Kodachrome - Escalante
8:42:15
45.75 miles
5.3 avg speed
1881 ft ascent 2319 ft descent
My eyes have had about all the sagebrush they can take! They are always red & stinging. To top it off, my lips & face are wind burnt & rubbing my eyes hurts my skin as well as my eyes. I guess I'll start putting drops in my eyes every few hours to see if that helps.
Anyway, I'm surprised to see that there was more climbing than downhills. Rough day!
The ride across Utah was going on so we passed about 70 riders going the other direction. Talked to one of them and someone who had just finished a supported tour of monument valley & that area.
Rob Jones & Dave & I kind of rode together for a while. I met up with them at their 1st lunch stop. As I was leaving (they had already left) my sunglasses broke. I used electrical tape to hold them together & the lens from falling out. I really need to replace them. Then my front pannier's hook came loose and caught a spoke. It almost took me down but no damage was done. I got it put back together & got on my way. My pedal was tight so I went to grab my lube & it was not tighten after I sued it on day 1. Luckily, it was inside a Ziploc bag. The hills & headwind were really doing me in.
While I was resting on a guard rail, 2 fully loaded tourers came pedalling by. They are going from San Fransisco, CA to St. Simmons Island, GA. Later on, at a scenic overlook, I met the third guy in their group. I told them where we were staying since they were planning on stopping in Escalante too. He left before I did.
Down the hill was a Pueblo granary where they stored grains and seeds. Then a tailwind came. I was the only from my group to get a tailwind today.
I passed the campground to head into town and buy some dinner. A calzone & might mango juice. Last into camp as usual.
Took a shower and washed my clothes in under 8 minutes. The fatest shower I have ever taken in my life. Set up my tent. Walked around the petrified forest cove (couldn't manage the real hike) and watched the sun set.
Rob Jones let me use his moisturizer on my stinging face.
My eyes are killing me so I must shut them now. 9:00 PM. Hoping to get an early start tomorrow.
Desert autumn colors
Looks like molten lava started to dry up and shrivel before it was covered with silt and ash and became rock.
First sighing of other tourists (small one at the bottom of the hill as well)
Granary
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