Day Twentyeight- Done (Over 2005 miles)

August 17th-

Normally, when the clock reads 5 something, I'm not up to do anything. But, on this particular morning I was getting ready for a long day. It's rare on this trip that I am able to enjoy an early ride with the sun lighting my way, but not burning my back.

Jerry and I said goodbye as I followed his truck toward the highway. He turned right at the end of the road toward work and I turned left toward, well... work. I looked ahead at a large range of mountains that I had to somehow get through. I saw some misplaced, as I thought, windmills which were soon to be well explained. There was an intense wind tunnel created from the gap between the mountains. The ride was cold, sweaty, and difficult. I didn't realize that the canyon was so long and dangerous.

There was construction being done to the highway which resulted in no shoulder. But, I was stopped before I could make it that far. One of the construction workers had me toss my bike in the back of his truck and gave me a ride for a little over a mile to the other side of the construction site. It was just enough time to warm up before I got back out in the cold.

For those people who don't know already, canyons are formed between mountains and are not often flat. With that said, I proceeded to climb the mountainous canyon toward the summit.

I was successful with the trip through the canyon and rode on through a town which had a sports store with large sale signs everywhere. I went inside to pick up bicycle things if they had them. I only found tubes. So, I bought two of them since they were on sale.

I then made it into a town called Mt. Pleasant. I stopped at a locally owned gas station and parked my bike up against the building. I went inside and bought a corn dog, popcorn, and Arizona Grapeade. By the time I got back outside to my bike, the rear tire was as flat as the road behind me wasn't.

I wheeled the bike out behind the store where the sun wasn't searching for something to bake, and proceeded to change the tire. I stuffed one of the new tubes in and inflated it all the way. When I pulled the pump off the nozzle, the nozzle broke rendering the tire useless. So, I patched up the one I had just taken out and put it back in there. It was much better. I left Mt. Pleasant feeling that the name was deceiving.

As I continued on my quest for a hundred miles, I passed through a town called Manti; home of a gigantic Mormon Temple. I continued toward Salina, but stopped in Gunnison for water. Gunnison has a small theater that was showing a PG-13 movie at 7pm promptly. I could have waited forty minutes for the show, but kept riding into Salina to avoid a storm I saw overhead.

It was still somewhat light outside, even though the sun had set fifteen minutes earlier, but I made it to Salina. I saw an American Legion with a few cars outside, so I went in to say hello. I walked downstairs as the top floor was completely vacant. As I turned the corner, I heard one voice speaking from a room filled with people. A gentleman told me, "This is the AA meeting." I apologized for any interruption, but then thought about staying because I hadn't a drink in over a month. I ended up leaving though out of respect for the people there.

I headed for the Butch Cassidy Campground. I noticed that they only charge $5.95 for AAA members. Lucky me. When I set up my tent in the tent area, there was only one other person there. His name is Tony. Tony was on a motorcycle trip across the US and was talking to his wife on the phone. After he got off the phone we talked some more. Soon, it was time to call it a night and I settled down inside my tent. I have another long day of riding tomorrow.

Daily Lesson: The products that break the most are the ones on the best sales.

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