I am the Road Ruler!
Friday, July 09, 2004
Springdale, UT
What an amazing couple of days! I started out from Marble Canyon, did 30 miles to base of the Kaibab Plateau (the north rim of the Grand Canyon), pulled off a 4,000 foot climb with ease – and then finished out with another 35 miles to set the stage for the next day’s ride into Zion Canyon.
The early morning ride to Kaibab was great – little traffic, cool weather and great scenery. The climb was a killer – 4,000 feet over just a few miles, with tight switchbacks in the beginning, then never ending uphill sections, but it got cooler and cooler as I went up, the view was amazing, and it ended in a beautiful pine forest, wind rushing through the tops of the trees and it was great to just push on through the forest.
I was so pumped that I decided to race down the other side and blast across the lower plateau to the next town. It was a ripping downhill ride that had me riding the brakes and praying for a clean road ahead, then it leveled off into the plateau – where a mean crosswind/headwind fought me for at least 15 miles. In a weird way I was actually enjoying that part – I was laughing at the wind as it tried to slow me down, but no way – the desert didn’t beat me so this was nothing!
The next day got even better. I did a gradual climb all morning out of Arizona and into Utah and everything seemed to change at the border. The scenery in Utah was immediately as promised – red cliffs right there in front of me, the roads got a better, the drivers seemed nicer and the weather cooler still. Utah rocks.
After powering up a 1-5% grade all morning, I finally came to the east entrance of Zion Canyon – and it was incredible! It was as if all the struggles from that point forward were to get there and it was more than worth it. The roads slowly wound down the canyon, everyone had to drive slow on the park road and the canyon is really indescribably beautiful.
The Grand Canyon is quite something, but it is almost too large to take in – it goes on forever in every direction and no matter where you are, you are far away from most of it. But in Zion you are actually in the canyon, surrounded on all sides by ever changing rock formations of red, pink and white rock. Every twist and turn in the road creates a new view – and in this moment, a guy on a bike can own the road. Whereas those in cars can only “windshield tour” – point, gawk and shoot pictures from the car while trying to drive (and stopping at only a few crowded spots along the way), I was the road ruler, able to stop anywhere, anytime.
I could float down the canyon, stop anywhere I wanted, look as long as I wanted – and I think I took more pictures today than I have taken since I started! It was cycling heaven – all downhill, winding roads cut in the rock, unbelievable formations everywhere and it was as if it was there for me, waiting for me to compensate for with I had to do get there. I took hours to get down the canyon and every mile was truly a great moment.
To end an already incredible day, I floated into Springdale, UT past the west end of the canyon and found a town full of great people. From the front desk of the motel, to the store, to the killer pizza place – and most importantly and unexpected – a great bike shop, Zion Cycles, where I was able to get the bike checked out, tuned up and ready for all the Utah had to dish out! Amazing what a difference few days can make…