Capitol Reef National Park to Dixie National Forest – 41 miles
Yesterday I was able to sleep in a bit. The cloud cover stayed all night, so although it never really cooled off it took a long time for it to heat up. Rolled out of the tent around 9 and was on the bike by 10. Got to Capitol Reef National Park almost immediately as I was camped out just outside of the park.
The first thing I came across inside the park was an old cabin. I stopped to read the sign that was in front of it. It told of one of the first families to come to the area, the Behunins. They were Mormons and had moved here at the request of Brigham Young to settle the area.
As I was there reading the sign someone pulled up. His name was Sheldon and his great-grandfather, Elijah Cutler Behunin, was the one who built and lived in the cabin! How awesome is that!
His grandfather is the tall one in the middle of the top row.
A little down the road I stopped at Grand Wash and decided to hike up it a bit. As I was there getting ready to hike a group of people stopped, because they noticed my bike. One of them, Kiki, had ridden the same route as me a few years ago.
Kiki, Ed, Natalie, and Courtney were on a road trip from Boulder doing some hiking and kayaking along the way. After talking for awhile they left and I hiked up into Grand Wash. It was an incredible canyon with sheer walls.
After the hike I stopped at the Visitor’s Center to fill up water and chill for a minute. When I continued on it had gotten really hot. I was climbing pretty much all day anywhere from 4% – 10% grades. When I got to Torrey, only about 20 miles in for the day I stopped at a restaurant for some food.
Continuing uphill, the terrain started to shift from desert to forest and the temperature started to drop as clouds rolled in. About 5 miles short of the summit I stopped to camp and enjoyed some incredible views of the sunset while I ate dinner and then crashed out for the night.
This is awesome man!! Wish I was still on the road with ya! Domesticated life is way overrated & working a 9-5 is NOT reality!! Being on the road is real! Safe travels bud!
Thanks man, this was a tough day. Over 8000 feet of elevation gain had me almost envying the domesticated life :). Where’s the next ride to?
It was so fun getting to meet you Matt and I hope you have an awesome rest of your ride! If you’re ever in Boulfer hit us up and we’ll all go for a hike or something 🙂
It was great meeting you guys! Meeting people who are excited about this journey and adventure in general always give me a boost of energy and helps me get through the endless climbs, heat, and headwinds. Will definitely look you guys up next time I pass though Boulder!