Out of any long distance bike trip this has to be the #1 most difficult and arduous day ever! The 2nd worst was setting out from London to the tip of Cornwall with terrible winds over Stonehenge but terrible, god almighty rains all the way down the 4 hr trip - didn't think anything could get much worse - ha ha she chuckles!
Move on to the next one! Yea I guess cos it's on a bigger continent!
Firstly, my main and stupidly silly issue for most of you bikers was to once again check the tyre pressure and inflate them - I know this sounds stupid but Altho now equipped with a gauge to measure I was still petrified just in case I wouldn't be able to pump the tyres or create the right gauge or whatever stupid little quirks came about to delay the trip.
But this morning I knew with the forthcoming ominous weather conditions and the long trips I needed to do it- so gulp drove into Moab as the rain was already starting to spurt. First gas station can't quite work out even where the pump is so go to the 2nd and think that if all else fails I've seen a tyre repair garage further down who could help - but hey the whole issue of traveling independently is to be
self sufficient. OK get all the stuff out and actually complete the task- hurray!
My tyres are now ready to go the distance and thankfully to prepare for the weather conditions I can't even start to imagine will come my way!
So its on the way out of Moab but the rain starts to go from small spots to a blackening sky of heavier rain - no good I have to stop and put on my waterproof trousers and leather jacket as its also getting a lot colder - little do I know but the temperature will drop by almost 40 degrees from just over 100 yesterday to just over 60 degrees at the 6000ft elevation I go over later. Visibility is getting increasingly less and therefore speed less due to the ever enormous trucks coming down on me and creating rivers of water either side of Bonnie.
It's just no use continuing, have to fill up and take a little respite from the ever chilling, cold weather and incessant rain.
Funnily the landscape is like from a James Bond film of people mining for things on another planet - it does feel like somewhere quite distant with mining quarries along the road with trains carrying mysterious goods back and forth.
When is this rain going to stop? Never!
On one of the fuel stops a guy on another long distance trip n on a big Beemer just quietly says that a trip without things like this doesn't make it something to remember - right!
Landscape turns into I think although I can't see much more than 30' in front of me nice green hills but clouds now down on the level of the bike and me!
Oh when is this trip ever going to end and when will I get to SLC and oh boy I have to map read again and find where I'm staying- hands numb, boots and feet soaked I just have to keep going.
Finally get to the beautiful Arts and Crafts listed building Inn on the Hill and look over to the incredible SLC landscape with the churches domineering everything. A hot shower has never felt so good. Very much like Standen's arts and crafts house I. The UK where it had William Morris designs
and Philip Webb's architecture. This one is designed and built in 1906 by Hedlund & Wood and interior hand painted by local artist William Culmer. Leather covered walls, oriental rugs, tiffany glass, hard wood floors and a grand staircase typifies the craftsmanship of the time.
But guess what, yes you got it in one - the skies open up and it's once again a fabulous cloudless blue sky and hot afternoon - wonders will never cease .
I think I also see my first Mormons and am convinced i see 30 couples holding hands and walking down the street who may all have got married together!
Cheeky drink or 2 at fab cool Kristauffs Martini Bar where once again the talk around the bar is about why live in SLC which is basically a great base for going elsewhere! No I mean skiing extreme sport stuff etc.
Cool place recommended excellent food Wild Grape on 550 S. Temple - really good. No better than good;)
All in all a pretty amazing and adventurous day when naively I thought it would be once again one of the easier days- ha ha!
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