Saturday, June 7, 2008

Milford to Panguitch


I'll bet not many of you have heard of Panguitch, Utah, huh? Well, this is the first internet connection we've had for a few days. When we woke up in Milford Thursday morning there was snow on all the mountains around. The forecast was for scattered thunder showers, but with clearing in the afternoon, and thats just the way it went. We climbed over the hill to Cedar City and in so doing, left the Great Basin. Now the country around looks more like one would expect Utah to look, red rock cliffs and table top mesas. Cedar City is a bustling town of 20 thousand people, the biggest town we've seen for a while. We stayed in the KOA there, and could have had internet but we lost the access code and the office was closed by the time we discovered the loss. At breakfast we shared coffee with a fellow rider ,Ed, who we met in Baker. He was staying in Cedar City for a prolonged rest as the next leg was the hardest climb of the trip so far. We faced 4500 ft. of climbing up Cedar Canyon in 21 miles.
Indeed this climb made Carson Pass seem like a cake walk. In twelve miles we had climbed 3000 ft. and were done in. We stayed the night in a nice little wooded campground just off the highway. The one consolation was that the scenery was stunningly beautiful. The next day we finished the climb at 10,500 ft. elevation in Cedar Breaks National Monument. Here the environment was alpine and the air quite cool. Then we turned downhill for a 30 mile roller coaster ride into Panguitch. We are camped in a small RV park with a little patch of lawn in back for tents. The next two days will be fairly easy rides, finishing in Escalante, where we will take a rest day.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Steve and I just spent a week in the Tahoe area and decided to return via your route out of California (from Carson City over the pass on Highway 88). We went by Sorensen's, Kirkwood, and Silver Lake with a renewed sense of the magnitude of your journey. The ascent was challenging enough but there were no bike lanes and the clearance was almost non existent in places. How do you cope with this? I located Panguitch on the map and it looks like the ride to Escalante will be beautiful (Kodachrome Basin sounds like a premier photo op).

Dave and Belinda said...

Diana,
Carson Pass was not that bad with traffic when we crossed since it was snowing. The truck drivers have been very courteous when there is no shoulder. The people pulling travel trailers are the ones that come close. We are on some prettly lonely roads and sometimes a truck passing us uphill stays in the left lane even at the summit. Thanks for the comment.

Anonymous said...

hey! the hotel in Florence has a computer with free internet, so i can still keep track of you guys!

Anonymous said...

Hi David,
Wow! This picture is great! Beautiful!

In answer to your question, I did see your friend Pat. He just got married on May 31st (the first weekend of my Seco vacation) and he and his new bride, Lisa, honeymooned in Seco! I saw him quite a bit! He's such a nice guy. He asked about your trip. I was supposed to give him the blogspot address, but we both forgot later - no room for a pen & paper when you're wearing a swim suit! I'll probably run into him at least one more time this summer, so I'll give it to him then.

jimdad said...

ROBERTSONS HERE STILL FOLLOWING ON SATALITE, COULD USE A HIGHWAY NUMBER AND A CROSS ROAD NAME TO PINPOINT YOU BETTER. HAVE FUN

Brenda and Ray said...

you guys are awesome! Let us know if you have received our previous comments as we'd like to have contact. we leave PA tomorrow and return to Colorado springs and will hang out in the mountains to try to rendezvous in Denver. If it is easier for you, gmail me.
Happy trails,
Brenda and Ray

mas said...

I, for one, have never previously heard of Panguitch. It is fascinating to see the beauty of the "road less traveled." Your pictures are truly spectacular. Very funny to think of Cedar City being a big, bustling city; how quickly humans adapt to new situations.

When I road across country at the tender age of 16, it was astounding that my hands and butt were the weak link, not my heart, lungs and muscles. Are your extremities going "to sleep?" Amazing to hear how much water you're carrying, what an exceptional accomplishment. Good luck on the next legs!

love, mas

Dave and Belinda said...

Daniel, commenting from Florence!! Hooraa! I hope you're having the time of your life son, Love Dad & Belinda.

Leslie, Pat is a nice guy! I wish I had his e-mail. We were invited to his wedding, but left on our trip weeks ahead. I'd like to wish him and Lisa all the best. Also if you need to e-mail me for any reason you can do so at dsmiltz@hotmail.com

jimdad, I'll try to remember to put Hwy. numbers in posts from now on.

Brenda and Ray, we have recieved your comments and thank you. Hope you have had a great time in PA. We are looking forward to seeing you. Currently we are taking a rest day in Escalante. We face two very difficult days starting tomorrow. I don't think we have a g-mail address for you. E-mail us at dsmiltz@hotmail.com. Love Dave & Belinda

Mark, Wow, you rode across country ay 16 years old?! That is amazing. Were you with a group or your family or what? Our hands do go numb, and at times I wish my butt would go numb as well as it can get pretty sore on the longer days. Take care & love Dave & Belinda