Beaver to (West of) Milford, Utah

September 19, 2022

Flat Tire Blues

Woke up to a flat front tire, a casualty of that rough gravel frontage road yesterday. After putting some air in, it seemed to be holding. So I decided to start out the ride without going through all of the effort that would have been required to either patch the tube or put in a new one. The decision paid off, for a while anyway.

At Beaver, we got onto Utah Route 21 (UT-21), which would take us the rest of the way through the Beehive State. The road slowly descended into an irrigated valley. Traffic was characteristically light allowing a rider to move along easily while becoming immersed in the surroundings. The landscape was agricultural with a backdrop of mountains. Utah has a lot of beauty. This was a nice way to spend a Monday morning.

Fred cruises along on this fine morning.

UT-21 led to a small community called Minersville, the edge of which we passed by. There was a lake/reservoir that was visible from the road. The part closest to the road was mostly dried up but there was still some significant water in a large section of the pool. Some recreational and sport activity seemed to be permitted along with the fact that this was the water supply for the area. A little further along I passed by more ranches and more rocky cliffs.

Between Minersville and Milford the road was relatively level and passed through expansive countryside. In some places, the road itself had been newly resurfaced and was black as coal. The standard aggregate surface that we had seen elsewhere in the state was used here as well. UDOT has its formula and they're apparently sticking to it.

A good look at the berm of the newly resurfaced UT-21.

As we got closer to Milford, it was clear there was more irrigation that allowed for the raising of food crops in an otherwise arid region. In some spots, the crops grew on one side of the road while the other side was scrubland. The wind was constant but was not impeding my forward progress.

We had entered agricultural country in this part of Utah.

Some agriculturally related businesses, equipment repair shops, and increased traffic began to appear. before we knew it, we climbed a bridge over a low area and then descended into Milford. I was lagging behind and came upon our group stopped at a local convenience store that had outdoor seating. It was time for a break.

Milford, Utah lies ahead in the distance.

Our plan for the day was to cover some ground west of town and to be shuttled back to our hotel. This would cut down on some of the distance between Milford, Utah and Beaver, Nevada, which appeared to be around 83 miles of desolation. Also included in the package were three significant climbs. Any mileage we could get under our belts today would make for a shorter tomorrow. So, after our break, we rode through town, found our lodging for the evening, checked in, and prepared for the 2nd part of our day.

When it comes to tractors, they don't skimp around here.

Before venturing further west, I decided to put some air into my tires, both of which had held up during the 32 miles ridden to this point. Chuck and John went ahead while Fred and I lagged behind taking pictures. Approximately 5 miles out, I stopped for a couple of good photos and noticed that my back tire had gone completely flat. It was fully inflated when I decided to add a couple of PSIs of air to it back in Milford. Had I left it alone, would this have happened? Who knows?

John-F, Fred, and Chuck head West on UT-21, from Milford.

Upon entering Milford, from the West, this sign greets travelers.

Fred and I rode West, from Milford on UT-21, until I got a flat tire.

The sun had become very warm as I was preparing to begin the process of disassembling my tire and changing out an innertube. I had sent Jack-O a text and he soon arrived with the truck to be of assistance. At that moment, I decided to forego the task until we got back to the hotel. This was at milepost 71. We put my bike on the rack and I hopped in the cab. We drove to the first summit, approximately 14 miles west of town.

Milepost 71, the spot where I called it a day, after my flat tire.

A short time later, Chuck, John, and Fred arrived at the first summit. They decided to call it a day there, figuring on beginning at that spot tomorrow and having a roughly 70 mile day ahead of them. I would have an additional 8 miles to cover tomorrow, since my flat tire effectively aborted my riding for the day.

Chuck reached the first summit, to the West of Milford.

At 6460 feet, this summit may have seemed a bit tamer than others we had crested on this trip. But the heat and afternoon headwind added degrees of difficulty the others did not have. We were happy to call it a day here and went back to the hotel. Since it was still relatively early in the day, we were able to get settled in and Chuck helped me with changing out both innertubes and getting my bike in shape for the ride tomorrow. I would be starting 8 miles behind the others and would have a longer day ahead of me. Strangely though, I was mentaly prepared and looking forward to the challenge.

John-F reached the summit. Fred was not too much further behind.

Our hotel was next door to Penny's Diner, where we had checked in earlier. The diner is a 24/7 operation on the western edge of town. It had good food, competent wait staff, and it manages to survive in a spot where that prospect looks unlikely. Union Pacific workers stay at the hotel and frequent the diner. Those guys were friendly to us and one of them gave us the "inside scoop" on the BNSF rail workers strike that was in the news while we were there.

Historical monument for the Dominguez Escalante Expedition.

I wandered around town and found a little park that had some historical markers for the Dominguez Escalante Expedition. Back in the late 1700s, two priests led a trek from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Monterey, California. It was a tough journey that didn't get any easier when they passed through the arid and desolate country that surrounds Milford. We are using bicycles that roll over paved roads, while knowing a town lies ahead with cold drinks available. Despite having those advantages, the trip is still not easy.

Penny's Diner would have seemed like Nirvana to those ol' boys from the Dominguez Escalante Expedition.

Using horses, wagons with wooden wheels, rolling over rocky pathways, with no prospects of water ahead makes what we're doing look like child's play. You can say what you want to say about these early pioneers and their methods but the trails they blazed across this country are tremendous achievements.

Today's ride: 37 miles (60 km)
Total: 513 miles (826 km)

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