June 13, 2010
Day 15: Pancakes, red rocks and asparagus
Whoa, Nelly! The legs did NOT want to be moving in circles this morning! Ugg.
It wasn't the fault of Bruce or Lue though. Lue made me a fantastic breakfast of homemade blueberry pancakes, fresh fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice, delicious coffee AND (for the pancakes) REAL Trader Joe's Maple syrup! Oh, and I rode away with a home made blueberry muffin too (it didn't last more than a mile or two).
...thanks for making me feel at home, Bruce and Lue! The house, food and, especially the conversation were great!
I got a late start since I was doing a short day. But I'll tell you, my legs felt TRASHED! I think it was the off day. They must have been thinking it was the end of the trip because of it, but the ol'legs didn't consult with the brain, that forms the itinerary;--the legs were mighty unhappy to be on the move again.
Despite the pain I enjoyed the scenery greatly. I have been through Red Canyon before but NOT on a bike. The separate bike lane, away from the cars, is fabulous.
After Red Canyon, a little less than half way through the day, my legs started to mellow out. It could have been the terrain that flattened out and THEN went down hill; it could have been the tail wind; or it could have been the Bruce Springsteen I put on MP3 player that got me going; but whatever the reason, I felt much better. It also helped that the predicted rain never materialized.
I rode through the Bryce canyon area (though not into the park) and then down a long downhill. As it started to flatten out, through a little valley, I saw two women walking along the fence near the side of the road. I looked close and swore I saw asparagus in their hands? Well, I was on a downhill with a tailwind but that is just something that HAS to be investigated! So on went the breaks...
...I turned around and they were both picking fresh asparagus! Kathy asked me what music I was playing and, by then, I had bluegrass on. We hit it off instantly because of it and they asked me all kinds of questions about my trip. In the end, I rode away with a fist full of fresh asparagus, the best I have ever had! I had planned to eat one of my two emergency backpacking meals so I added it to my pasta and it was really good!
Tomorrow is also a short day but with a long climb so I will get an early start. I'm ahead of schedule so for this stretch I'm going to do a few less miles and enjoy the scenery, stop and look at rugs and jewelry, and take a few more pictures. I'll pump up the miles again in a few days.
BTW, I highly recommend Bruce and Lue's "Grandma's Cottage" rental houses in Panguitch. It was really nice to have a house to cook, do laundry and kick back like "normal" for a day, and they are great hosts. Oh, and don't forget the blueberry pancakes for breakfast. You can't miss them. Look for the Cowboy Smokehouse Restaurant on main street and go down one block. Or, ask for them at the only Latte shop in town (mostly likely the only latte shop within 50 miles!)
I can't wait for tomorrow. I'm hoping the legs cooperate. Until then...
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Today's ride: 35 miles (56 km)
Total: 1,160 miles (1,867 km)
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