Leaving Taos via the "high road" we peddled 20 straight miles up windy roads. At every crest, our minds hoped to see the slight bend that would signify the massive downhill we were hoping for but alas, time and again we were disappointed. The afternoon heat crept into our every pore, my muscles, swollen and fatigued begged for reprieve. The temperature began to ease as the wind rose and we witnessed thunderheads form before our very eyes. As quickly as the rains came, it was over. We continued, slowly, gradually putting distance between the valley, civilization and ourselves. At last the sun began to set and our eyes pealed for a tent sight. The break in the barbed wire fence along highway 76 was our saving grace. We wheeled our bikes into the forest, stealthily covering our tracks lest someone come looking for us; wolfed down the stale bagels, soft cheese and creamy avocado before pitching tent and falling prey to the dark night.
Shoes. If I had a rucksack a mile high and wide, it wouldn't serve to shelter the many shoes strewn 'bout the roadside between Louisiana and Utah. Against the wind we rode for sixty miles, climbing the summit of southern Utah. We climbed and climbed and when finally, the land appeared to level, Lyndsie quite rightly stated "I think we've made it to the top of the world." If there ever was a top of the world...it had to be there. When our eyes caught sight of the sign that read "summit, elevation 6,000" we began to whoop and holler, making more ruckus than any two biking girls have ever made before. My quads are bulging...at least my spandex shorts feel tighter...perhaps it's muscle or maybe due to the free pastries at the hostel in Santa Fe!
You ask "what sort of folk live in Kanab Utah?" I pondered the same thing myself. A quaint town inhabited by many dog-walking men is my conclusion. We will set out for Bryce Canyon today I hear another stretch of uphill awaits us...my oh my!
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