Day 39: Moab to Monticello

June 6, 2010

I don't expect the next couple of days to be the scenic highlight of the tour. I'm just traveling to Mesa Verde National Park. Today I go 56 miles south on US 191 to Monticello, with a net climb of 3000+ feet. Uphill most of the day. Today is also my 49th birthday but I have no plans to celebrate. Just another day on the road...

Leaving Moab, US 191 goes uphill along the Moab fault to the little town of Spanish Valley. I took a long stop at a beautiful highway rest area just north of the Hole N the Rock tourist attraction. It has green grass, dense shade, water, flush toilets. And a store 1/4 mile away at Hole N Rock.

Excellent shady highway rest area north of the Hole N Rock tourist attraction.

Shade was a rare commodity today. After Hole N Rock there is no shade and no services for the rest of the day. I left the rest area with 6 full water bottles and needed all of them. I was soaked in sweat most of the day. The slight northwest tailwind just makes it hotter when going uphill most of the time.

Looking back at a distinctive rock and a final view of the La Sal mountains.

The temperature dropped noticeably as I gained elevation. The high was about 95F around noon, but it was in the 80's by the time I got to Monticello.

Desert gives way to junipers on the final climb to a big plateau.

Monticello (population 1958, elevation 7070 ft.) is a county seat and has all services, but appears to be struggling. Monticello has a Mormon church but it also has a Catholic church to serve a large Latino community. So it's a half-Mormon town, the last one on this tour.

Courthouse and Mormon church in Monticello.

I camped at a commercial campground on the south side of town. $20, with shower. I camped here in 1992 as well. It cooled down to 70F at sunset. It's great to escape the heat of Moab. I will stay above 6000 feet elevation for the remainder of the tour. Hopefully no more 100F weather.

It was a long boring day. Lots of time pedaling, not much time doing anything else. Traffic was relatively heavy and some places had a very narrow shoulder. The 90 miles of US 191 from I-70 to Monticello get my vote as worst road of this tour.

Distance: 56 mi. (90 km)

Climbing: 4577 ft. (1387 m)

Today's ride: 56 miles (90 km)
Total: 1,802 miles (2,900 km)

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