a drive from Moab - 40 miles south and 35 miles west. I thought it would be worth the drive, so I popped the bike into the car and took off. My first stop was to see Newspaper Rock, which is an absolutely amazing wall of petroglyphs. Just seeing it made the drive worth while - although the bike ride itself contributed a lot to my day's success.
Once I was finished viewing the petroglyphs, I figured it would be a straight shot into the park with no delays. Well, I was almost right - it was a straight shot, but there was definitely a delay. I ran right into a very large cow jam! I obviously wasn't using my camera-brain since it took me quite a while to grab my camera and take some pictures. By the time I picked up my camera I had missed quite a few good shots of the cows, the cowguys & gals, and the persistent herding dogs. I have to say that I was very glad that I was in my car and not standing with my bike in the middle of what seemed like hundreds of cows all over the road. I got quite a kick out of the dogs though. They stood their ground and didn't give up when the cows initially refused to move. A second blast of barks from a very determined dog convinced the cows that it was time to move on. But I was stuck there for at least 15 to 20 minutes! My bike decided to stop yelling at me for driving into the park - it was still clean, and I suspect that both the bike and I would have had a good layer of cow shit on us if we'd been in the middle of that mess!
Finally, the entrance to the park! I left the car at the visitor's center and took off on my bike. There isn't much in the way of paved road in this section of the park, but I covered all of it! There were arches and needles (sandstone spires), fantastic colors. It's amazing how different this section of the park is from the Island in the Sky section...
It was a beautiful day and a very enjoyable ride, even though it was a bit longer than I liked in the car. If I go back again - what am I saying, when I go back again - I'm going with hiking boots. This part of the park definitely needs hiking to see the spectacular parts...
There are some unpaved roads in the Needles section of the park, but the park service web site warns that "many of the roads in the Needles District travel up wash bottoms and are unsuitable for bikes due to deep sand and water". And mountain biking in the park is limited to the roads, no single track allowed. It seemed to me that there were some areas in the Needles section that were accessible by unpaved roads and would be suitable for mountain bikes, but I guess that depends on whether you like to ride through deep sand... Sounds like the White Rim Trail and the Maze district of the park would be better destinations for those of you who want to explore on your mountain bikes.
Sunday, May 27, 2001
Island in the Sky: A spectacular mesa
Today's agenda was to explore the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park. This is an interesting park both because the geology/landscape in wonderful, and because the Colorado and Green rivers separate the park into 4 distinct sections. The National Park Service web site provides this description of the section that I visited today:
It was a beautiful (but relatively short) drive from Moab to the Island in the Sky. I found a parking spot at the visitor center and headed inside to look at the exhibits. Back out, a quick stop in the bathroom (or should I say the outhouse?), and it was time to pull my bike out of the car. It was screaming at me - time to ride, time to ride!
I headed across the narrow land bridge that connects to the Island in the Sky, and wondered how long it will be before it erodes away entirely. I can see a switchbacked trail heading to the canyon floor; it's the start of the White Rim trail. That would certainly provide a different perspective to this place. Riding on the top of the mesa, a pretty flat route with a bit of tilt every so often, just taking in the flowers and the distant views. As the road goes through the center of the mesa, I can see desert flowers and flat expanses of land, but when it wanders close to the edge - what a fabulous view! I'm keeping pictures in my mind because this is the type of place where you'd have to hit the light conditions just right to get fabulous pictures to match the view.
As I got back to the visitor's center at the end of my ride, I met the same mountain bike riders I'd talked to in Arches two days ago. They were having a short meeting with their tour guide prior to heading out on the White Rim Trail. We chatted for a few minutes, and then I packed up the car and headed back to Moab.
I checked back into the Hotel Off Center, definitely my preferred home away from home here. My first room wasn't too off the wall - I'd say it looked like an old-style lawyers office - but my new room is pretty interesting. It's actually two rooms, with the feel of the late 50's, bright orange in places, pinks and blues in others, complete with a fallout shelter sign on the wall. What fun! Looking back, I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the room. Guess that's the difference between traveling with a film camera and traveling with a digital camera!
I got settled in again, showered, and headed out for food. It was another Mexican food night, this time some really good fish tacos.
"The Island in the Sky mesa rests on sheer sandstone cliffs over 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain. Every overlook offers a different perspective on Canyonlands' spectacular landscape. The Island is the easiest district to visit in a short period of time, offering many pullouts with spectacular views along the paved scenic drive."The visitor center at the Island in the Sky is 32 miles from Moab, so I opted to drive to the park, and then to ride the park roads. It would have been a very long day if I'd ridden my bike the 32 miles, then did my 37 mile ride in the park, then rode the 32 miles back to Moab. Way too much for me for this early season ride, and it was another hot day too. Better to use that extra fossil-fueled vehicle that I rented for my trip here!
It was a beautiful (but relatively short) drive from Moab to the Island in the Sky. I found a parking spot at the visitor center and headed inside to look at the exhibits. Back out, a quick stop in the bathroom (or should I say the outhouse?), and it was time to pull my bike out of the car. It was screaming at me - time to ride, time to ride!
I headed across the narrow land bridge that connects to the Island in the Sky, and wondered how long it will be before it erodes away entirely. I can see a switchbacked trail heading to the canyon floor; it's the start of the White Rim trail. That would certainly provide a different perspective to this place. Riding on the top of the mesa, a pretty flat route with a bit of tilt every so often, just taking in the flowers and the distant views. As the road goes through the center of the mesa, I can see desert flowers and flat expanses of land, but when it wanders close to the edge - what a fabulous view! I'm keeping pictures in my mind because this is the type of place where you'd have to hit the light conditions just right to get fabulous pictures to match the view.
As I got back to the visitor's center at the end of my ride, I met the same mountain bike riders I'd talked to in Arches two days ago. They were having a short meeting with their tour guide prior to heading out on the White Rim Trail. We chatted for a few minutes, and then I packed up the car and headed back to Moab.
I checked back into the Hotel Off Center, definitely my preferred home away from home here. My first room wasn't too off the wall - I'd say it looked like an old-style lawyers office - but my new room is pretty interesting. It's actually two rooms, with the feel of the late 50's, bright orange in places, pinks and blues in others, complete with a fallout shelter sign on the wall. What fun! Looking back, I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the room. Guess that's the difference between traveling with a film camera and traveling with a digital camera!
I got settled in again, showered, and headed out for food. It was another Mexican food night, this time some really good fish tacos.
Saturday, May 26, 2001
Along the Colorado River
Before I headed out for the day I packed up and stashed everything in the car (everything but the bike, that is!). I was hoping that there would be a cancellation at the Hotel Off Center for tonight, but there wasn't, so I had to move to a different place for tonight. I wasn't traveling with too much stuff, so it was a simple matter to throw everything back in my duffle bag for the day.
I had a great breakfast at Breakfast at Tiffany's - a good food start to a good riding day!
OK, time to go. I left the car parked at the Hotel Off Center and headed out on my bike, time to explore the road along the Colorado River. North or south? I couldn't decide, so I decided to do both. It was going to be an out and back ride again today, so why not two out and back rides? I started by heading north along the river, then eventually turned and re-traced my route. When I got back to route 191 I crossed over and continued to ride south along the river for a while before retracing my route. It was much more of a solitary ride; unlike yesterday when there were lots of people to talk with and to share the wonder of the landscape, I was pretty much on my own today. There were people playing in the river, and an occasional car rambling by, but it was a quiet people day. Enjoyable though...
Back to town, time to get something cold to drink. After a smoothie, I headed to the car, and drove the few blocks to the Day's Inn. From the interesting rooms of the Hotel Off Center, to the standard (and somewhat boring rooms of a chain motel). But it worked, and it would only be for one night. My biggest problem with this hotel were the big signs saying that bikes weren't allowed in the rooms! Unlike the Hotel Off Center, most of the other hotels in this bike-loaded town didn't want bicycles in their rooms. They did supply a place to lock up bicycles, but I decided to just leave the bike in the car. I just folded the frame and left it hidden in the trunk. I probably could have snuck the bike into the room through one of the (locked) side entrances to the place, but I figured the trunk would work for one night.
Dinner tonight was at Bandito's Grill - a nice big bean and rice burrito. Yum.
I had a great breakfast at Breakfast at Tiffany's - a good food start to a good riding day!
OK, time to go. I left the car parked at the Hotel Off Center and headed out on my bike, time to explore the road along the Colorado River. North or south? I couldn't decide, so I decided to do both. It was going to be an out and back ride again today, so why not two out and back rides? I started by heading north along the river, then eventually turned and re-traced my route. When I got back to route 191 I crossed over and continued to ride south along the river for a while before retracing my route. It was much more of a solitary ride; unlike yesterday when there were lots of people to talk with and to share the wonder of the landscape, I was pretty much on my own today. There were people playing in the river, and an occasional car rambling by, but it was a quiet people day. Enjoyable though...
Back to town, time to get something cold to drink. After a smoothie, I headed to the car, and drove the few blocks to the Day's Inn. From the interesting rooms of the Hotel Off Center, to the standard (and somewhat boring rooms of a chain motel). But it worked, and it would only be for one night. My biggest problem with this hotel were the big signs saying that bikes weren't allowed in the rooms! Unlike the Hotel Off Center, most of the other hotels in this bike-loaded town didn't want bicycles in their rooms. They did supply a place to lock up bicycles, but I decided to just leave the bike in the car. I just folded the frame and left it hidden in the trunk. I probably could have snuck the bike into the room through one of the (locked) side entrances to the place, but I figured the trunk would work for one night.
Dinner tonight was at Bandito's Grill - a nice big bean and rice burrito. Yum.
Friday, May 25, 2001
Among the (natural) sculptures
...wandering in Arches National Park
Finally - Arches National Park! I've wanted to visit here for ages, and now I can combine one of my favorite activities - biking, of course - with wandering through red rock formations. I had a good breakfast, then opted to drive to the park. Lazy, lazy... but as I drove past Arches on my way in to Moab yesterday I saw that there was a big hill leading from the visitor center at the entrance of the park to the main part of the park. The elevation here is higher than I'm used to - no surprise since I live at sea level - and I decided that I didn't want to start out today with a big climb. At the end of the day I realized that this was a really good decision...
Looking back at the road from a viewpoint in the park... back down that big hill
I stopped at the visitor center as I entered the park to take a look at the exhibits. Then I drove up into the park and stopped at the first parking area to switch to my preferred mode of transportation - my bike. I happily headed down the main park road on my nice blue bike. It was a day of many stops. I stopped at every viewpoint and formation, and took all of the short walks back to see the wonderful sculpted rocks. I was carrying a lock with me, so I had no problem with leaving my bike. OK, OK, my bike had a problem with me leaving it behind, but there's no biking allowed off-road in this park, so it had to be happy with waiting for me!
I talked to a lot of people along the road today. Many of the sculpted features of Arches are easily seen from the park road, and in many cases only a short walk is required for a closer view. I guess you could say that this is a very accessible park.
The flowers were absolutely amazing. I guess I caught the spring flowers just right, and one of the rangers told me that this is one of the best springs in years in terms of the flowers. It seems that Arches had just the right kind and amount of moisture over the winter to cause an explosion of spring blooms. Wonderful!
It was a slow riding day, both because I kept stopping to look around, and because I was moving pretty slowly. I occasionally wondered why, but I chalked it up to leftover tiredness from my travel day yesterday. Turns out it wasn't that at all; I didn't realize until I reached my turnaround point at the end of the road that the road was tilted at a slight uphill grade. That in combination with the higher than normal altitude (for me, that is - the bike didn't care) is what caused my "why am I riding so slowly?" thoughts. In spite of those thoughts I really enjoyed all parts of my day, and the ride back out (yes, it was an out-and-back ride today) was easier.
It was a very hot day, so I was happy to find water at the picnic area at the end of the road. While I had enough drinking water with me, I didn't want to risk using it up by splashing myself with water. With the picnic area and campground all of the way in the park, I had access to cool water to splash on my face and to replenish my Camelbak. I took a short rest here - a good spot for a snack, and a chance to talk to others who were enjoying the park as much as I was.
As I was heading back along the road at the end of the day, I started to bypass a parking area and scenic spot. I'd stopped there earlier in the day, and I wasn't going to stop a second time until I hear some people commenting on my little-wheeled bike. So of course I stopped to talk to them! It turns out that they were a group of mountain bikers who were about to set off (in a couple of days time) to do the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park. They were touring Arches by car and foot (no off-road riding allowed here), and they were as fascinated by the park as I was.
Park Avenue... well the other side might remind one of Park Avenue, but these formations feel Egyptian to me
It's amazing to me to see these monolithic pieces of rock emerging from the landscape.
Another view of Balanced Rock - it's amazing how different it appears from the other side
Finally - Arches National Park! I've wanted to visit here for ages, and now I can combine one of my favorite activities - biking, of course - with wandering through red rock formations. I had a good breakfast, then opted to drive to the park. Lazy, lazy... but as I drove past Arches on my way in to Moab yesterday I saw that there was a big hill leading from the visitor center at the entrance of the park to the main part of the park. The elevation here is higher than I'm used to - no surprise since I live at sea level - and I decided that I didn't want to start out today with a big climb. At the end of the day I realized that this was a really good decision...
Looking back at the road from a viewpoint in the park... back down that big hill
I stopped at the visitor center as I entered the park to take a look at the exhibits. Then I drove up into the park and stopped at the first parking area to switch to my preferred mode of transportation - my bike. I happily headed down the main park road on my nice blue bike. It was a day of many stops. I stopped at every viewpoint and formation, and took all of the short walks back to see the wonderful sculpted rocks. I was carrying a lock with me, so I had no problem with leaving my bike. OK, OK, my bike had a problem with me leaving it behind, but there's no biking allowed off-road in this park, so it had to be happy with waiting for me!
While I was thinking ahead far enough to bring a lock, I didn't think about carrying a change of shoes with me. It's not really the smartest move to wander in sand and on rocks wearing cleated and very stiff cycling shoes. I use Speedplay frog pedals, which do use a recessed cleat, but I still hear a little bit of clicking as I walk, and my preferred shoes are very very stiff - excellent for riding, but not so good for walking. This wasn't a huge problem since I was only walking short distances, but I think if I ride down this road again I'll carry my Chaco sandals and switch shoes before I start walking.
I talked to a lot of people along the road today. Many of the sculpted features of Arches are easily seen from the park road, and in many cases only a short walk is required for a closer view. I guess you could say that this is a very accessible park.
The flowers were absolutely amazing. I guess I caught the spring flowers just right, and one of the rangers told me that this is one of the best springs in years in terms of the flowers. It seems that Arches had just the right kind and amount of moisture over the winter to cause an explosion of spring blooms. Wonderful!
It was a slow riding day, both because I kept stopping to look around, and because I was moving pretty slowly. I occasionally wondered why, but I chalked it up to leftover tiredness from my travel day yesterday. Turns out it wasn't that at all; I didn't realize until I reached my turnaround point at the end of the road that the road was tilted at a slight uphill grade. That in combination with the higher than normal altitude (for me, that is - the bike didn't care) is what caused my "why am I riding so slowly?" thoughts. In spite of those thoughts I really enjoyed all parts of my day, and the ride back out (yes, it was an out-and-back ride today) was easier.
It was a very hot day, so I was happy to find water at the picnic area at the end of the road. While I had enough drinking water with me, I didn't want to risk using it up by splashing myself with water. With the picnic area and campground all of the way in the park, I had access to cool water to splash on my face and to replenish my Camelbak. I took a short rest here - a good spot for a snack, and a chance to talk to others who were enjoying the park as much as I was.
As I was heading back along the road at the end of the day, I started to bypass a parking area and scenic spot. I'd stopped there earlier in the day, and I wasn't going to stop a second time until I hear some people commenting on my little-wheeled bike. So of course I stopped to talk to them! It turns out that they were a group of mountain bikers who were about to set off (in a couple of days time) to do the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park. They were touring Arches by car and foot (no off-road riding allowed here), and they were as fascinated by the park as I was.
Park Avenue... well the other side might remind one of Park Avenue, but these formations feel Egyptian to me
It's amazing to me to see these monolithic pieces of rock emerging from the landscape.
Another view of Balanced Rock - it's amazing how different it appears from the other side
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