Modena Utah..

Hello again. Today we woke up at our over priced piece of dirt campsite at the KOA to a fairly cool morning, not cold enough to wear jackets. This was the first campsite ever that other people were up at the same time as us. So we got rolling this morning and stopped at the gas station to fill our tires. Chance got a new tire last night so we had to make sure that had proper air in it. We had a very gradual climb for most of the morning and then reached the summit. It wasn't too bad of a climb. If only all climbs could be as such. We then had a very nice downhill for quite a while. Today so you know was pretty lack luster for the most part. We got into a town called New Castle and stopped at the gas station and had a little something to eat. They told us Modena had nothing in it and we were disappointed because that was going to be our stop for the day. So we decided we would continue riding as far as we could and take a break in the shade and let it cool down a bit. SO we road the flats all the way to Modena about 50 miles from Cedar City. We found an old abandonded building and were going to take up camp for a little rest. So, we sat down and noticed this oasis of vibrant greens and beautiful flowers across the street. We then saw Carol. I needed to use the restroom so I told Chance I would see if she would allow me to do so. But she was so very kind and allowed us to come over have some cool water, and sit on the patio that was cooled by the swamp cooler so it was super nice. WE took a little nap and talked with Carol for a bit. It did not get cooler. So we decided to stay here and again so kind she is allowing us to set up camp in her front yard! She also had the fixings for sammys and some soup that filled us both up! After awhile it finally started to cool down probably around 7pm mountain time. We set up our tent and Carol's husband Vince came home. So we continued to chat while the rain came down in a heavy sheet! So as you can see today was pretty boring for you to read about. Tomorrow we will be in Nevada, a new time zone and closer to our destination of San Fran! Thanks for reading and continue to pray and hope for cooler weather, kind people and healthy bodies!

Circleville to Cedar City, UT..

Howdy to everyone reading our blog. Today we find ourselves in Cedar City, Utah and now you will hear the oh so wonderful story! This morning started off a little later then most, roughly 6:30 Mountain time. The great thing about this morning is that it was nice and cool to ride! We were lucky enough to get to ride between canyons so the sun stayed off us for about 37 miles until we hit the large climb for the day. Now when I say large I mean very very long. The summit was only at 7,000 some feet but with an 8% grade and 2-3 miles long it was one we were not looking forward to.. However, while the climb was difficult, it was also easy. That means compared to other climbs in Utah we were able to ride all the way to the top with only half a mile of walking or less! I must add it was a beautiful ride to the top and all the way to the interstate. When we got to the top and saw that down grade sign we were very happy! We got to go downhill at an 8% grade for 6 miles and that pretty much took us to our date with the interstate. Now to you cyclist out there, of course you never really want to go on the interstate, but when it makes you ride shorter and it is pretty much flat with some downhill you are happy to take it! Utah is one of the only states where cyclist are allowed on the interstate, that may change though because a cyclist and a few others were killed just the other day. Once we hit the interstate it felt like the temperature suddenly got much hotter and that is probably because we were in the mountains all morning. With cars zipping by us at 75+ miles per hour and the sun beating down on us in the valley between all kinds of mountains, I must say..... I am ready to be out of the mountains and not see them for quite some time.. I hope all of you in MN don't complain too much about your weather because I would rather have your weather then the 90's-100's we continue to run into here. So any ways back to the interstate, we decided to stop off at a truck stop to grab some lunch at Subway. Upon entering we meet James and Tara a very nice couple who were very interested in hearing about our journey! We are always grateful to run into such people. We then set out to beat the heat! As we got going there were a lot of blown tires on the side of the road, it is bad for bicycle tires because of the wire running through them. Yes, I ran one over! So in probably one of the most dangerous places to be standing, Chance had to change my flat tire and hope all the drivers speeding past us were able to see us. I also must say it is crazy to think that we sat there for like 10 min and not once did someone ask if we needed help! So in the future for you all reading if you see a cyclist on the side of the road in some place they probably should not stop, be kind, slow down and ask if they need anything! About 2 miles from our exit into Cedar City I ran out of water and was pretty much dying. So we stopped into a truck stop yet again, cooled down and had tons of water. So after a 75 mile day we are in the library getting you all up to date and going to hit the bike shop, campsite and get some dinner! Tomorrow will be our last day in Utah!!! So you can all cheer with us! Thank you all for your support and please continue to spread the word! Thank you also to everyone who has been emailing us, it helps keep us in high spirits when others tell us how we are doing such a great thing! See you all soon!

Grumpier Old Man Saved Our Day

Well today we woke up this morning a little later then normal since there was going to be a free continental breakfast at 6. It was nice to sleep in and especially in a nice comfy bed. After breakfast we hit the road. It was pretty chilly out since we were technically in the mountains and there was a chance of thunder showers and the sky was overcast. It didn't take us long to get to the next town of Bicknel, unfortunately nothing was open but the post office so we stopped in there and dropped off our post cards and asked the lady about the ride to come she said its not bad once you get to the top and well the ride to the bottom of the hill was really easy but we could see what laid in front of us, a daunting hill, from at least 10 miles away. When started to climb we just couldn't efficiently turn our peddles over so we gave up and began to walk, luckily for us we didn't have to push long before an older guy stopped and asked if we wanted a ride to the top and of course we wouldn't turn that down, we made that mistake once and never again. As I was putting my bike in the back the guy was like "hurry up lazy bones I've got places to be!" So yeah one would assume that if they offer you a ride they would typically be a nice person but not this guy. He should have been a fill in on grumpier old men! He didn't talk much. He asked some questions about us and asked if Kelly was old enough to be hanging out with me, haha and he didn't seem to keen on the fact that we weren't married. Oh well he helped us out big time and we thanked him and coasted into Koosharem. It was intended to be our destination for the day but it was only 10.30am and we were feeling pretty good. So we stopped at the local dinner for a bit to eat and asked about the ride to Circleville. They told us it was flat with a down hill lie but of course it's Utah and there must be at least a couple hills. When we had finished eating it was still pretty nice our and the sun remained behind the clouds so we took off. The ride was nice, probably the best ride in Utah. It was filled with nice scenery, that we could actually enjoy since we weren't busting our butts up hill after hill. The best part of the ride was through Kingston Vally, it reminded me of Colorado, unfortunately there was a slight head wind to slow us down. There wasn't much of the way of towns along the way so we didn't have much need to stop. We made great time and were in Circleville around 2.30. We weren't quite ready to call it a day, but we knew that there was a large climb between us and the next inhabited area. Kelly was hungry again so we went to the local dinner to get some grub. We met some Mormon Missionaries, and yes I know what you're thinking. The guys in the white shirts with their name tags that come to your door but you pretend you're not there. Well I typically do the same thing but these guys were actually really cool and not pushy at all. They did make sure to tell us about their mission and get in a few things about their religion but what can ya do. They were actually more interested in our trip then spreading the "good word" so when we were finished we said good bye and tried our luck at hitch-hiking for a bit but were unsuccessful so we had to call it a day and find a camp ground. The campground was nice, the guy running the place was a little weird and we couldn't get the Internet to work but it had nice facilities and that's all we need. We met a guy from Cali there and we got a little excited, hoping maybe he was heading our way, but he actually had just moved there and told us how much better it was in Utah then Cali, personally I think he's nuts. Utah is beautiful but it is too hot and way to sparsely populated for me. We both were pooped so we enjoyed the cooler day and took a nap under the shade tree and cleaned up before spending the rest of the afternoon reading. We both hit the hey early! Thanks again for your support!

It's not Utah without hills...

Today started off on the right foot. We were well rested after a good nights sleep and got up around 5am to head out before the major heat. It was already about 77 when we woke up but it was nice because we had some cloud cover for most of the morning. We packed up, filled water bottles and said goodbye to Lucas then headed out. The morning was actually really beautiful with the red rocks that surround the Utah landscape. We knew we had to climb about 2000 feet before out destination we just didn't know when it would come.. It was some rolling hills and again Chance and I were able to ride close and chat for a bit. It really helps me to keep a positive attitude and not think about how hot it is or how tough the terrain is. Then the afternoon hit. We had two big climbs but we just went right back downhill so we still had that 2000 feet to go up. Our ride today was 47 miles and they will continue to be short in Utah because of the extreme heat. We road through some beautiful canyons and some wonderful scenery that we would love to come back and see in a car so we can go off our route and see all the amazing things we have heard about. On the road we ran into two other cyclists who were going from CA to NY. Man did they start late and we told them about the heat they would hit and they told us how we might get a little cool down in temps. So we chatted with them for a bit and headed off again. We got to the visitor center about 11 miles from our destination of Torrey Utah and used the restroom and sat down for a bit in the AC. Then we were off. The sun came out from behind the clouds and it got hotter, not as hot as yesterday. We then knew we had a 11 mile climb the whole way to Torrey. We got to a climb that was about a 9% grade and was very hard to bike. I could see Chance in the distance start to walk and so I did the same. I was not walking for that long when a truck pulled up and asked if I needed a ride. Now get this they asked me if I needed a ride I did not hitch hike today. So I said well yes of course. We stopped and got Chance and headed to Torrey. The ladies who picked us up were sisters, Sarah and Else from California. They were on a road trip and heading back. They were very kind and even told us if we were in Santa Barbara to come and stay with her. Once we were in Torrey, I decided I wanted a bed, AC and pool to take a dip. So I choose to get a hotel at the Days Inn. Very nice!! We headed to Subway and got some lunch. We also stopped at an outdoor shop and talked with the ladies there for a bit. Now it is time to take a nap, rest the muscles and take a dip in the pool!! Thanks again for following and keep sending emails we love to hear from everyone!! We also decided to go off our Adventure Cycling Maps and use a route Chance and his Dad made. Another note to travelers like us, unless you are an absolute die hard that loves the pain of climbing relentles hills for no reason and riding miles and miles out of your way to get to a particular location never say no to a helping hand and it doesn't really hurt to find your own way. Our new fly by the seat of our pants route will cut 200 miles off our trip and hopefully a couple summits. Thanks again for everything!

105 degrees is not fun.....

This morning was an early one. We left our campsite about 4am.. It was nice because it was cooler out but it was very scary. It was so dark I could barely see Chance in front of me. We were in the middle of the desert and all you could hear was coyotes and other animals. The morning ride was good for the first couple hours. Then the terrain changed and we had one huge climb that pretty much killed us. With the climb the temps grew. Now when you read the rest of this blog, remember it was 105 degrees and Utah is not the place to be in July. So we started to head towards our destination which was an 80 mile ride with absolutely no services. It was extremely hot and it was getting harder to breath with the stale air along with I was not feeling well. The night before I got sick from the heat and was not feeling well. So as we were riding we were desperately hoping for a truck to come by and help us out by giving us a ride. It took awhile, but eventually two really nice people came along. We would like to apologize to all the purist out there reading this that believe you truly don't complete the Trans Am if you don't peddle every stroke across the US, obviously they have never been in Utah in July on a bike and in fact we don't feel as if we cheated, we consider it improvising and it is our journey and we see it as a supplement to our adventure, a little of our own spice. Plus we get to met a lot of really cool people this way, like Todd and Jerry were so nice. They had a loaded truck but they said we could make it work. So we strapped our bikes to the 4-wheeler in the back of their truck and road a few miles where we met their dad and brother. They were all headed out towards where we were going to get a car unstuck. So we got in the other car with more room and AC which was awesome. I fell asleep because I was not feeling well while Chance chatted. So they ended up dropping us 26 miles from Hanksville which would have taken us two days. So we got a jump ahead. Then we started biking again. The environment around us was all sand so it made the ride that much hotter. About 18 miles from Hanksville, we were lucky enough to get another ride the rest of the way. That is when they told us it was 105 degrees out. Good thing we got a ride because not long after there was a wild sand storm. So we got into Hanksville and sat and ate at Stan's Burger Stand for awhile. Then we decided to head to our camp ground that we got for free! It was still super hot. The bathroom was much cooler so as crazy as it sounds I went and sat on the bench in the bathroom for a bit while Chance changed his flat tire. Eventually we both showered and went in the nearby restaurant to get something cold to drink, really it was just to sit in the air conditioning. Later that night a guy name Lucas from Calgary came in on his motorcycle and so we chatted with him for a bit. He was riding his motorcycle from Calgary all around the states for 3 weeks. The sun finally went down and we headed to our tent to get some much needed sleep. So again, with getting rides, like other cyclist have told us especially through Utah and Nevada it is a must to get a ride if you need one, it is not enjoyable to have a massive sufferfest, this is a voluntary adventure not a prison sentence, so don't kill yourself. We see it as part of our adventure and have met some great people along the way!

Oh my gosh it is hot!

Well I'd like to start today's blog thanking everyone we met yesterday at the amazing Hollywood Bar, sorry if I don't remember your names but I would especially like to thank Whiskey Don for the meal last night and Tara and Scott for being so hospitable, sorry if Misha woke you up this morning! Well we actually got up and going a little earlier than normal and it was great. It really helped us out because the heat intensified very quickly! The ride thus far was not too bad. We are currently in Monticello UT. That's right another one bites the dust! 10 states down and 3 more to go. Right away this morning we had a climb out of Dolores and from there on out it was pretty much rollie. We could tell right away that it was going to get hot, the scenery around us quickly began to look more and more like desert as we approached the Utah boarder. We stopped in Dove Creek to grab a little lunch at Deb's Dinner and quickly got back on the road, hoping to beat the really heat of the day. Kelly was the first to fall victim to the heat and began to slow and complain about a head ache so we decided that it would be better to hide inside for a little bit before we pushed on to Blanding. So we continued on to Monticello and took refuge in the local public library. We have spent the last two hours reading, journaling and surfing the net, slowly waiting out the heat of the day and replenishing our body with plenty of liquids. Unfortunately we wont be out of the heat anytime soon. Actually it will only be getting hotter, pray for rain! Tomorrow will be our first real challenge in a while. We will have to travel about 80miles between services and then another 60 miles the next day until we reach a proper town. So wish us luck and continue to follow our progress and we proceed towards California and tackle the desert!

Lizard Head Pass....

Today we left Telluride in the cold cold morning. It was only about 45 degrees this morning when we left for yet another day on the bike.  We found a sneaky way to get around one huge climb that we would have had right out of Telluride. So we took the gondola with our bikes and bags up to Mountain Village and started off from there.  We then started our 65 mile ride to Dolores, CO.  The morning went well, it was a bit chilly but we had quite a few hills to climb so it kept us warm. Yet again the scenery is to die for. As one guy in a bike shop once told us "You work for the beauty around you." meaning those climbs are worth it in the end.  So we started up Lizard Head Pass. This pass was still long but the percent grade was workable. I was still breathing a bit hard and I was actually not far behind Chance this time.  We got to the top which was 10,222 feet above sea level and once again we were overjoyed!  From there it was pretty much a downhill ride.  We stopped in a little town called, Rico to get some lunch. So we stopped at one place that we thought looked open. They were open but they were limited on their food and drinks because they had just opened 5 days ago. we would have eaten lunch there but they only took  cash and we had only 4 dollars. So we had something to drink and decided to eat a quick snack and make our way towards Dolores.  So we continued our nice ride downhill. We had to stop one time to eat because I was starving.  We then got into Dolores and called Tara who we would be staying with tonight. She told us where she lived and we headed that direction. They live in a really cute house with an awesome bathroom!  So we talked with Tara and the cute dogs for a bit. Then we headed to the bike shop but it was closed. So she showed us where she works tonight and we will most likely head over there to eat!  Tara is super cool and gave us some snacks and really good cold lemonade!  Thanks Tara for allowing us to crash here!  Again the great people we keep meeting.  BIG excitement for tomorrow... We will be entering UTAH!!!! That means out of Colorado and one state closer to being home!! Thanks for the support and lets hope that instead of the 90-100 degree days it will be 60 hahaha!  Thanks again!