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Day 14
There's no wind in Utah

ROUTE: Provo to Price UT DISTANCE: 75 Miles WINDS: Howling headwinds for first 12 miles, then gentle tailwinds in the canyon
WEATHER: Sunny, mild...57 at departure and 90 at destination TERRAIN: Mountainous TOTAL CLIMBING: 3930 feet

DAILY DOINGS: What a great day for a bike ride.  We woke to a sunny, cool morning and our departure went pretty smoothly in the early goings.  We left Provo on back roads that were mostly quiet until we got to highway 6 up through the canyon.  About 9 miles into the route, the riders were met with fierce headwinds that almost blew them to a stop as they neared the foot of the mountains.  I warned them about the winds they would encounter and advised them that if they could get into the canyon, the winds should die down and may even start to push them a bit.  That's exactly what happened as they neared the 14 mile point on highway 6 well protected by the high walls of the Spanish Fork Canyon between the Uinta National Forest and the Manti-La Sal on the Wasatch Plateau.  From there the road was a continuous climb pretty much all the way to Soldier Summit at 7477 feet but the pedaling got a bit easier with the winds at their back.  Several riders said this was their best day when they got to the SAG...even when they were fighting the winds into the canyon, they were smiling.  They did sign up for a "Challenge."

After the summit, we passed by a small store in Colton which got its name from the combination of words coal and town...coal was a major item in this area when the railroad came to this area in the mid 1800s.  At the store we met a neat character...Dennis Finch (right).  It only took a moment of chat to get him started on his stories of his granddad who grew up with Butch Cassity (photo he's holding, Butch is on the left and his granddad is on the right) and stories of the town that has long disappeared except for the building he was sitting in.  He pulled out photos of his family and entertained us for several minutes...just a chance meeting that turned into a history lesson.  It's little things like this that make rides like this memorable.  I'm glad several riders took the time to stop and make his day.  I'm sure he's told those stories the same way for many years to whom ever would take the time to listen.

After our crest of Soldier Summit, we descended into Price Canyon with beautiful rock formations standing on both sides of the road...formations that's been there for probably a million years and will stand for years after we are gone.  Standing majestically watching over the coal mines and serving as home to a myriad of critters, they served as scenic backdrops for many of our photos.

About 10 miles out of Price we entered the small mining town of Helper...named for the "Helper" locomotives that were needed to push the heavy coal trains over the steep mountain grades.  Helper is home to an interesting Western Mining and Railroad Museum right on Main Street which is listed on the National Historic Register.  Helper is rich in history "with all of the broad spectrum of activities and adventures that went with it...strikes, bordellos, bootlegging and famous outlaws like Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch."*

All in all it was a good day...for everyone except for Rick M.  He broke his bike riding into the canyon.  His chainstay broke at the rear transition bond so his frame is shot.  It should be a warranty item but of course it's a weekend so no communication available with a replacement.  We were able to rent a bike from the shop in Price for a few days and we'll mail it back to them when we are through with it.  Rick's only going to Pueblo...at least he has a bike to ride.  He and I spent mechanic's time fitting the bike to his position as close as we could...his seat is ok, but his handle bars will be a little short...we'll see how he does over the next few days. 

Everyone got in fairly early and had a chance to tour the Prehistoric Museum in Price or the Train Museum in Helper.  I was miffed that the rodeo wasn't in town like it was the last time we were here...we usually have a hoot mixing with the local cowboys.  But we will be able to get a good night's rest for our ride tomorrow to Green River.  Check back to see how we do.

* Provided by Historic Helper Brochure

DAILY DISCERNING DIALOGUE:

"Tube sales back up...Scott has taken over the lead in flats...as long as he's riding, we have a market."

"The wind was blowing so hard on departure, I thought I was going backwards."

All morning driving up the canyon, a black pick up kept following me.  Finally, they pulled over in a pull out and broke out the banners.  They were friends of Marc and were there to cheer him on.  Nice to have energetic support while climbing these tough mountains. 

 

 DAILY DUH: Goes to the Rest Stop Nazi (RSN) where we had our SAG.  She was a government employee who jumped all over a poor woman who was letting her dog get a drink of water from the creek, and of course the dog had walked across the grass unleashed...evidently a egregious offense at the rest stop.  The woman collected her dog and sped away while the RSN was issuing her a ticket...worth $299.  Since the woman escaped, the RSN called the local sheriff who showed up and after getting a quick briefing of what happened, sped off after the offender with a vengeance.  May be the most expensive drink of water that dog's ever going to get.  And it was a pretty big dog too...hopefully the sheriff didn't reach inside the car to extract the culprit. 

DAILY DIGITAL DELIGHTS

Bill enjoyed last night's motel so much he tried to push it to Price.  Luckily, the builders allowed for just this situation by insuring the foundation was secured in bedrock...plenty of that around here...The Provo Marriott is safe.

Where's Paul Revere when you need him??
THE BRITISH ARE COMING, THE BRITISH ARE COMING!!!  One if by land, two if by sea, but all 3 are on a bike...what then????

Tony, Tom, and Mike rode together to the summit but Tom drew the short straw and had to wear the summit sign on his helmet the rest of the day to commemorate Team Newbie's accomplishment.  Made descending a bit sporty with the swirling winds.

A photo that needs no comment. 

Alan and Herb carbed up for the ride tomorrow.  One might ask how you can gain weight on a ride like this when you are burning 3000-5000 calories a day...answer, eat 5001.

While Rick was working on getting a loaner bike to complete his ride, Mary found her dream bike.  She wasn't concerned with the fit as long as it was blue.

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