SUPER TOUR - UTAH - 2019
Ahh, the Super Tour. A wonderful group of bicycling fanatics, doing lovely difficult rides in various places every year. I actually knew about seven of the group from previous Super Tours. This is not for beginners. Some days are very long with lots of climbing and there usually is no SAG if you get too tired. After a hard day in the saddle you have to put up your tent and occasionally help with the loading of the truck and washing dishes. Most nights there are showers. Take your tent down in the morning and pack your stuff for the truck. The food is very good. The following link includes my photos and video clips, the ride announcement, and my itinerary. There were ride options most days and I opted for the easier ones. The age range of the 20 or so riders was 48 to 73. The photos are not in any particular order. I don't think we were ever below 5,000 feet and the highest pass for me was 9,600 feet. Being at high elevations was the most difficult part of the riding for me since I live near sea-level.
Ahh, the Super Tour. A wonderful group of bicycling fanatics, doing lovely difficult rides in various places every year. I actually knew about seven of the group from previous Super Tours. This is not for beginners. Some days are very long with lots of climbing and there usually is no SAG if you get too tired. After a hard day in the saddle you have to put up your tent and occasionally help with the loading of the truck and washing dishes. Most nights there are showers. Take your tent down in the morning and pack your stuff for the truck. The food is very good. The following link includes my photos and video clips, the ride announcement, and my itinerary. There were ride options most days and I opted for the easier ones. The age range of the 20 or so riders was 48 to 73. The photos are not in any particular order. I don't think we were ever below 5,000 feet and the highest pass for me was 9,600 feet. Being at high elevations was the most difficult part of the riding for me since I live near sea-level.
DAY 1 - Cedar City to Otter Creek - MAY 12, 2019
The longest day for me was very nice. The first 40 miles was along a nice frontage road more or less following I-15 and fairly flat. We had a small group of Cindy, Diane, myself and Cathy and Jim on a tandem. The very strong tandem couple did most of the work. Then the big hill started. I bid everyone farewell as I crept up the mountain to the 7,920 foot pass. Later, Reema caught me and we rode together for a while. Our campsite was right next to the Otter Creek Reservoir and very pleasant.
DAY 2 - Otter Creek to Capitol Reef National Park - MAY 13, 2019
This long day started with a wrong turn right out of camp. After going 5 miles down the road to Antimony, I realized my error and turned around. That's correct, I have written directions, a map, a GPS, and I still got lost. Lesson learned; you have to look at all the stuff you brought along to find your way. There was an 8,385 pass to contend with and then amazing scenery, especially after Torrey as I dropped about 1,500 feet into Capitol Reef and our nice campground. No showers tonight.
DAY 3 - Capitol Reef to Escalante - MAY 14, 2019
I wasn't looking forward to the stiff climb back up to Torrey, but it was very beautiful and early in the day. But then the real climbing began in a very remote area, up to 9,600 feet, before droping down to a dot on the map called Boulder. Had company on the pass with Kris, Reema, and Patrick Garner and a larger crowd in Boulder at a food stop where we got the news of a change of plans. The campground we were going to couldn't handle our crowd and we had to push on to Escalante. It was quite a bit further as we went through the wonderful Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. The road bottomed out and there was a nasty climb before the last 10 miles to Escalante. I was on the rivet.
DAY 4 - Escalante to Kodachrome State Park - MAY 15, 2019
It was a steady uphill to the 7,600 foot high point of the day. Biked with Kris, Sheldon, and Ellen for sections of this day. A few rollers and I arrived at Kodachrome Basin State Park. You could see the fantastic hoodoos from a distance, and we were camped among them.
DAY 5 - Rest Day - MAY 16, 2019
I woke with a flattened air mattress. I think I was camped on some sharp pieces of wood in Escalante. I couldn't find the leak without a bathtub. Today, 5 of us drove to Bryce Canyon National Park to be regular tourists. It was Kari, Tom, Willy, Sheldon, and myself. We checked out a few view points before heading back. Bryce is amazing. Later in the day I did a short walk around the very interesting Kodachrome Park. I did manage to buy a thin, foam, backpacking pad in Bryce which I added clothes under to add some cushion. I survived.
DAY 6 - Kodachrome to Panguitch - MAY 17, 2019
It must have rained for 5 or 6 hours during the night. Packing away the sopping wet tent was not nice and it was cold now. Putting on all of my rain gear, mostly for warmth, even though the rain had stopped. The high point of the day at about 7,800 feet was near the turn off for Bryce. Now, it was very cold, had a few snow flurries, and my face was freezing. I wrapped my handkerchief bandana style around my face and this helped. I fought the cold headwind the last 10 flat miles to Panguitch where we were camped at the KOA. I, and a few others got cabins. Happy camper.
DAY 7 - Panguitch to Cedar City - MAY 18, 2019
Today I re-traced a lot of the route from Day 1 because it was the easiest way back and it seemed hard anyway. Up and over the 7,920 pass before the roads paralleling I-15. Rode parts with Sheldon and Kris. At lunch in Parowan we connected with Ellen and Reema. It remained cool, but nice. I was happy to be finished. Checked into the No-Tell Motel before going out to dinner with Kevin and Willy.
