After flying across Nevada and the first section of Utah, I’m very grateful to take a zero day to rest here in Cedar City. We biked 70+ miles each of the last three days, and yesterday was particularly challenging with a strong headwind that turned what should have been a lucious downhill into a slow, hard grind. I’m using the free day to keep aloe on my sunburn, rest my legs, and watch some football with Jordan.
Tomorrow, we’ll move out of the beautiful Great Basin area into the rugged, rocky landscape of central Utah. I’m really looking forward to checking out the scenery near Brian Head and Bryce Canyon. I’ve never been to this part of the country before so it’ll be a totally new discovery for me. Even from Cedar City we’re starting to see signs of the changing landscape. The rocks are more red and the mountains are more jagged.
One observation that merits mention is just how nice strangers have been to us in this part of the country. While biking, most cars are careful to give us a wide berth and some even give an encouraging honk or wave. There are, of course, the occasional jerks who blow by too close, but they are thankfully rare. I’ve even had a couple ladies roll down the window to make sure I was ok on water and inquire if I needed any assistance. Anytime I pull over to take a break or have a snack, I put on a purposeful, contented look. Otherwise, there’s a high chance a well-meaning passerby will stop to make sure all is well. Don’t even get me started on how nice and encouraging to our little group the folks at the various campgrounds and RV parks have been. I mention this because when we first told friends and family about our intention to bike across country we were met with a lot of concern about running into “bad” people or being warned that no one is kind or descent to their fellow citizens anymore. I am both relieved and encouraged to find that has not been the case. We are, of course, being careful and I always have my guard up, but I am happy to report we’ve had a good experience thus far (fingers crossed this remains the case).