Day 25: Wahweap to Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

May 23, 2010

It was 55F in my tent at 6AM, much cooler than yesterday morning. I got up at 6 and was on the road at 7:45. But that would be 8:45 in Utah.

After pedaling a couple miles back to US 89 I turned north. The Utah state line is less than 5 miles down the road. Now I'm back on Mountain Daylight Time.

Take the slogan literally here - it's mostly uphill for 90 miles to Bryce.

North of Lake Powell. The bottom of the Grand Staircase.

I pedaled northwest on US89, into the wind for 25 gradual uphill miles through a dreary desert landscape. In the town of Big Water I stopped at the visitor center for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. I was hoping for a store or cafe in town, but no such luck.

Finally I got to the Cottonwood Canyon road turnoff, 4600 feet elevation, ready for a new adventure. 43 miles of dirt road, mostly uphill. The ranger at the visitor center made sure I knew the road is dirt, not gravel. That means it's impassable after heavy rain. There is a possibility of rain in the weather forecast, but the road was dry as can be.

Beginning of Cottonwood Canyon road, 43 mostly uphill miles of dirt road.

First the road climbs a big ridge, then descends to the Paria river.

Desert in bloom along Cottonwood Canyon road.

The Paria river is just a tiny red muddy creek now, but it's probably fairly big for a short time during the spring snow melt.

Cottonwood Canyon road follows the Paria river for a few miles, then turns away on the east side of a long north-south ridge called the Cockscomb.

It would be fun to have my picture taken while sitting on the overhanging ledge.

There are no fences and the traffic was about one car per hour. I was surprised to see a bunch of livestock on the road. It was some kind of dude ranch excursion. A couple of real cowboys herding a few head of cattle with several tourists riding along.

Most of the time the road is tightly packed sand that is easy to ride on with tire pressure at 25 psi front, 30 psi rear. But there are washboarded sections and one small hill had a 25% grade going up and down. There are also occasional flat sections of deep sand. I could power through the short sections, but had to push the bike through the longer sections. I had a strong tailwind from the south but the sand and uphill grade slowed my progress.

I had hoped to make it all the way to Kodachrome Basin State Park today. But I must have misjudged the distance. There's no way I can make it. Earlier I saw a ranger while taking a picture of the muddy Paria river. He said there is a clear-flowing creek farther up the road.

Power lines along Cottonwood Canyon road. On the left is the "Cockscomb".

I was plenty tired when I got to Cottonwood creek, at about the halfway point of Cottonwood Canyon road. So I set up camp in the shade of juniper and cottonwood trees at 5100 feet elevation - my own private canyon. Windy, but a very pleasant 75F in the late afternoon. And very quiet. Only one or two cars passed by during the evening. This is my favorite kind of free campsite. I don't like free camping near houses, busy roads, etc.

Distance: 46.6 mi. (74.6 km) 21.1 miles on dirt roads

Climbing: 3314 ft. (1004 m)

Average Speed: 8.4 mph (13.4 km/h)

Maximum Speed: 29 mph (46 km/h)

Today's ride: 47 miles (76 km)
Total: 1,198 miles (1,928 km)

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