UTAH

DAY 4 continued - May 15, 2001
320 miles
Total miles: 1091

When I hit Utah I also hit sun. The temperature quickly climbed and by the time I stopped for lunch it was 86 degrees. It also got prettier, with green mountains rising gently on either side of the winding highway.

[Descending into Utah, north of Ogden.]
(click to see bigger - but you know that by now)

I hit the 1000 mile mark just north of Ogden, home of our friends the IRS! I decided to stop in Ogden for lunch but ended up wandering into neighboring Roy, where I picked up a collection of foodstuffs from the local grocery store. I found a nearby park and ate in the sun. Fortunately I was wearing shorts under the rain suit or I would have been broiling.

[This is where I ate.]

[And this is where I parked.]

Originally I'd planned to pass through Salt Lake City on the way south but there was a side route that looked more interesting. Plus traffic was getting bad - early rush hour I think. So I headed east along I-84, cutting through the Wasatch mountains on some beautiful winding roads (corners rated at 55 but no problem holding them at 70). There I caught my first glimpse of the amazing rock formations Utah is famous for:

[Devil's Slide area, east of Ogden.]

A few dozen miles later I arrived at the famed ski resort town of Park City.

Okay - I love a little traveling adventure but I've got to admit I'm a sucker for a cushy spot, and Park City is it. At the moment I'm staying in the Silver King resort hotel. I am in fact the only guest in this four-story luxury joint. The biggest question I have right now is whether to go down to the hot tub and indoor/outdoor pool or just soak in my own in-room jacuzzi tub. Life is tough.

[My view.]

[My room. Nice eh?]

I'm just back from a fanTAStic dinner at the Blind Dog Grill in Park City. Sapphire martini, wild greens with candied pecans and gorgonzola, crab cakes and mashed yukon gold potatoes, and ice cream and port for dessert.

[The Blind Dog Grill, Park City, UT.]

Plus I met some great guys - Ted Cobleigh, Glenard Ratcliff and Brian Strait (all pictured below). Ted got me into the place - apparently in Utah if a bar wants to have their liquor visible they must be a private club, so for an outsider like me to get in I either have to join ($12 for a year, $5 for a month) or get someone to sponsor me in. Ted was my sponsor (basically the hostess said "Ted, will you sponsor this guy?" and Ted said "sure." That's about it.) Glenard is a builder of pretty much anything. At the moment he's working on a pedestrian/ski bridge in the area, and he recently built the 185-room Marriott hotel here. Brian is the vice president of operations here at the ski area and also proved to be a fantastic tour guide for the parts of southeastern Utah I'm going to visit tomorrow. He pointed me at all the right roads and scenic sites and told me which roads I'd have to avoid (thanks to three miles of steep gravel switchbacks - no good on this bike). I'll definitely be consulting Brian before my next trip to the canyon area.

[Left to right: Ted Cobleigh, Glenard Ratcliff and navigational master Brian Strait - who is actually the brother of country superstar George Strait - no really!]

And now it's time for that tub...

DAY 5 - May 16, 2001
286 miles
Total miles: 1377

This will be brief - I've got to get some sleep as I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow. Tonight I'm staying in Moab, Utah - gateway to Canyonlands and Arches national parks and the beginning of all the fantastic red rock Utah is famous for.

Today was pretty easy mileage-wise. Had a relaxed breakfast in Park City (more good food - and my opinion of the town remains the same -great).

[Main Street in Park City. Let's shop!]

Last night it POURED rain all night but today I ran into only a few flurries. Mostly it was overcast. And as the day wore on it got hotter. By the time I reached Green River it was in the mid-upper nineties. The only saving grace was the clouds - I would have been broiling if the sun had been out.

I stopped in Green River at Ray's, a burger joint recommended by Brian in Park City. Very nice burger - hand-formed, perfectly cooked and plenty of tasty fries!

[Ray's Tavern - good burgers in Green River.]

Somewhere on the stretch before Green River I was passed by a trio of BMW bikes doing about 90 (this was a 65 zone). I figured they must know what they're doing so I pulled up behind them and when they stopped I pulled over too. Turns out they're the American Flyers Motorcycle Club - and they're completely insane. Well, they'd like to think so but they're a pretty cool bunch of folks all the same.

[The Flyers at roadside. Lookit that yaller bike.]

[Rich's American Flyers tattoo.]

Every year (maybe more often) they get together from all parts of the country and ride around southeastern Utah. This time there were twelve of them, on ten bikes. Plus two massage therapists.

No, really.

These guys and gals know how to do it right. The therapists follow in the chase vehicle - an SUV towing a U-Haul with the cyclists' gear, massage tables, snacks, whatever.

We talked a bit. Turned out we were all headed to Moab. They had reserved a block of rooms and Rich (the semi-official leader/professional standup comedian) said they had an extra if I wanted it. They also invited me to join them for dinner.

But before dinner I rode up to Arches to see it for real. Lots of pictures.

[Crazy climber in the Garden of Eden.]

Arches was awesome but rushed - had to make it back for dinner at Buck's, which as it turns out it was right next door. During dinner I found out a little more about some of the Flyers. Their ranks include CEOs and other high-level execs, a venture capitalist or two, a banker, a broker, an interior designer and the new CEO of Indian Motorcycles (who WASN'T riding an Indian - hmmm), not to mention a CNN anchor who was absent for this trip. But I pride myself on being able to hang out with people from the lower socioeconomic strata so it was all okay...;)

[The Flyers in their private room at Bucks. That's Mardie working on Walt, who has approximately nine tattoos. Rich is background left in the white t-shirt. According to Rich, Arthur (foreground left) is one of the greatest ad copywriters ever, and came up with Alka Seltzer's "plop, plop, fizz, fizz" jingle. According to Rich anyway.]

I even got a little massage work myself. Of course it helps to sit between the therapists (have I ever mentioned how lucky I am?).

[Mardie making my day.]

I was urged to eat my vegetables at dinner. I complied.

[It's a very large bite of salad.]

I could go on but I've got to get up early for tomorrow's 450-ish miler to Santa Fe, so off to dreamland.

DAY 6 - May 17, 2001
523 miles
Total miles: 1900

Man, what a day. I rolled out of Moab with the Flyers about 8:15, and more than 12 hours and 520 miles later arrived at my old friend Annette's house in Santa Fe.

I rode with the Flyers to Mexican Hat, Utah, about 120 miles from Moab. Did I mention the Flyers like to - um - fly? Speeds averaged 90 mph, with a couple of spurts over 100. Quite exhilarating! Mexican Hat is a crazy balanced rock that looks like an upside-down sombrero. Before we parted company, the Flyers performed a ceremony inducting me as an honorary member of the club. Rich gave me his own Flyers pin and they invited me to ride with them the next time they go out. I think it's good that the ceremony did not involve any clothing removal, fire or rolling in the dirt, but perhaps I'm just a little bit disappointed.

[The Flyers at Mexican Hat.]

I backtracked from Mexican Hat, got some gas and continued south, crossing into Arizona about noon. There I turned east again and rode to Four Corners, where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado meet.

Ahead of me in line for the Four Corners entry booth was a guy on a Harley-type bike with a TON of gear on the back and a Washington plate. I pulled over next to him in the lot and we talked a bit - turns out he's from just outside Tacoma, his name is Mike and he's ridin' for the Lord.

[Here's Mike, existing in several states at once (not counting the state of grace.)]

[And here's Mike's bike. It's covered with "Biking for Jesus" stickers. I felt very safe.]

Four Corners doesn't have much to offer except a plaque in the ground and a lot of Native American jewelry stands. I bought a nice little arrowhead necklace and Mike suggested we ride together toward Santa Fe. He was headed to visit his sister, a massage therapist there (and I became envious at this point). We crossed into New Mexico about 1 pm.