August 11, 2017
Day 20, Panguitch to Escalante: Memorable Monumental Day As Sis Discovers The Meaning Of Adventure
Mileage Today; 68 Total So Far; 918 Remaining; 686
Climbing Today; 3,334 ft Total So Far; 51,650 Remaining; 41,473
Max Grade Today; approx 14%
Mechanical Issues; None
Departing Panguitch in the cool early morn, we were reminded of the necessity to book ahead for rooms - fortunately, we had booked the entire 5-week trip in advance. If it became necessary to do so, we knew that we could always skip a rest day to stay on schedule - but so far the schedule was working out well.
It's nice to see the U.S. Bicycle Route System signs; if for no other reason, at least they show the motoring public that bicycles are also part of the transportation system.
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Today was to be a day of much scenic beauty, and that's an apt description for most every day in southwest Utah.
A bike path paralleling the highway made for a relaxed ride.
Interesting to see grade signs on a bike path; I think this is the first time I have seen such.
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Some antelope were grazing near the bike path.
Maybe this is an omen for today; 7 is a lucky number, right?
Well now, here's some truth in advertising.
Our path today goes through a corner of Bryce Canyon.
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As you enter the canyon area, you experience a good downhill run with a sampling of the scenery that makes the Canyon so popular.
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Doc's last name is Henry, so even though the spelling is different the Henrieville sign had some appeal for a photo op.
And a few shots of the afternoon ride. It did get interesting later.
We encountered some construction that proved to be a bit problematic. Just past the photo below was the steepest grade we encountered on the whole trip, and we had to dodge construction activities that seemed to alternate from one side of the road to the other - and then a hard downpour of cold rain hit us!
I rode ahead of Doc and Sis - the grade became so steep that it was very hard to pedal and I was beat by the time I reached the summit.
I set up Harvey in preparation for a summit photo of us in the rain. Sis was soaked and cold and not too happy at this time. But hey, we were on top and it was downhill the rest of the way, so the work is done and I'm smiling.
It was a cold ride down to Escalante. The rain quit but we were experiencing the air-conditioner effect of evaporation and we stopped a couple of times just to warm up. Once we got down we quickly found our hotel and checked in, had a warm shower, then headed out for a great barbecue meal; I had brisket and it really hit the spot. Walking back, we saw the 2nd double-rainbow I had encountered on this journey.
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Life is good for us - a bit of an uphill challenge in the cold rain, but it was followed by a downhill run and a double rainbow! We should all be so lucky - good night my friends...
Today's ride: 68 miles (109 km)
Total: 916 miles (1,474 km)
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