HELLO READERS!
Glad you are still staying in tune with our journey! The title of this blog has to do with the fact that I absolutely LOVE Utah and we officially completed our first 100 miles on Day 22. Utah is now officially my 2nd favorite state. (Behind my homeland of California of course). Our day 21 and 22 bike rides were my FAVORITE by far on this trip. Partially due to the fact I didn’t feel like I was heaving the whole time and mostly to do with the gorgeous scenery and fun stops along the way. (I don’t know if I’m getting stronger or if our route was just easier…)
Pretty Utah views (with a lil spot of red)
Let me give you a quick run down with some honorable mentions from these past 2 days:
Day 21: Midway, UT -> Helper, UT (66.40 miles & 3,946 ft. elevation)
We wake up in Midway, UT and have SCRUMPTIOUS waffles with whipped cream, strawberries, and raspberries made by Ethan’s mom. Then we reorganize the van, say goodbye to Ethan’s family, and head to our route a couple hours later than we hoped. I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of the path and blasted throwback songs. Along the route we stopped at a gas station, filled our water bottles with ice, and I got my classic combo: a caramel frappe and sweet tart ropes. Luckily the end of our journey was mostly just downhill. Our favorite road sign is the downhill steep grade sign.
Best feeling ever!!
As we zoomed down the hill under the sunset we felt random bursts of cold wind (which was very soothing after biking under the scorching Utah sun). Entering Helper I felt like a mountain biker riding over bumps and taking sharp turns along a creek. We even rode over a bridge and saw a beaver dam! Finally, we made it to a classic Conoco Gas Station just before the light fell and ate fried rice at a local park. After dinner we shared ice cream with such an amazing and kind family in Price, UT willing to host us.
Day 22: Helper, UT -> Thompson Springs, UT (100.18 miles & 3,100 ft. elevation)
THE day. We wake up especially early this time to avoid the heat and rush to get started where we left off at the Conco. Will, Tubb, and I took a necessary stop at McDonald’s to get caffeine (Tubb got an amazing under $5 deal). It hit 100 degrees so we made sure to stay diligently hydrated. Although it was hot, the wind hitting us made it feel tolerable. The ride was so enjoyable (except for a 5 mile stretch on an old road with lots of potholes). I think the determination to complete our first century helped propel us. We kept asking ourselves is this route easy or are we just stronger? To stay cool we took a break in a gas station, filled our bottles with ice and I devoured a chocolate chip ice cream sandwich. Later on our parents (Hunter & Kawther) surprised us with rootbeer and cream soda! We ended our ride in St. Thomas (a super cute town) and spent the night at a motel in Green River, CO. Interestingly, there were so many abandoned motels. We were super grateful that Sleepy Hollows let us stay in 2 rooms for FREE. I was so excited to finally sleep in a mattress and sleep in since the next day would be a rest day in Moab.
P.S. On a side note, I would like to share how easy it is for me to fall asleep since starting our journey. Normally it takes me a while to fall asleep and I resort to ASMR, but now every night I literally fall asleep within 5 minutes of laying my head down. I also now naturally wake up around 7am rather than my previous standard of 9am. My parents would be proud of my night owl to morning person transformation.
P.S. P.S. My favorite color is red and my favorite bike snack is ice.
Peace out,
Eva