I have not addressed all the signs that indicate what you might find on or alongside the road:
elk, mule deer, mountain sheep, deer, donkeys, wild cows (indicated by a bucking bull), normal cows (indicated as a milk cow), horses, tractors and hikers. In addition you will see each of these signs about a 1/4 mile apart...so it is like a Burma Shave series of signs.
We have only had four incidences with animals....deer x 3 and cows x 1. Mike had a real close call today. We were going up a hill behind a bunch of RVs. I was way behind and saw a deer running as fast as it could go out of the woods. Mike saw it out of the corner of his eye and started to stop but the deer was headed his way so he gunned it instead. The deer did a reverse, did a tap dance in the middle of the road, started to fall and then streaked across the highway.
No harm done to anyone and I was witness to it all!!!
Seems everywhere we go people want to talk to us. Each stop at a pullout and people are drawn to the bikes and us. We have met some really interesting folks along the way and they all want to talk about bikes and riding. The heat came up during the day, the coats came off and we got sunburned. What a difference from a week ago!! Makes you feel like you are in a convection oven- wind, the bike wind and a temp of 95 degrees.
So the ride from the Junction of 12 & 24 to Green River made you believe in a "hell's version" of the Wizard of Oz. The wind was so bad that as we rode through the canyons and hills- it would whip around us and push the bikes off to one side or the other. It was unpredictable which made it difficult to anticipate what might happen as you came around a curve. When I say push the bikes to one side or the other...literally...there is no guard rail and in many areas- it is a narrow ridge that a road has been built on. One wrong move and you would be a dead one. So with the wild winds- it was a very scary ride. BUT WAIT...it gets even better...
Mike and I had just had a discussion at one of our coffee breaks...seems that the elements (wind, rain, snow, sun) have been our enemy on this trip rather than other drivers. So with that said....
Mike and I have been following this RV for miles on a two lane road. The RV is also having issues with the wind. We start to pass- Mike goes first and I follow. Just as Mike is beside the RV- the wind picked up so much that it sucked him closer and closer to the road's edge (aka ravine entry point). The bike is angled at a 45 degrees and his leg is hanging out like he is falling...finally he passes the RV. I follow through without any incident but it was very scary to see him almost not make it around the RV. At the next pullout- we stop and gather our wits....the wind continues to build up. AND IT GETS WORSE...
Now we are in an area of "sandy canyons and hillsides"- not only is the wind doing its thing with us- the sand is picking up and pelting us. At "po-dunk" Hanksville- we stop and get gas. The wind is howling, the sand is creating huge clouds around the wide spot in the road and the visibility is getting worse. We decide to stop for a coke and to see if the wind dies down- the locals say it has been like this for two days. The table is gritty with dust from the storm. Hwy 24 is our next leg so we ask the waitress about the road. She says it is the same as we have been riding- canyons, curves and hills. Out comes the headgear, long sleeves and gloves as we decide to head out. We will ride the 55 miles to Green River, then reevaluate the situation. So off we go- the sand is so thick- it is like a snowstorm. It is pelting us, the visibility is very poor (only 3 stripes on the middle line) and the wind keeps picking the sand up. The good news- the road was not curvy or mountainous or hilly or full of canyons- it was a straight north/south road with a couple of slow curves. The wind was from the south so it was at our back. The sand was still a problem but we could deal with that as long as the opposing traffic was watching for others. I was so glad that waitress had no idea what she was talking about.
Finally we make our turn to Green River- the road is East/West...once again we are getting thrown around. Mike makes the decision to stop for the day....it has been a long lucky day for us...no use pushing it any further. We get checked in and showers are in order...the sand has made its way into every crevice on our bodies. We get cleaned up and the wind is still howling....
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