Goodbye Utah

Hey everyone! So first things first.
SEAtoSEA set out to raise $1.5M to help poverty fighting causes both here in Canada and the United States but also worldwide, from Central and South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, etc. So to follow the theme from my previous blog, we have set a new record. Not only by being the largest cross-continental bike tour, but we have also now raised $1.8M!! We have exceeded our goal and have set a new one of $2M.
As for some other interesting facts, we rode to the highest point thus far on the tour yesterday while biking from Park City (east of Salt Lake City) to Duchesne, UT at 9485ft. As we did this we finished our ride through the Wasatch Mountains (also called the Western Rockies). We are now back in, yup you just it, the desert. Today my bike’s temperature in the baking hot sun and frying pan like asphalt reached a high of 48C!!!
The climb on Monday was long, hard, but completed. We first had a 10km downhill which was a really nice start. But after that we had a long climb up the mountain pass for 50km with slopes between 4%-8%. As I said the summit’s elevation was 9485ft. The way down was fantastic, 20km without having to peddle and I reached a new top speed that won’t be disclosed as to prevent my mom from having a coronary. J
Today’s ride was gruelling, another 150km through a hot desert with nothing to see or look at except some strange and interesting rock formations. But thankfully we only have a couple long hauls through the desert before we start making our way up and over the Rockies into Denver on Saturday. Today was harder yet do to a long 20 mile gradual climb into Dinosaur, CO. Also there is a cold bug going around that I’m trying to fight off while biking 140+km a day. Not working so well, makes the rides longer than they should be. But in general I’m doing okay and am thankful that it isn’t worse and I can still ride as is the case with a few people for various reasons.
The one nice thing about always being in the middle of nowhere is that at night the stars are incredible. I’ve hardly ever seen so many before or so clear before. One bad thing about being here in the middle of nowhere is that 95% of the people here are rednecks, meaning that they don’t like bikers on the road and are very ignorant. There were a couple close calls with drivers refusing to move over a little, one lady was nearly hit by a mirror and when they drive past you they hit the gas. Nothing like a lung full of diesel exhaust to keep you going. Just plain old ignorance, and some people wonder why Americans have a bad rep. But we are no out of Utah and the general consensus is that the drivers will be better here in Colorado.