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Back to Ride Itinerary Meet the Riders Bamacyclist Home Day 15
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Back to Ride Itinerary Meet the Riders Bamacyclist Home Day 15
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| ROUTE: Price to Green River UT | DISTANCE: 67 Miles | WINDS: Slight tailwinds at departure, brisk headwinds by mid morning |
| WEATHER: Sunny, 54 at departure, 99 at motel | TERRAIN: Gentle rollers | TOTAL CLIMBING: 1300 feet |
DAILY DOINGS: Don't
have a lot to report today...we woke, we rode, we rested. Today was pretty
much an easy day made a little tough at the end because of a southeast wind that
picked up in the late morning. Everyone was in by 11:15...what's with
that? We got an early start due to the forecast 95+ temperatures in the
afternoon so I think everyone pretty much kept the pedals turning until they
rolled into town. Three riders (Tim, Steve, and Clarence...right) all got
to the motel in time to have the motel's breakfast. Now that's putting the
hammer down when you can eat breakfast at the departure motel and then again at
the destination motel...ANIMALS!
Today I tried to ride for the first time after my
tooth extraction 3 days ago. I felt pretty good at the beginning but as
the morning wore on, the affects of all the drugs seemed to have an affect on
how I was feeling. I started out with Clarence and Tom and we pushed the
pace 
until the first SAG.
We averaged well over 20 MPH to the SAG helped by a 50+ MPH descent off the mesa
about 3 miles short of the SAG. By the time I got there, I had a pretty
good knot in my stomach and my jaw was throbbing just a little bit so I decided
to throttle back the rest of the way to the motel. I took a long time at
the SAG and took several photos and then rode with riders that I usually don't
get to ride with and got to feeling a bit better before arriving at the motel
(probably helped by the chocolate shake about a mile from the motel).
Our route today was basically one highway all the
way to Green River. Green River, founded in the 1870s sits on a major
trade route river crossing. Now I-70 allows tourism to be the major
attraction in the area. There was a museum, a special tribute to John
Wesley Powell, located right next door to our motel and several riders took the
time to go 
exploring.
"Major Powell was in charge of the last great exploration in the continental
US...the '69 voyage of discovery through the uncharted canyons and raging rapids
of the Green River and Colorado River that culminated in a deadly float through
the Grand Canyon. Prior to his exploration, the canyons of Utah and
Arizona were but a mystery to outsiders." (Museum handout)
Our road today made its way through some of the most beautiful hill formations we've seen so far. Shadows on the ridgelines made for a scenic backdrop for the first 60 miles of the ride and there was one point of rock (above left) that we saw just after leaving the motel and we still had it off our left 60 miles into the ride. It just seemed to sit there...it wouldn't get closer even after pedaling for hours, but finally we passed underneath only to still see it behind us when we got in.
The early finish gave us an afternoon to rest before our hundred mile day tomorrow into Grand Junction. There wasn't much to do in Green River unless you went to the museum next door to the motel...sorry I didn't get to go to get info for the site. We'll get up early tomorrow to beat the heat...I'll have more to report tomorrow. M
| DAILY DISCERNING DIALOGUE:
"If enough of us pee in this ditch, they my have a flash flood down the hill." "That mountain just sat there off our nose all morning...will we ever get to it?" "I can't believe Utah didn't call us when they changed the exit numbers." "We're the most exciting thing that's happened here since the melon festival in September." "I see why the dinosaurs became extinct...nothing for them to eat out here."
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DAILY DUH: All afternoon
yesterday Debbie kept saying she needed to find a post office...well Deb,
nothing open as early as we leave in the morning and nothing between Price
and Green River...OK, I'll stop on the way to the motel. She rode
hard to get in early so she could have time to find the post office in
Green River...like Green River is a BIG place. She rode through
"downtown" to no avail and being a girl, she wasn't afraid to stop and ask
for directions...she finally stopped a sheriff who gave her precise
directions to the one horse post office just a couple blocks from where
she was standing. Through all this, it wasn't until she rode up to
the front door that she realized it was SUNDAY...DUH!
Sue might get one too...she showed up at dinner
wearing shorts and a sweat shirt. Barb couldn't stand it and asked,
"Forever why are you wearing a sweat shirt? Sue, it's 100 degrees
out side!" Sue looked at herself and said..."Oh, I guess it's just
because I'm from Florida."
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DAILY DIGITAL DELIGHTS |
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 Bruce took the time at the first SAG to add to his life long collection of ear wax. He's closing in on the Guiness Book record, this ride may put him over the top.
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 I read Darryl's mind...he was thinking, "I know I put my bike some where." |
 Ok, who put the whipped cream in the sunscreen bottle? |
 Linda found the ultimate energy bar today, a sunday...Bible Bar. It advertised that it contained the 7 foods of Deuteronomy 8:8...wheat, barley, raisins, honey, figs, pomegranates, and olive oil. |
 Today was so easy, Tim only needed one foot. |
 Even though on a rented bike, Rick still did the manly thing and pulled Lisa and Mary to the SAG. They were really grateful too...they only beat him in by 30 minutes. |
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