The GPS said that this was a 4 1/2 hour ride, but with 100 degree temps and a little slower pace it seemed to take significantly longer. We rode through or near a Navajo reservation, very depressed, with shacks and trailers scattered along the way. The only radio station was the Native (American) Public Broadcast station, which aired a 1/2 hour discussion on the evils of the white man and how the tribes may soon loose the right to sell tobacco tax free. From the calls that came in, if there is a new Native American revolt, this will surely be the cause.
The winds picked up and were the worst that we have seen this trip, just north of the Glenn Canyon Dam at Lake Powell in Northern Arizona. The scenery consisted largely of desert, buttes and rock formations left in the wake of winds blowing steadily through the area for centuries. Often it is difficult to imagine how winds alone can create such a landscape, however spend the day battling them on a bike and the idea becomes more plausable.
We stopped in Kanab UT escape the heat with a Wendy's Frosty and reload on water.
As we climbed in elevation and neared Zion things settled down, but the park is undergoing some road improvements, and apparently before you can improve a road it is necessary to completely destroy it, leaving nothing but potholes and gravel. This is what we found for several miles after exiting the mile long tunnel near the entrance to the park. We made it through much like two kids on a slip & slide in the back yard.It is 9:00 pm as I write and the local temp is 91 degrees. We will park the bike for two days, use the free shuttle and take a brief break from our daily routine of packing and loading / unloading and unpacking.
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