On the road by 8am. At the top of the hill at the first pullout, about one quarter mile from the entrance. Sun burning already. I put on an extra shirt snorting at the realization that when it gets to one hundred degrees, more clothes make you feel cooler.
But riding, downhill for a long way at first and then up again for about five miles. Going up was slow. My knee held up well enough. Bugs attracted to the moisture on my skin and on my breath molested my eyes, nose, and ears, and alighted up and down my arms and legs. The swarm reminded me of thoughts circulating in my mind.
In Arches you can gaze across an earth fired into stone to snowcapped peaks in another state. Closer are red curtains of rock sitting there like your hand warding off the sun. They're red as tongues or deeper yet, like skin burned bad to nearly purple.
Closer still is the red and orange and blue sand and gravel beside the road and asphalt grains a little rough beneath the wheels. It may be slow going up hill but the scenery is fantastical. And then you get to turn around and lose all those bugs in breezy, effortless, downhill. I think the idea for this road trip germinated the last time I was in Arches. I think I've always wanted to ride my bike beneath the rock and look out from their concavity to an otherworldly horizon. I think this is it. So I started screaming again. Just hollering when I couldn't help it.
Promised myself I'd be off the pavement by ten. One hundred and seven predicted for today in Moab and I didn't want to be around in my non-air conditioned car to find out what that feels like. So at ten I was loading the bike onto the rack, giddy in accomplishment. Drove back to the campground to shower.
Left two bucks in the pay slot for a bag of ice and took the time to empty the coolers, clean them, and refill them. Filled my insulated mug with ice and poured warm Coke over top. This little invention thrilled me. For some reason, all these miles, I'd never thought to use the ice from the coolers to cool what I was drinking. I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and ate a banana. I tidied up the car and rolled out about eleven, for Salt Lake City and as far north as I could get.
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