Torrey to Escalante, Utah

September 15, 2022

The High Country

Mornings have been cool at these higher elevations but as the sun came up on this one, it was downright cold outside. We are getting a taste of Fall a bit earlier than usual. In anticipation, we all brought our cooler weather clothing and it turns out we will need it... at least to get rides started.

We got going early from the Red Sands Hotel, as a group of charter bus tourists were also leaving. They seemed like a friendly bunch. At breakfast, I had talked with one of the tour guides about his trip, and ours. He is a nice fellow and is a rider also.

Chuck is dressed warmly and ready to head out.

Our new road for the day would be Utah Route 12. Since the Ride with GPS map promised a tough day of climbing we took off early, in order to face the challenge and to warm up! We backtracked on Route 24, turned right onto Route 12, and that was the end of the cue sheet for the day!

It's a lot greener here in the Torrey area. These cattle and horses can graze without having to shift through sand and rocks to find small bits of vegetation.

We would stay on Route 12 all the way to Escalante... if the hills didn't keep us from getting there, that is. There were several miles of relatively level road to cover before reaching the first big climb. Significantly more green vegetation was present in this area. The fields of grass make this good cattle country. It was all very beautiful in the morning light. We were really enjoying the first part of this ride.

A big blue rocky front, Boulder Mountain, stood in the direction we needed to go and was visible from our hotel. Late yesterday afternoon, I sat out behind the hotel, looking in that direction. I remember thinking that we would not be able to avoid the formidable terrain. But it was beautiful, so we would have yet another challenge in Utah that would reward us with some tremendous vistas in exchange for our efforts. As we approached the climb, a large light colored rock appeared on the right side and a sign warned of the ascent ahead. It was show time!

This was the view of Boulder Mountain from our lodging site, last evening.

When this point is reached on UT-12, it's time to start climbing.

The climb was gradual and long. It went on for 14 miles. At the higher elevations, the air remained cool so I kept my jacket on despite becoming warm from exertion. I was feeling good, enjoying the views, and savoring the ride. There were essentially two high points. At the first was an area with a half circle driveway and separated from the road. It had a tremendous view of a valley below, a lake, and more mountain ranges off in the distance.

The view, looking back toward Torrey, while climbing Boulder Mountain.

View from the overlook at the first high point of the climb.

Cattle on the roadway at roughly 8000 feet.

As the short descent began, a small group of black Hereford Cows were taking their time to cross the road. We had seen quite a few open range signs but these were the first cattle actually on the road. It seemed even more remarkable because we were at 8000 feet or more of elevation. They took their time crossing the road. Thankfully traffic was light.

All too soon we were climbing again toward the true summit at 9600 feet. There were more high pastures with cattle, people riding horses, some hunters, more trees, and great vistas. Utah Route 12 was continuing the pattern of new and beautiful scenery for our tour through the state. We reached the summit, took a short break and then began the long down hill run to Boulder.

Chuck, after shedding his winter garb, at the summit of the pass over Boulder Mountain.

John-F heading for the long descent from the summit of the Boulder Mountain Pass.

The ride down from the summit of Boulder Mountain began with some tight curves. Caution was needed, by me anyway, to avoid losing control. There were a few motor vehicles on the road. These and the aforementioned narrow Utah highway shoulders, with ill-placed rumble strips, did not leave much room for error. However, after the winding portion of the road straightened out, a long stretch of descending and straight roadway was a reward for the long climb to the summit. It continued all the way to the town of Boulder.

Once there, we came upon a small visitors center and parking area for the Anasazi State Park. A food truck happened to be open for business. The cliff dwellers did not have such luxuries available to them, back in the day. Maybe that is why they so mysteriously disappeared. "Let's blow this hot dog stand (or lack thereof)," they might be imagined to have said to each other before departing from those cliff dwellings of so long ago. For all I know, they found a jukebox in a cantina somewhere, started doing Karaoke with Randy Travis songs, and lived happily ever after.

By this time, ambient temperatures had warmed up and we were able to enjoy a lunch break. This was a nice stop to rest and refuel for the 2nd part of our challenging day.

On the way out of town, I rode with a local cyclist for a short distance. He was a young fellow who told me he rides form there to Escalante (our destination for this day) a couple times each year. He turned off and didn't warn me about how difficult the ride would be. Initially, the ride out of Boulder was relatively level but soon, some cliffs appeared and the highway could be seen winding into them. We knew there would be more climbing but to see it laid out in front of you is daunting.

We didn't yet know it but the ride for this afternoon would pass through some of the most spectacular and challenging countryside we had seen thus far on our tour. As Route 12 wound its way up through the wall of cliffs the views looking back were breathtaking. Once on top of the first rise, the road was level for a time on a plateau with drop offs on either side. A sign pointed to the right and anther road leading to places called Salt Gulch and Hell's Backbone. Shortly thereafter, the views in both directions were of a deep and dry canyon with red and tan colored rock walls.

Turns for Salt Gulch and Hell's Backbone.

Rugged landscape visible from a plateau on UT-12.

Accompanying me on this ride were occasional RVs, whose operators were doing their best to negotiate this tight winding road, on a plateau with sheer drop offs on each side and no guard rails in many places. They all gave me plenty of room. Two that were traveling together were noticeably nice about it. Later on, I caught up to them at an overlook and personally thanked them. They all turned out to be very nice people who were enjoying this spectacular country as much as I was. A brief video clip (below) gives a view of what seems to be referred to as The Hogback, likely a reference to the narrow plateau upon which Route 12 meanders above the canyon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htbr6GPCoTw

A short distance later, a yellow sign informed that a 14% descent was about to ensue. It was quite a thrilling drop with canyon views along the way and no guard rail in many places. Best not to look away from the road for very long, even though the spectacular scenery is a constant temptation.

A cyclist was coming up the hill, sans helmet. I was going too fast to stop and talk, so I am not sure from where he was coming, how far he intended to go, or what his current mental status might have been. He had good hair though, so why mess that up with a helmet? When I had good hair, I had similar sentiment (see below).

One view of the surroundings seen while climbing the long 14% grade. Way down there, you can see the road from whence we came.

Once upon a time, when I had hair... 1981. Who needs a helmet anyway?

The descent, another of the many where speeds of 35 mph were easily exceeded, went on all the way to the bottom where Calf Creek and the Escalante River met. There is a riding/hiking trail there that some in our group elected to ride for a while. I stayed on the road and began the next and final long climb of the day. John "guestimated" the grade to be 14% upwardly. Part way up is a coffee shop, called Kiva, located in a round building with big windows for taking in the fantastic canyon views. John said he heard people from the shop talking in amazement about the bicyclists riding up that hill. I didn't hear anything and didn't stop to partake even though I love coffee and don't usually turn down an opportunity for a cup. However, on this afternoon, I was in a zone and single-mindedly focused on getting to the top of this monster climb. Once again, the vistas were our reward for taking on this challenge.

Another spectacular view enjoyed during this big climb.

This last climb was a long one that could be divided into at least two parts. After the coffee shop, an overlook provided a brief respite before the climbing continued. The road continued to wind upward offering sometimes dizzying views of itself and the valley below. There were several spots where it appeared the top was near, only to get there and see there was more. At times, I wondered how much further up it was possible to go. A brief video clip (link below) gives the lay of the land as I was heading upward on this last climb. Finally, as the summit was in sight, I paused shortly before reaching it to avoid the small crowd of tourists gathered there and to have some time to myself. It turned out to be a great place to enjoy the view of the long climb that had been conquered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdU4bF2cxA&t=3s

Took a break near the top to enjoy the view from where we had come.

Near the summit, there was a sign indicating that Escalante was still 10 miles further. At first, it seemed unfair until I realized that most of that would be downhill. From the summit, it was yet another fast descent across wide open plains and with a light tailwind. I stopped a couple of times to get off the bike and enjoy the broad views.

As Escalante drew nearer, there were some historical markers for the Hole in the Rock expedition. From Escalante, a group of Mormon pioneers set out to establish a route to Southeastern Utah, where we had been a few days ago. Their trip was to last 6 weeks. But after encountering tremendous natural barriers and having to cut a path through solid rock, they were gone for more than 6 months. A museum on the edge of town commemorates the expedition and its people. A fellow who ran the museum gave me a brief summary of events, even though it was near closing time when I arrived.

I stopped at a small museum, on the edge of town, to get up to speed on the Hole in the Rock Expedition.

At the end of a long day, I finally reached Escalante. The town is relatively small but seemed like a metropolis after having spent several days in the remote countryside of Utah. I stopped at a grocery store and purchased a couple of things, including a couple of 16 ounce bottles of Fresca. That soft drink was one that had been enjoyed in my youth but is not readily available back where I live. Its tart citrus flavor seems to quench my thirst after a long day in the saddle. Out here, it is becoming my drink of choice.

My alter-ego in Escalante. Fossil fuels, baby!

We had reserved what turned out to be a very small cabin for the evening. Since the rest of the cabins were already taken, I decided to sleep out under the stars rather than being a sardine again. The weather forecast had a slight chance of rain but it didn't end up happening. After dark, the town quieted down, there weren't very many lights, and there were what seemed like a million stars in the sky.

Today's ride: 65 miles (105 km)
Total: 361 miles (581 km)

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