August 14, 1987
Little Colorado River to the Grand Canyon
OK, I'm ready to admit it - I am SICK of strong headwinds! I believe I have now paid my dues and am entitled to some calm skies again. Two full days of it is unfair.
While sleeping on the bench at the Little Colorado viewpoint last night, a car drove up. Someone emerged and began wandering around the perimeter with a flashlight. Moderately alarmed, I decided that I might as well at least have some pants on when my fate arrived. If I was to be discovered at the bottom of the canyon I at least wanted to be dressed respectably. I was not too successful though - my first attempt with underwear resulted in two limbs occupying one slot. I gave up on them and concentrated hard on the riding shorts, and did better this time - they were on backwards but at least each leg found its own home. By this time though the stranger had ceased wandering about, returned to his car, and drove away. Mysterious.
At least being awakened allowed me to see that there were millions of stars above in a cloudless, moonless sky; so I lay awake awhile and enjoyed a meteor shower. Before long a bright orange-red moon arose over the Painted Desert.
As usual I awoke early again today and began riding in the semi-dark, hoping to reach the forest before the winds picked up for the day. (For some foolish reason, I thought that the winds would be less vigorous in the mountains - wrong). I was right to have stopped when I did last night because the road started a 6% climb almost immediately and persevered in that fashion for about 10 miles. This carried me up into the juniper-pinon vegetation of the Kaibab Forest, where I experienced a few relatively relaxed miles before another five mile climb brought me up and into the park. Once there, my spirits were lifted by finding services available at the east entrance. I took at badly needed sponge bath at a service station, got some breakfast, and called home.
I'm uncertain what to say about this day in the park. I biked west for about 25 miles along the south rim and was presented regularly by astonishing, ever changing views of the canyon. But I was never able to relax. The wind blew relentlessly from all directions, so that I was constantly wrestling with it for control of my bicycle. Between the wind, the nonexistent shoulder and the very heavy traffic, I have arrived at the end of the day feeling basically grouchy. I've resolved to get up early tomorow and hike down part of the Bright Angel Trail - hopefully I'll discover more of what I came here for once I leave the road.
Today's ride: 43 miles (69 km)
Total: 473 miles (761 km)
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