Hopkins 4K for Cancer

July 15, 2003

Who scared the trees?
Day 35


Capitol Reef National Park, UT to Escalante, UT



We were all warned that today’s ride would be rough, but none knew quite what to expect. All I knew was that there would be a 4,000 ft climb, and at some point a 14 % grade incline.



The morning started off with the usual early wake up, and a scramble to get things ready in the dark. The first 16 miles to the first water break at Grover was rough with a heavy head wind. At some point, Alice’s derailleur actually exploded. Sumeet rushed ahead to send the van back for her and her now-crippled bike. Unfortunately, in his haste, Sumeet missed the turn and went 10 miles the wrong way. I can’t blame him because I made the same mistake. Courtney, who saw him miss the turn, flagged down a sherriff and asked him to catch up with us to tell us we had gone the wrong way. Sumeet told us he was quite surprised to be pulled over by a sheriff on a bike!



The lunch break at Boulder (Utah, not Colorado) was what we all needed. Many of us bought shakes and malts from across the street—-we were told that they were the best in the world.



The second half of the day was difficult. At one point, we rode along a thin stretch of road (aptly named "Devil's Backbone") which was surrounded on both sides by a steep drop-off.



After we got into the gorgeous state park at Escalante, many of us went on a short hike to the petrified forest.



This was the first time in a while that we had been treated to a church potluck dinner. The dinner, which was given to us by the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints in Escalante, was delicious. Many of us fell asleep under the stars with full stomachs.



Renee Egusa