What Happens When I Don't Have Access to WiFi

Wednesday 25 April 2012 ~ Boulder to Hanksville, UT

*The post title explains it all*

I was still sick during the days covered in this post (Wed thru Fri) so these pictures were taken from one of vans I was riding in. Utah has amazing landscapes and natural rock formations. I never knew the Beehive State to be so picturesque. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see much of it from the Rattler :(

These clay/stone formations are clearly carved by rain and wind, but still amazing that they turn out as such, and not just a mound of dirt.

The rock formation in the center background is called "Castle Rock."

Ancient "prehistoric" petroglyphs. I've always wondered what defines "prehistoric" ...

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We were welcomed by the residents of Boulder, who were kind and generous enough to divvy up our team of 19 into groups of two, three, and four and host us in their homes. The following morning, Hell's Backbone Grill provided a hearty breakfast of steel-cut oats, homemade crab-apple butter, and fresh coffee. Such a hospitable and friendly town. Thanks again, Boulder!

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Thursday 26 April 2012 ~ Hanksville to Natural Bridges National Monument (to Blanding, UT)

Today was my scheduled crew day, along with Blair, Coulter, and Skylar. Some pictures from driving the Budget truck.

You can see the rain in the distance, pulling the clouds downward.

This vine/tree was literally growing out of a rock wall.

The rock formation above is called "Jacob's Seat." And as for Natural Bridges National Monument, it was not meant to be. Long story short, we were rained out and all the riders had to be "rescued" from the thunder and lightning. Since I wasn't going to put a group of wet and cold cyclists through a night of cold and wet camping, we drove on as a group to the next town, Blanding. There, we were welcomed by the principal of San Juan High School, who on short (very short) notice was more than happy to put us up in his cafeteria for the night. I know I felt blessed to have a roof over my head that day.

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Friday 27 April 2012 ~ Blanding to Monticello, UT

Most of the group voted to drive back to Natural Bridges this morning to finish the rained-out ride from yesterday. I was among the small group that elected to remain in Blanding and join the rest of the team after lunch (lunch stop was located in Blanding).

I decided to ride even though I wasn't 100%, and it was a somewhat miserable 20 miles for me from Blanding to Monticello. Wasn't really in the mood to take too many pictures, but the three below I thought were worth uploading.

I forget the name of this reservoir/lake, but it was kind of pretty.

This picture almost looks fake...

Just outside of Monticello, Utah.

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Hopefully we'll have more consistent internet access for the rest of the trip. Trying to cover multiple days is exhausting and obviously not as interesting because I'll inevitably have forgotten stories and experiences. These days tend to blur; fortunately my camera keeps tabs on when the photos are taken, which is a big help in remembering what happened during any particular day.