May 15, 2022
Day 8: Richfield to Ephraim
Today is a long but interesting day. The weather forecast calls for a high of 87F/30C, so I put ice in the insulated water bottle for the first time. It was sunny and 57F when I got on the road at 9:35. Warmer than previous mornings.
I enjoyed the view of the red cliffs northwest of Richfield. They look much better in morning sun than they did yesterday afternoon.
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The day starts on UT 118 which has moderate traffic and a usable shoulder. In the village of Aurora I turned onto back roads to bypass the town of Salina. I enjoyed the peace and quiet of narrow roads surrounded by farm fields.
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I stopped to enjoy the views at a reservoir that is part of a wildlife refuge. Looking across the water gives me a view of multiple mountain ranges in multiple directions. One of the things I like best about the Great Basin is that you are always surrounded by mountains.
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Just past Redmond I crossed the Sevier river for the last time. The river turns west towards the basin. I will go northeast to the Sanpete valley.
I stopped to rest at a shady park in the little village of Axell. A few minutes later a southbound cyclist saw me and pulled over to chat. We ended up talking for almost an hour. Russell is 71 years old, left his house in downtown Salt Lake City yesterday morning. He said this is his 24th time to pedal to his brother's house in St. George. His bike setup is ultra-light, but also old-school with a rack and pannier instead of frame bags. Maybe he doesn't want to scratch his gorgeous Bianchi frame.
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Russell and I were sitting on a bench in front of the town's unattended post office. A well dressed man drove up to get mail. We ended up talking to him for 20 minutes. After a few minutes, Russell correctly guessed that he was the local bishop, by his dress and demeanor. A bishop is the leader of a local congregation. Mormon congregations are mostly led by laymen. Not salaried clerics, and not women. The bishop is a software developer who works from home. Years ago the bishop biked to work in Salt Lake City. All three of us were former bike commuters.
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Manti (pronounced with a long I) is the next town. I knew that Manti has a historic Temple, suggesting that the entire town might be historic. But it way exceeded my expectations. Manti is a fairy-tale town. A 19th century Mormon time capsule. It took me a very long time to get across town. I wanted to take pictures of everything.
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1 year ago
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1 year ago
In the middle of Manti is an impressive stone LDS church completed in 1879. Not an ordinary LDS church. It looks more like the historic Tabernacles.
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I spotted another Bishop's Storehouse in Manti. This one is now a gallery. It has an interpretive sign explaining the purpose of Bishop's Storehouses. After the Black Hawk war the Mormon towns were re-settled with more of a fortress design. The Bishop's Storehouse was a secure vault for storing valuables. The bishop may have controlled the supply for certain items, but the purpose of the storehouse was security, not control.
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Of course the highlight of Manti is the 1888 Manti temple, the second oldest existing LDS temple. It is very big and tall. It's hard to comprehend how they could build it without power tools. Restoration is ongoing, but it doesn't spoil the view very much. The grounds are closed during construction, though, so all the pictures are taken from a distance.
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There is a detailed Wikipedia article about this temple. Here's a summary:
The Manti Temple combines the Gothic Revival, French Renaissance Revival, Second French Empire, and Colonial architectural styles. The temple has 100,373 square feet (9,325 m2) of floor space, eight sealing rooms, four ordinance rooms, and a Celestial room. The exterior is made of fine-textured, cream-colored oolite limestone from quarries in the hill on which the temple now stands. The two towers of the temple are 179 feet (55 m) tall, and the open center spiral staircases inside the towers are marvels of pioneer ingenuity.
The temple is built on an imposing hill. You definitely look UP at the temple.
I wish I could see the Manti temple lit up at night, but Manti has no motels.
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I pedaled a few miles from Manti to the next fairy tale town, Ephraim which is also mostly historic buildings. Both towns were obviously very prosperous in the 1880's. Ephraim has more of a downtown business district.
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Ephraim has an impressive granary building built with stone.
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And Ephraim has the most impressive Cooperative Mercantile Association building that I saw during the tour.
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A missed turn added 6 easy miles to my route. That's the downside of riding back roads with more complex navigation. Dinner added another 2 miles to the route. The day was longer than planned, but still not too difficult because of the minimal hill climbing.
Tonight's home is Willow Creek Inn in Ephraim. The $90 room has a fridge and microwave. A decent value. Dinner was at Subway. Dinner options are limited in a Mormon town on Sunday. Afterwards I realized the Chinese restaurant across from the motel really was open. Their dark tinted windows made it appear to be closed.
Today was a great day. Towns like Manti and Ephraim are the reason I'm doing this tour.
Distance: 63.2 mi. (101 km)
Average Speed: 10.3 mph (16.5 km)
Ascent/Descent: +1218/-840 ft. (+371/-256 m)
Miles 231-285 on the route map
Today's ride: 63 miles (101 km)
Total: 321 miles (517 km)
Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 8 |
Comment on this entry | Comment | 7 |
2 years ago
Adding maps here is SO, SO easy compared to . . . .
2 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
My Mormon family members would try to go every year.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Miracle_Pageant
I never could figure out where all those people stayed, there isn't much in the way of lodging in the area.
Ephraim has a college. I had friends that were from Salt Lake City that went to college there.
2 years ago
2 years ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_Cumorah_Pageant
2 years ago
Software developers working from home, music teacher at the area schools, and many other area jobs.
The cost of living allows them to live comfortable non-stressful lives .
I visit them often.
I remember sitting in a diner in Ephraim and overheard a conversation between two men at the counter.
One was reading the paper and the other one said "I know you ain't reading that, you went to the same school I went to."
Implying jokingly that they didn't learn how to read in school.
2 years ago