Duchesne, UT to Dinosaur, CO

Another state!!! We are just 3 miles into Colorado, our 5th state, for camp tonight at Dinosaur, CO town park. I now know why the dinosaurs died in this area. It is too hot and dry for any living organism to live here and survive for very long. But Sea To Sea bikers are a tough and determined lot and we made it for another day and will move on from here tomorrow. The day started out by riding out of Duchesne into an widening, irrigated river valley between two mesas. This slowly gave way to more rugged stony hills on the way to Vernal, UT. After Vernal, was the biggest challenge to us bikers. That section was a gradual upslope for 20+ miles and the sun was really hot. It had to be near 100 degrees. The elevation of Dinosaur is just under 6,000 feet.

The route today was mostly on US40, a very busy 2 lane road with a lot of semis. The shoulder was usually wide enough for us, but the entire length had rumble strips that only allowed about one foot between the white line and the rumble strip. Right of the rumble strips it was wider, but rough, more gravely and littered with various bolts, tie-down remnants, and retread pieces. This made it very dangerous as the best place to ride was right on the white line. Some truckers do not appreciate bikers and do not move over at all, even if no other vehicle is coming. Some even purposely emit extra exhaust fumes and smoke as they go by. There were a couple cases today of bicycle part failures that caused 2 bikers to flip. One was onto the roadway, but thankfully, there was no traffic at the time, and the bikers had minor scrapes and bruises. We truly do feel God’s protective care over us and feel the prayers of the many people who offer them on our behalf.

Some riders took a detour today to visit a national park dinosaur exhibit. I did not, as the 91 miles and the heat were enough for me. I did manage to arrive in camp by about 4:00, the same time as Julie wrapped up her SAG duties. The extra time to shower and rest before dinner feels really good.

Love to all, P & J.