May 14th:
I woke up dusty but well-rested. The wind was blowing pretty good today, pelting me with sand and getting into everything- my cameras, my laptop, and my ass crack. Sand can quickly destroy electronics, so I cleaned everything and packed it away securely in my truck. There would be no video and pics today. I loaded my bike in the truck and headed off to the Slickrock bike trail. This world-famous trail was on my “must ride” list. I have to admit, on the way there I was not sure how much gas I had in my tank (bodywise, not vehicle wise). Amasa Back the other day had pretty much destroyed my legs and my endurance. I got to the trail and knew it was not going to be a good day. The blowing sand got into my eyes, nose and mouth-and this was just on the practice trail. I was about 20 minutes into the ride when I realized this was not a good day, and I pedaled back to the truck and then drove back to camp.
Now I was stuck with a dilemma. I had a whole day, I had seen the major sights in Moab, and I was frustrated at the lousy campsite and now the blowing sand. I decided to pack up a day early and head toward Bryce/Red Canyon. Since I had not yet made any camping arrangements yet, I decided this was a good time to flex my schedule a bit. Besides, I had not seen Bryce Canyon in over 25 years, when I came out to the area for vacation with my folks.
I left sandy Moab somewhat disappointed: the bike store let me down with the shuttle, the riding was fair, and I honestly liked the trails in Fruita better, and the city itself was so over-commercialized and crowded it was pretty depressing. I had eaten at an average steak place the night before after I rode Amasa Back, and that and the view from the top of the Back were pretty much the highlights of my visit here. Although hiking up Delicate Arch and visiting Canyonlands ranked pretty high, I was more interested in getting some great singletrack riding in. And from what I had heard from a buddy of mine, THUNDER MOUNTAIN in Red Canyon was the place for that.
I headed north out of Moab and then west, hooking up with Utah Scenic Byway 12 to travel into Bryce Canyon. Let me tell you, this drive picked up my spirits. It was truly an amazing roadway. It starts off tame enough in some boring desert, and then starts climbing in elevation to close to 9000 feet through a mountain pass with snow and pines. I got out of the truck at the top of one such pass, and took some pics-the air temp was easily in the 60's. Kind of a nice relief from the hot and dusty conditions I experienced not 2 hours before. The road then snakes through a canyon, and then along a ridge...with incredible drop-offs on both sides, and then weaves through some rocky canyon walls before emerging near Bryce. All in all a fantastic trip.
I pulled into Bryce Canyon proper in the mid-afternoon, and after paying the exorbitant $25 entrance fee, scouted for a campsite. Now, up until now my “camping” had been in overcrowded, anything-but-nature type sites clogged with RV's, ATV's, and roadway traffic. As I pulled into the Sunset Campground, I realized this was the camping I had missed, and the stuff I hadn't done since I lived in California and visited/camped in Yosemite and Mammoth Mountain.
The site was tucked in the back, on a loop full of pine trees and very few people. I got out of the truck and noticed something right away....silence. The sound the wind makes as it blows through pine trees is very distinctive and relaxing, and this was perfect. After setting up camp, I took a short hike and took pictures of Bryce Canyon at sunset, and then went back to camp and settled in for a nice, quiet night. THUNDER MOUNTAIN tomorrow!!!
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