Last night we fell asleep to the sound of fireworks, oblivious to the colossal event in which we were entangled. Only at breakfast did we find out that July 24th is Pioneer Day, a state holiday commemorating the arrival of Brigham Young and his band of Mormon settlers to the Salt Lake area in 1847. SLC has a huge parade, but so do most of the smaller towns in the state. Vernal was amping up for a big one too, and since there is only one way out - Main Street - we would be trapped once the parade began. Speed packing put us on the bike only minutes after we heard this news and we squeaked through town in the rain, watching the streets lined with umbrella covered parade goers. Moments later and we would have been trapped, although a small town parade can never be a bad thing.
Route 40, also known here as The Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway, took us through several other small Utah towns preparing their celebrations. Escaping the festivities, we rolled into Colorado with not much of a scene change. Through Dinosaur ( prehistory reigns here), we turned onto route 64 to Rangely. A God-forsaken stretch of road, the desert heat was abated by gentle rain that cooled us, then evaporated as quickly as it had fallen. Dirt roads with actual route numbers branched off with warning signs admonishing travelers to go at their own risk. Jules looked longingly at every road and switchback that climbed up above us, he and Rascal yearning to fly a little higher, but knowing that they were bound to the mundane paved world.
But then we did get to soar. The Douglas Pass Road, Route 139 from Rangely, took us to the clouds. Our first Colorado pass, it gave us the promise of what was to come in these Rockies. Winding up open edges to the summit, then funneling down through narrow passageways, we knew we had arrived in the state that is the king of great rides.
Diving back into another of the many basins we have ridden through, we prayed for rain to cool us and it did. The smell of thirsty old dust, tasting water for the first time in months, filled the air. At Grand Junction we picked up route 50, part of the "Loneliest Road in America" and headed south to Montrose where we are spending the night.
Prehistory and history ruled our ride today. Geological mysteries encapsulating millions of years, Triassic dinosaurs, ancient native tribes and recent historical religious settlement traveled with us. At night, I wander aimlessly through the internet, trying to capture pieces of the past I have just experienced. Frustrated by the enormity of the task, I must close my browser and my eyes, sink into the pillows, relive the day and relish in the mere essence of other times.
Don't rain on our parade!
Ready to parade
No Jules, you can't!
Climbingthe Douglas Pass
How quickly the scene changed
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