Ely musingz

Well gang, made it safely cross UT these last 7 days, racking up more hrs in a week than i've probably ever put in on a bike in a month! Bout 57 hrs on the steel steed (and i won't tell ya how many miles, cause the avg. spds quite depressing.. ;-)

but lemme just say, if ya ere plan ta ride cross utah canyonlands, carrying a trailerload uv stuff, opt for tha triple!) honestly, its been one helluva lot tougher going than i ever expected bike touring ta be...

and, a whole lot more engaging as well- with the land, with the locals, and with the thoughts- 7-8 hrs of saddle time a day gives one lotsa time to sort thru it all- = ), rejoice in tha good, and spin out the bad... its all there ta work with-

so, some of the highlights from tha rd? canyons of the ancients,

in eastern utah,

to the cool, azure waters of lake powell, and the ferry ride across-

the wide open expanses of petrified dunes and narrow, bottomless gorges of the Escalante'

- 8 hrs oer the Burr trail from Lake Powell to Boulder city (ut), w/ 6400 ft of climbing and 64 miles covered (in 7 hrs!?! ouch!) = 0 (but nothing in comparison to these two amazing folks... riding their way from point reyes, ca to delaware... already been on the road for 6 mons!?! Yowza! godspeed guys-

tha endless climbing from panguitch up to Cedar Breaks NP, with its surreal, hoodoo formations of crimson sandstone-

the desolate sage and sand sea of western utah and eastern NV-

the surprises the lie beneath this land- fantastical grottos of colour and form, set in dark, cool moistness in Lehman Caves NP-

such contrast with the overlay of stark, harsh vastness...

and yet, thru-out it all, a sub-stance of beauty- sometimes easily yielding to perception, at others, the faintest hum, nearly inaudible- beneath the howl of wind and relentless, piercing gaze of the sun... until, exhausted, defenseless, one lies back in the shade of juniper, wearing the crimson soil, and settles into the rhythm of place...

its a sweet journey, yall- =)

oh, and one more thang, when ya say "massage therapist", in NV, it ain't tha same thang... ya been warned- ; -)