Where's the Sun?

We left Wyoming through their state zoo, Yellowstone National Park.  It is quite the park with half the earth’s geothermal features.  As I have alluded to before I like volcanic activity provided it doesn’t have a super eruption when I am there.  Although if it were to, it probably would reach Vancouver as the amount of thermal activity going on around Yellowstone is crazy.  If it ever does, or I should say, when it does have another cataclysmic eruption, a lot of North America would be toast.  And from what I understand, it is due for another.

The sun, oh glorious sun, makes a huge difference in moods and overall happiness when cycling.  When it is out and we can see blue sky, there are smiles on our faces and our spirits are up.  When it is not, and we see above us grey clouds, we are sad and miserable.  And if it starts to rain that just adds insult to injury.  I can see why people in places that don’t get much sun are depressed; the sun really does make a difference.  Cycling through Montana we usually had a good day with sun, then a bad day with gloomy overcast, and so on.  Unfortunately the last bit of Montana, where I really wanted the sun to come out and say hello, did not.  As such, we gave Glacier National Park a miss and cycled around it.  It was the right thing to do but I was disappointed.  That said, I always look at the positives and never the negatives.  As should you.  Positives are it saved us money as we would have had to pay the $12 entrance fee and $5 for camping.  It also saved us time, because there are restrictions as to when cyclists can cycle certain parts of the road.  From 11am to 4pm cyclists cannot cycle two sections of the road so we would have been waiting around quite some time.  Finally, if we did go, I would have had to put up with Trevor bickering about the cold and wetness and what a stupid idea it was to cycle the road when it is packed with vehicles.  Not going also gives me reason to return to the area since it isn’t actually that far away from Vancouver.  And I could also check out Waterton Lakes Park in Canada.  So there are many positives to be had here.     

Now that we are about done the United States of America, here is a list of my top 5 states:

1. Colorado – Surrounded by the Rockies provided great scenery every day.  Plus it is a very bike friendly state with many bicycle paths.  A statement we got a lot en route was that we must be super fit to be cycling all this way and I have always said not quite since I did fatten up a lot in places like Asia with all the food I ate.  That said, I noticed a huge change when cycling through Colorado with all the mountains and passes we had to climb.  I strongly believe if you are looking to whip yourself into shape, to ride through the Colorado Rockies for a week.  You’ll be thin as a whistle after it.  But remember, exercise is only half the battle if not less.  What you eat I think is most important to combat weight and become healthier.    

2. Arizona - Lots of cool scenery with the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley.  I also enjoyed cycling through Flagstaff as it had a lot of forest and mountains around it. 

3. Utah – Even though it was scorching hot, it was a continuation of the Wild West and Monument Valley.  All the interesting rock formations were pretty neat to see.

4. New Mexico – It was the start of the Rockies for us and a pleasant terrain change.  It was also warm like the South but nowhere as humid. 

5. Florida – Didn’t enjoy the daily storms but they had smooth, wide shoulders.  Also, this state had the most interesting characters we met in all of the United States.  There never was a dull day because of that.  And they had Aldi.    

As for my last place state, I will have to say Louisiana.  New Orleans was fine but outside the city the roads weren’t all that smooth for the most part.  Plus I was way too hot with temperatures approaching 50°C and the humidity was just unbearable.  Every morning I hesitated putting on my shirt because it was just so uncomfortable.  And all the mosquitoes and other insects about trying to eat us didn’t help matters.  

Trevor’s top 5 go as follows:

1. Colorado – He really liked that it is a bicycle friendly state with many bike paths around.  It certainly has a really solid infrastructure for cycling with towns that are connected by bike paths for many miles.

2. Arizona – It was warm and he enjoyed the Grand Canyon.  Definitely his favourite National Park.

3. New Mexico – It was warm and there was a noticeable terrain change.

4. Alabama – He really enjoyed our stop at the McDonalds in Mobile where we chatted with the staff and patrons who kept thinking we cycled from Mexico.  Just because of this McDonalds hit, he really liked Alabama. 

5. Florida – It was very warm and there were plenty of characters to speak with to keep us entertained.

As for his last place state, the honour goes to Montana.  One of his main factors is warmth and he was cold a lot of the time.  The infrastructure wasn’t great with little to no hard shoulders.  With a population of just under 1 million, there was a lot of traffic on the road.  We would constantly get passed by vehicles.  It seemed like the whole state was driving on the road we were cycling on.  Finally, he didn’t like the many large, loud diesel trucks that were on the road.  But even more so when people would stop and get out of their diesel trucks to run an errand but continue to let their truck idle.  That was really annoying.   

We are currently camped out around many cows freely roaming around taking dumps wherever they please just before the town of St. Mary and will return to our homeland tomorrow morning.  The U.S. was an exciting country to cycle through and I recommend it if you can tolerate freak weather.  But hey, that freak weather adds to the adventure provided you make it out alive.  As you can probably infer, my favourite section was cycling through the Rockies and I would even say this stretch has had some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve seen on this whole trip.  If you are strapped for vacation ideas, let me give you one (preferably on a bicycle, but if you must, a vehicle will do): start at the Grand Canyon in Arizona, then hit up Monument Valley, then cruise on into Colorado and go up and down the mountains, then keep heading north to the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and then Glacier.  But don’t stop there, cross the border into Canada and check out the Canadian Rockies!  We have some sweet scenery as well.  Can you guess where we are headed next? 

The Grand Teton range, a spot I’d like to return to and do some trekking around.

Yellowstone is packed with tourists as evidenced here at Old Faithful.  And yes, it went off as predicted every 90 minutes or so.  Vehicle after vehicle kept passing us along the narrow roads.  With all the revenue they get couldn’t they spend a bit to widen the roads and ensure there is a hard shoulder all throughout the park? 

Look at all the pretty colours!  The Grand Prismatic Spring was a must see for me.  Probably would have been cooler to see it from an aerial view though.

It has been a long time since we have had to pay for a campsite given we do the stealth camping thing.  But in Yellowstone one cannot officially stealth camp.  Plus there are many bears about so we forked over the $6.80 and camped in the park.  It had to be done.  It was a nice campground and I could sleep in peace knowing that I wouldn’t likely be disturbed by a bear since my food was stored away in the bear lockers.  It also allowed Trevor to get in touch with his feminine side and continue reading Summer Sisters by Judy Blume.  He found this book in Wyoming somewhere on the roadside and cannot put it down. 

Our second day in Yellowstone Trevor and I had a fight going up a steep hill early in the morning.  I wasn’t aware there would be one and I needed to rant and rave about it as it helps me.  This annoyed Trevor so much he booked it after a couple of warnings and said he has had enough of me and Yellowstone and he’ll meet me in Gardiner, Montana, just outside the park.  I said fine, piss off, cursed his name a couple of times and we parted ways.  He bee-lined it out of the park and I went to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  Again, I say he missed out, quite the view in my opinion.  He did see a bear on his way out so that is pretty cool.  Though it was in the distance but managed to cause a bear jam as everyone passing by would stop and obstruct traffic.  This happens a lot in Yellowstone.

I also went to Hayden Valley and watched bison roam around.  Pretty neat but you definitely have to watch you don’t get too close because they can do some serious damage if they wanted at over 2,000lbs and being able to run up to 35mph. 

I met this disgruntled bison all by his lonesome self on the opposite side of the road.  He looked like he needed some cheering up so I had a chat.  He was bored with life and needed a change.  He said to me: “Every day is same old same old; people drive up and take photos of me and my fellow bison as we graze the valley floor.  Some even do those silly optical illusion photos where they put their hand out making it look like they are holding us in the palm of their hand.  How silly is that?”  “That is quite silly, I agree.  Especially because you are a beast and could squash them like a bug.”  He then continued: “I think I need a change of some sort because I am not happy here and believe there must be more to life than just this?”  “I hear you.  You shouldn’t live your life in misery, life is too short for that.  Even more so for you since your average life span is 15 years!  I think a change for the better would be good for you.  Do you have any dreams and aspirations?”  He thought for a second and then replied: “Well, yeah.  I have always wanted to go to Bangkok in Thailand and improve my fighting skills.  You see I am eager to enter this Street Fighter tournament they have on an annual basis where competitors from around the world fight on the street.  They had the inaugural tournament just this year and will hold the second one sometime next year.  I believe I have a couple of moves that could do some damage like my running bison rush which I find electrifying and my strong double kick.”  “Well if that is what you want to do, then just go out and do it.  What’s stopping you?  Besides, you only live once, right?  By the way, I have been chatting to you for all this time and don’t even know your name?”  He said: “You’re right.  I should do it!  And my name is Manuel, but please, call me M for short.”  “Good stuff M. Bison.  Well I hope you make it to Bangkok and wish you all the best in your dream of entering and competing in this Street Fighter 2 tournament.” 

The Mammoth Hot Springs, just another cool geothermal feature of Yellowstone.

I think they should rephrase the word ‘camping’.  Because this is what camping is nowadays, people in their RV’s parking it at a site with electricity so they can watch TV or check their gadgets.  Either that or call what we do ‘tenting’ because it certainly isn’t camping anymore.          

We followed some of the Lewis and Clark expedition in Montana.  When we read this plaque, we both likened ourselves to the dynamic duo.  For one, they were both in their early 30s when they went on their adventure.  Also, they had opposite temperaments; Trevor is calm, cool and collect whereas I spaz out at times, maybe more often than not.  We also agreed that I was more like Lewis and Trevor was like Clark.  Lewis was commissioned by Thomas Jefferson to explore their new Louisiana territory and find a route to the Pacific Ocean.  With Jefferson’s permission, Lewis called upon Clark to join him in this expedition.  When sitting at my desk at work in London back in August 2010, I decided to embark on this around-the-world bicycle adventure and so I pinged Trevor an email asking if he would like to join me the following year.  Also, if you look at the respective routes Lewis and Clark took when they split up for part of the expedition, Clark seemed to have a direct, logical route whereas Lewis seemed to have gotten lost and did some backtracking.  To note, this may have not been the case but we came up with that assumption just looking at the map shown.  Plus it gives us a stronger case that I was more like Lewis as I am the one who is way more likely to get lost.  Finally, Lewis accidentally got shot prior to rejoining Clark.  With me and my big mouth, and not knowing how to handle a firearm, accidentally getting shot is also something I would be much more prone to.    

I am pretty annoyed at the Specialized Armadillo tire.  Leaving Yellowstone it tore apart as you can see.  I rode on it for another day but it kept getting worse so I had no choice but to toss it.  What a piece of $%!@.  It wasn’t cheap at $45 and it didn’t last very long.  It was put on in Flagstaff, AZ and tossed in Bozeman, MT.  No name tires we bought in China and Malaysia for a couple of bucks a pop lasted way longer than that.  I have a feeling perhaps the sales guy in Flagstaff gets a better commission selling the Armadillo because he stated it was better than the Schwalbe Marathon.  Well, I have news for him, it isn’t.  Schwalbe Marathon is the best of the best in my view.  But probably the best bang for your buck are those no name tires we picked up in China and Malaysia.  They may not last as long as the Schwalbe Marathon but you get more mileage out of them per every dollar spent.  

Before leaving Chris and Emma’s place in Frisco, CO, they gave us contact details of Emma’s parents in Bozeman since we would be passing through.  So we gave them a call when we arrived and sure enough we spent the night at Jim and Annie’s.  As always, it is great meeting new people and once again I am wowed at the generosity of strangers.  Big thanks go to them for their hospitality and the delicious dinner and breakfast.  This is just another testament to the generosity of Americans.       

Spring water!!!  Last time we had this was in Turkey.  Have to give credit to the former Yugoslav region and Turkey for having many spots to fill up on spring water.  Probably some of the best water we have had was from those regions. 

Montana had the potential of being a great cycling state with all its mountains but unfortunately its infrastructure let it down.  At times we felt like we were back in Argentina with no hard shoulder.  Plus some drivers would zoom by us or not create space when passing us.  Seriously how hard is it to move over a bit when you have no oncoming traffic?!  If there is oncoming traffic then please slow down a bit when passing.  Anyway, they have these crosses marked to remind people to drive safely, buckle up and not drink and drive.  Sadly we saw many of these crosses cycling through the state.  Most of them were noticeably at places where there wasn’t much of a hard shoulder.  Again, this is not rocket science: widen the road and build a hard shoulder to reduce traffic fatalities. 

A dejected me at the gateway to Glacier National Park.  I really wanted to cycle the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  But how can one cycle the road that supposedly goes to the sun when there is no sun to be seen?!  Explain that one to me. 

Two Medicine Lake and some cloud covered mountains.  Believe me, this was probably the clearest it got today.   

Save a Buck or Two

I think after we finish cycling through the United States I will distinctly remember two things about our neighbour to the south: the freak weather and the generosity of its people.  I thought Iran had the title in the bag for the friendliest and most hospitable country but I think I am going to give that award to the United States.  Similar to Iran, almost every day someone offers us something or wants to help out in some way.  Plus we get lots of waves and overall positive vibes.

Leaving Colorado we met a lady outside Walmart who offered us to go to her spa/massage shop to shower and freshen up.  Very kind offer but we kept on since it was early in the day.  When we entered Wyoming we went to their visitor center (which I might add is one of the best I have been to on this whole trip) and this army guy gave us his leftover pizza from the day prior.  Even though it wasn’t hot, it was delicious.  The big act of generosity came in Nebraska.  Going into the State I thought it was going to be dull and I just wanted to speed through it as fast as possible to get to South Dakota.  About 25km from Scottsbluff a man in his truck stopped and chatted with Trevor.  After Trevor explained what we are doing he offered us lunch at his Chili’s restaurant in Scottsbluff.  When I caught up to Trevor he told me there is a free lunch in Scottsbluff.  At the time I was exhausted from battling the winds but knowing there was a free meal waiting for me down the road I quickly jumped back on the saddle and got going.  Can’t let food wait, it must be eaten.  Sure enough we get there and Stan, the owner of Chili’s says we can have anything on the menu!  Sweet deal.  We both had burger and fries and shared some Buffalo wings to start.  But it didn’t stop there.  He also got in touch with a reporter from the Star Herald to come by and interview us!  As Stan put it, there had to be better news stories out there than what made the front page news that day: Newlywed couple jailed for getting it on in a public park.  I always enjoy answering questions about this adventure so it was once again very fun to do.  You can read the well written article by reporter Joe Dutton here: www.starherald.com.  But wait, there’s still more!  Stan got in touch with Jennifer, the manager of the Scottsbluff Holiday Inn and she kindly offered us a free night at the hotel!  I am not used to sleeping in a bed, having a shower and eating a delicious breakfast buffet but it was all really great and totally unexpected.  They sure are hospitable in Nebraska. 

I really thought as we kept heading North the thunderstorms would die down and the summer I know, i.e. just sun and no rain, would take over.  Seems that hasn’t been the case.  For the most part we have been getting lots of sun but at times there have been some freaky thunder and lightning gong shows.  I always thought the chances of getting hit by lightning are just as good as winning the lottery but after riding near some intense lightning I am beginning to question my perceived chances.  One really shouldn’t take getting hit by lightning lightly.  I saw on the news and spoke with a Wyoming man about numerous incidents where people were hit by lightning in and around the areas we have been cycling.  I admit I worry when we are out in the sticks and there is lightning nearby with nowhere to duck for cover.  We have seen many instances where the lightning bolts have gone mental and the flashes are blinding.  I really hope once we enter Canada all these freak thunderstorms will disappear.  That said, Calgary was recently flooded as was Toronto.  What is going on with all this freak weather around the world?!  Climate change, that is what. 

One of the advantages of cycling for hours on end, every day for a year and four months is that you can listen to podcasts with the hope of educating yourself on various topics.  Trevor downloads podcasts every time we get Wi-Fi and I in turn download them from his laptop.  Our main go to podcasts have been The Bill Good Show (to keep in the know with the issues affecting British Columbia), Freakanomics Radio, 60 Minutes, Global Public Square with Fareed Zakaria, PBS News, Frontline, and TedTalks.  Trevor also gets for himself Talkin’ Shit with Eddie Ifft, 99% Invisible, The Critical Path, and his personal favourite, Security Now!  For the past couple of days Trevor has been out of podcasts and wasn’t keen on listening to any of his audiobooks (which by the way, he devised a program early on this trip that converts kindle books or text files into actual audiobooks!  This is also why I call him Super! … Nerd… all kidding aside I wish I had the knowhow to do something like that).  So he decided to hear what was on the radio.  First station, Christian Talk, skip, next station Christian music, skip, next more Christian radio, skip, finally a good song, song then ends, oh wait, this is actually Christian radio again.  So for the past couple of days he has been listening to Christian radio here in Wyoming.  And from what he has told me, it is quite entertaining stuff, just because it is rather far-fetched.  He has come across Glenn Beck radio where they have commercials mocking science; another station had a discussion about poking holes in Darwin’s silly theories about evolution; and another station where the radio host talked about how he prays to Jesus to get rid of the demons that visit him in the night from midnight to 2am, because that is when they come out.  Once this host was visited by a demon, or as Trevor says ‘Boogeyman’ and the demon prevented him from calling out to Jesus.  But he struggled loose and managed to call ‘Jesus!’, and then the demon released his ankle and went away.  Seriously, this stuff is golden and provides endless amounts of entertainment.  Really I should be listening to this but I like to listen to tunes while I cycle.  Just to note, I don’t want to come across as being cynical towards Christianity here, just want to share what we have heard that’s all.   As I always say believe in whatever you want to believe in, it’s all good.  Just respect other people’s beliefs and don’t try desperately to change their beliefs or persuade them to side with your beliefs.  I do believe, I believe in myself.  We have met a few en route who have tried to entice us to turn to the Good Book and have a read through. 

Another interesting fact Trevor picked up on the radio is that Wyoming is the number one state for suicide.  If they were their own country, they would rank 10^th in the world according to some radio commercial he stumbled upon.  Cycling through the terrain it was quite dull.  The Rockies are in the far West of the State and the rest of the state is very windy and has lots of barren land.  It was pretty boring most of the time.  So I can see why they hold this unwanted distinction, they have a small population and live a rural lifestyle.  Not a whole lot goes on around here.

 

Anyway, lucky for us we are back in the Rocky Mountains proper and are about to explore the primetime part of the State.  Downside is we have to watch out for bears disrupting us in the night in search of food.  The Grand Tetons and Yellowstone are next.

The United States is really a diverse country that has it all in many aspects.  I didn’t think they had camels though.  But they do. 

It was nice to visit our building and see how things are going in Cheyenne.  I think our building needs a renovation because I don’t like the design. 

Trevor about to chow down on his delicious burger and fries at Chili’s.  Yummy.  This doesn’t happen very often (that is, eating a proper meal in a restaurant) so I must capture these moments. 

A group photo with the staff at Chili’s restaurant.  And a big thanks to Stan, centered, who really made us feel special that day.  It is experiences like this that really make this trip that much better and rewarding.   

A sad moment for me occurred shortly after we entered South Dakota.  My Schwalbe Marathon tire and I had to say goodbye.  It had been with me from the beginning of this trip and was even with me for the first attempt, or what I now like to call the pre-game warm up of 2011.  It had seen all the things I had seen on this trip.  Shame it came so close to making it back home to Vancouver but it blew up and had a gash in it so I had to let it go.  I was going to take it back with me but thought why?  I don’t want to become one of those hoarders who keeps everything.  It was still tough to say goodbye.  We had been through a lot together.  

Trevor may not get excited over beautiful vistas but he does get thrilled over freak weather.  Our first night in South Dakota Trevor awoke at 2am, not to the boogeyman, but to some hardcore hail.  He was amazed at the size of the hail.  It was as big as a quarter but quickly melted to the size of a nickel, as shown in this picture.

You know I like to think of myself of frugal when it comes to spending money.  And if I may, I would like to share some of my new found wisdom to save you, the reader, money in case you find yourself on a road trip around these parts.  First up, the Crazy Horse Memorial.  Now I understand this is a work in progress much like the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, but this one is hardly finished and work began on it in 1948.  So at this rate, it won’t be done in my lifetime or yours.  As such, I suggest you do as we did and view it from the information center just outside the entrance gates.  You can clearly see the head and the drawing of the horse.  If it was done, then yes, I would probably pay to see it closer up but since it is far from completion, maybe best to call me when it is done and then I’ll come on by and pay to see it.  Personally it seems somewhat of a scam because they market it as the largest rock sculpture in the world!  Well, this gives me an idea, I’ll buy some huge ass rock, do a tiny bit of carving on it but have an elaborate plan to carve it into the biggest and best rock sculpture in the whole wide world just so I can promote it as such and then charge everyone $10 to see the tiny bit of carving which cost me next to nothing to do.  But people will be satisfied at seeing what will eventually become the biggest and best rock sculpture in the world even though it will never get finished.  But let’s just leave that last bit between you and me.

I did a good deed in Custer, a town en route to Mount Rushmore.  I found a wallet and returned it to a Custer policeman who was gigantic and very intimidating.  I thought I was kind of big but next to this guy I looked like a scrawny weakling.  Anyway, I like to think because of this good deed the weather turned itself around for the better because first thing in the morning the clouds were laying quite low and I was worried that Mount Rushmore would be covered by clouds.  But they weren’t!  As you can see.  It was pretty cool to see this memorial as I have always wanted to see it.  It costs $11 to park a vehicle but if you cycle in, it is absolutely free!  Just another perk to cycling.  But if you must drive I did see one van park it quickly on the hard shoulder and snap a couple of shots.  The view from the road is pretty good too.  Out of the four Presidents, I would say Theodore Roosevelt is my favourite.  Why not Lincoln you ask?  He is usually regarded as the best President of all for he abolished slavery and led the country through the American Civil War.  Or why not Washington, for he was the first President.  And let’s not forget Jefferson, for he was behind the Louisiana Purchase and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.  No, no, I like Theodore the best.  And I’ll explain why.  I can relate to him in that he was an adventurer/explorer when he wasn’t politicking.  He embarked on an African Safari to discover new fauna and flora and explored unchartered territory in the Brazilian jungle.  When he was politicking he was big on conservation and established many national parks and monuments that we have cycled through in the U.S.  For that, I salute him.  On an aside, sad that I know more about the American Presidents than I do our Canadian Prime Ministers.  Shame on me.    

I’m A North American Badass!  Not quite, but trying to be in Sturgis so I can fit right in.  This town is known for its annual motorcycle rally.  Lots of rally merchandise around and of course lots of badass bikers with their biker chicks in the back.

We even have a street named after us in South Dakota!  Unfortunately it is out in the sticks.      

Devil’s Tower National Monument, which I might add was the first national monument established in the U.S.A. and done so by Theodore Roosevelt.  I was thinking I was going to have to fork over $5 to get in but not so.  You can actually get great views of it as you near the entrance, so no need to spend the $5.  Now you can spend that hard earned $5 on yourself because you deserve it.  Unless you are keen to climb it, then I can’t help you there. 

Trevor also gets excited about huge ass clouds that have freak lightning going on in them.  The big cloud cover to the right in the picture looked like an atomic bomb explosion.  Later it went haywire with all this lightning and flashing going in.  Trevor just sat in his tent and watched the show.  Lots of the time cycling we have had to read the clouds in the sky and see if a storm is brewing.  Trevor is pretty good at reading the skies and predicting storms that come our way.  Unfortunately this happens more often than I’d like.    

Did you know that Wyoming is the nation’s number one coal producing State?  I didn’t either going in.  But now I do.  They produce a lot of the dirty fossil fuel that is coal.  I enjoy taking tours and trying to learn new things so I jumped at the free coal mine tour offered in Gillette.  Trevor wasn’t keen so he stuck behind and browsed the Internet while I checked out the Eagle Butte Coal Mine for about 2 hours.  It was pretty cool to see the whole operation at work.  Mining equipment is massive and very expensive.  The tire of a coal haul truck costs over $30,000 and to replace a truck would cost $4.3 million.  Big money.  It seemed most of the vehicles out in the open pit were reclaiming the land as opposed to digging up coal.  So they appear to be very good when it comes to reclamation of land.  Even though I am all for clean renewables, we still need coal for things like steel so I can ride my bike as well as energy so I found this tour quite interesting and informative.  This is how I learn.  I go and check things out.  Regarding energy, I am no scientist or engineer, but with all the wind we have been battling throughout the U.S., they really should invest more heavily in wind turbines.  Just a thought.      

Once again, we were hit by some insane winds and hard rain that actually hurt my arms and face while I was fighting through it.  This picture shows the aftermath.  I would have liked to capture it while I was in the midst of it but I really had to get out of it as quickly as possible.  We parked it at this rest stop out in the middle of nowhere and decided to spend the night there even though there was a ‘no camping’ sign.  Seriously why do they have that sign?  I think if you are a cycling tourist you should be allowed to camp at a rest area if need be.  Surprisingly, the caretaker was around when we were there and asked us what we were doing.  I said we planned to spend the night because of the crazy storm.  After a bit of hemming and hawing he said fine, even though it was against policy.  When we got up the next morning we saw the parking lot full of truckers and other vehicles.  So why are they allowed to sleep there but we can’t technically camp there?!  Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.   

The things they can do with antlers these days. 

Hitting New Highs

Leaving Arizona and entering Utah it really looked like the Wild West.  Monument Valley had been on my radar ever since I watched Back to the Future III again in Southeast Asia.  I had to check this place out and it did not disappoint.  As a result, The Searchers (’56), Hondo (’53) and Stagecoach (’39) are all on my must watch movie list when I get back home.

I don’t know about you but I sure do enjoy getting high.  And so going into Colorado I was quite excited as it is a place where one can do just that quite easily.  As such, we got high like every day!  No we weren’t passing joints around but we were passing Passes.  We cycled through about 10 Passes ranging from 3,200m to 3,700m.  We also cycled up the highest paved road in North America: Mt. Evans at just over 4,300m.  This marked our highest altitude on the trip so it is all downhill from here!  I wish.   

Going through Colorado certainly has tested us both physically and mentally.  Though I would say going up and down hills is a lot more mental than it is physical.  If you know you have a killer hill ahead, you can just put your head down, stick it in a low gear and go slow and steady.  But if you threw a hill at me in a place like Thailand where I don’t expect them I would probably rant and get annoyed.  Having prepared ourselves mentally really helped with the climbs. 

There are lots of pictures in this post as this last stretch of road has provided endless amounts of spectacular scenery.  If you are like Trevor who can’t be bothered to take in the scenery than I guess most of the following pictures will bore you.  Seriously, Trevor annoys me when he asks why I am stopping when we are surrounded by mountains galore and the sun is out.  Open your eyes and take a wild guess. 

We have a fair number of National Parks still ahead and I am super stoked.  Trevor isn’t.  And yes, I just used the word stoked. 

Scavengers looking for free handouts.  Unfortunately for them, their persistence didn’t really pay off.

We met Greg who hails from Wales in Northern Arizona in between Tuba City and Keyanta.  He is the first around the world cyclist we have met in a long while.  Nice chatting with him and I am envious of his climb of Everest a couple of years back.  Another dream of mine.  Anyway, we talked about the hardships of cycling solo.  It is definitely much easier when you have someone to talk to and vent at as opposed to talking with yourself all day long.  Being on the road by yourself for endless amounts of days is a difficult task.  Respect.     

Entering the Monument Valley area we had an intense sandstorm ahead of us.  Obviously you can’t really see the severity of the sand flying across the road but believe me it was on and sand definitely got into my mouth and eyes.  Trevor was in fear and questioned how will we ever get through this?  I stopped right then and there, slapped him a couple of times in the face and told him to buck up.  And then said: a man’s gotta do, what a man’s gotta do……………  Okay, it didn’t quite go down like that.  I just wanted to quote that line even though it was never said word for word in any John Wayne Western films.  I know this because I did some research online. 

Around Monument Valley we lucked out and found some cover in this tunnel.  At first I thought it was a great spot but as I tried to fall asleep I began gasping for air.  Not sure why but I had trouble breathing in the tunnel.  I am guessing there was a lack of oxygen.  Trevor slept fine though. 

Monument Valley.  Definitely an awesome sight to see.  You can just picture Cowboys and Indians battling it out here. 

Enter Utah and more Monument Valley. 

I couldn’t stop looking back at the vistas while cycling up Route 163.  And if I am not mistaken, this is the spot where Forrest Gump stops running.  We can relate to him in that we just want to cycle.  No real cause, just want to cycle. 

Almost ran over this snake in blistering hot Utah.  It was in attack mode when I approached it so I quickly lifted my legs up and swerved around it.  Then hopped off my bike and went back to check it out.  I don’t think it is poisonous or anything, just a harmless snake chilling on the hot tarmac working on its tan.  Happens from time to time. 

Some unique looking rocks that look to me like a nut sack.  Be proud Bluff, Utah!    

Enter the Rocky Mountains proper. 

The scenic stretch of road from Silverton to Ouray is referred to as the Million Dollar Highway.  And it did look like a million bucks that is for sure with nonstop stellar scenery all the way through.

Trevor in Ouray, a town that dubs itself the Switzerland of America.  It was a nice town indeed with mountains galore all around.  I love mountain towns. 

And here is another one: Aspen!  I have always wanted to check this place out, though more so in the winter, as I have always thought it as a rival to Whistler Blackcomb.  I would love to hit the slopes here one day although the price of a lift ticket is well over my budget. 

The thunderstorms will not quit on us in the U.S.  It was a daily occurrence in Colorado.  Rain, rain go away!  We got hit hard going up Independence Pass and it forced us to layer up as it was pretty cold.

Independence Pass!  The highest paved Pass in Colorado at 3,687m.   

Stealth camping has been pretty good in Colorado.  This spot pictured was one of our best overlooking the Twin Lakes with Mt. Elbert (highest peak in the North American Rockies) in the other direction. 

A lot of the hills we have gone up or down don’t always have a guardrail.  So one must be very careful cruising up or down hills.  We cycled by many sharp cliff drops where if you fell off, you’d probably be a goner.  It kind of reminded me of the World’s Most Dangerous Road in Bolivia.  Personally I think if you can handle the roads here in Colorado with no guardrails, you could easily handle the road in Bolivia.  It really wasn’t that dangerous in my view when we cycled down it last year on the backpacking trip.  Driving back up it though, that was scary.        

Also checked out Vail, the second largest ski resort in North America after Whistler Blackcomb (represent).  Their village was pretty nice too although it looked quite expensive.  No surprise as this is also where the stars come out to ski.  Like I said, I love mountain towns.  Fresh air, cold crisp water to drink, usually a river or two flowing through and delicious food smells emanating the air from the many restaurants around.  Unfortunately our budget doesn’t allow us to indulge in those restaurants but they sure smelled good! 

They certainly have some excellent bike paths in and around Aspen and Vail.  Hats off to them for building an infrastructure that accommodates cyclists, walkers, runners, and rollerbladers.  I salute you!  Going up to Vail Pass there was this Triple Bypass race going on with hundreds and hundreds of cyclists.  Usually it is the non-racers like us who should be cheering and encouraging the racers but it was the racers doing just that to us.  Many we passed gave us the thumbs up and I could see some of them stare in awe.  One even said they have nothing on us.  That made me laugh.  Again, quite humbling the support given to us just going up this Pass. 

We met Chris at the Frisco Walmart by chance and he kindly invited us to stay with him and his wife Emma for the night.  Again, I am astounded by the kindness of strangers on this trip.  It was a great evening and we chatted a lot about travel.  They sent us off the next morning with a delicious breakfast which provided us the energy we needed to make another Pass and also gave me a cycling jersey!  A big thanks to both of them for their warm hospitality and taking in a couple of smelly cyclists for the night. 

Loveland Pass, the second highest paved Pass in Colorado at 3,655m.    

The Triple Bypass race was on for 2 straight days so the next day we were cycling with many racers again but this time going up Loveland Pass and some of Mt. Evans.  The support given was incredible.  Even though we weren’t registered for the event people would go and grab us food for us to snack on.  At this one rest stop this man gave me a sweet black windbreaker!  So no more riding around looking like a bum in my yellow ripped jacket.  The windbreaker is really great as it does a much better job protecting me from the rain.  Also late in the day a support crew I spoke with earlier drove up beside us and asked if we wanted the leftover pizza, milks and trail mix.  That was a no brainer.  Of course!  The nice young girl even gave me a t-shirt.  Trevor has never ran a marathon or participated in an event like this so he hasn’t experienced the support and encouragement given in events like these.  I love it and always enjoy the support along the way.  So it was really great cycling this stretch of road when this race was on. 

Riding above the clouds going up Mt. Evans.  Unfortunately the weather going up and down was pretty bad with poor visibility and thundershowers.  To make matters worse there were no guardrails and the drops were quite steep.  They closed the road to vehicles but cyclists like us could weave around the gate and get in, of course at our own risk.  Going up the Park Ranger drove up beside us and asked if we were going to the top and also said the road is closed.  I think she did this just to ensure we were cognizant and weren’t affected by the high altitude.  Anyway, having the mountain all to ourselves became a blessing because we had the whole road to manoeuvre.

Nice to bag one of the many ‘fourteeners’ in Colorado.  Tackling Mt. Evans was not my idea believe it or not.  Nope, it was Trevor’s idea.  As I may have said before, the only 2 things he wanted to do on this trip was hit the antipodal spots and go up Mt. Evans.  I guess his trip is now complete. 

We scrambled up another 40m or so to the summit of Mt. Evans.  Had to watch my footing as behind those rocks is a major drop.  It was really unfortunate with the poor visibility on the mountain.  As Trevor put it, we came all that way to see what we couldn’t see.  Had it been clear skies we could have seen places like the Denver metro, Pike’s Peak and South Park!  Not the television show, the real town! 

Plenty of marmots running around all over the place on the mountain.  Shame I wanted to see some mountain goats but I guess they were in hiding because of the crappy weather. 

I had brief windows to snap photos on Mt. Evans, this being one of them.  Otherwise, you would be seeing pictures of fog thick as pea soup.  Above the treeline kind of reminded me of the Scottish Highlands or somewhere in Ireland.     

Bullwinkle the moose who rarely stuck its head up as it was too busy having its dinner. 

Because Trevor was high, he got the munchies and needed to fuel up on some grub before climbing even higher to 3,713m, the highest point on Trail Ridge Road which is the highest continuous stretch of paved road in the United States!  Okay, that was pretty bad and I know what you are thinking: “Kevin, we get it, you guys got high, not recreationally or medicinally but literally high.  You have proved that point by constantly noting the height in meters even though we can see it in feet.  And we know Colorado recently legalized marijuana, something I wish the powers that be would legalize in my jurisdiction.  Why someone can’t freely smoke an ounce and bounce at the same time is beyond me.  But yeah, we see you are just playing around with the word ‘high’.  The joke is getting old and you need to come up with some new material.”  Ouch, a bit harsh on the criticism, but I appreciate your honesty and agree with your comments.  I will say though in closing, while we both currently do look like stoners, especially Trevor, we don’t partake in the activity but do support the cause.  But it isn’t something we are going to cycle full circle for.  Remember, we just want to cycle.            

Rocky Mountain National Park.  We lucked out and had great weather all day.  That rarely happens.  Usually clouds roll through and thunderstorms ruin the rest of the day.  But not when we went through this park.  Sweet deal.  Given the sunny weather, the only downside was the park was packed with vehicles.  And there were plenty of steep drop-offs with no guardrails.  It was tough for me to not constantly look at the mountains around me while cycling.  Otherwise, I would have likely gone straight off a cliff.    

Even saw one of Santa’s reindeer!  Actually wait, that can’t be, because this is an elk.  

Last photo I promise because Trevor is getting bored taking in the views.