So we did
and we made!!! There’s nothing more to say… we feel great again. This morning
my woman did not panic as last year – no, the Tour of Utah really got her
motivation high. We left early enough but not too early so wild animals would
be on the lookout for us. Sweet Machine was carrying extra fluids – we didn’t
know whether the rest area still had water. To go to Fish Lake we have to
backtrack for almost 10 miles on that boring road on which we came from last
July 31st – to the junction with UT 24. The sun was already helping
my woman to get in a super mood and the view of the red mountain along the
fields was worth a stop.
Further down the road a sign for the upcoming Tour of
Utah fired the spirit of my woman.
By now she was already looking for a place
to pee, since she is used now to drink almost 2 bottles of water before we roll
away from camp. But here in Sigurd, no good spots were available, unless she
would go among the goats and farms. Just before the big turn on UT24 – which
marks the start of the first climb – the music came out again. We agreed on not
using the loudspeakers but instead my woman plugged one ear bud in her ear. She
tried to sing along with Herman Van Veen, but I could hear she was a bit out of
breath (and out of tune, of course). But it kept her mind away from mountain
lions, which was the point!
Still at the beginning of the climb, a car stopped
at the other side of the road: ”Would you like a ride?”, the man asked. “It’s
very tempting, but no thank you”, my woman replied. Our first stop is at the
junction of UT 24 and UT 119 (which is actually the short but steep (10% for 4 miles)
road out of Richfield – something we did the first time ever and have never
done again) where my woman drinks her first extra bottle. By now she still has
to pee… but she still cannot find the right spot! We keep climbing and by now
the mp3 player is already back in the luggage. Not enough breathe to sing, but
in the mind my woman sings Edith Piaf (HVV) – the last song. Believe it or not,
but as we approach the place where my woman 4 summers ago heard something in
the bushes (which gave her a scare), the same thing happens. I see it too and
it is something brown which runs away from under the bushes and trees. Don’t
worry…probably a deer, I tell her! Before reaching the top of the climb, I find
a turtle along the road. My woman picks it up and we are now carrying a turtle
again (we lost one in Salt Lake City)!
At the top and after shooting a picture,
my woman just runs off on this dirt road … I think she finally found her spot.
Once going down, a known scent flies into my nose: sage. Yes, this smells better
than my woman, who is now battling the headwinds on this rolling leg along the
reservoir.
In the distance she sees the town of Koosharem – we leave that to
our right. On we go, starting the second climb. A mile further is the rest area
and we are so lucky the water is still running there. Here we shortly get off
the bicycle, but my woman is not in relaxing mode.
All right, let’s attack the
next miles which are the steepest of the ride of today. Very slowly and with
the necessary stops we crawl up the road. Another steep hill, which my woman
had totally forgotten, frightens her a bit, but eventually we reach the turn
towards Fish Lake.
And yup, we need to climb more. But now we are getting some
nice rewards: the view of the valley down below makes us feel strong again (for
a short while).
Almost at the top, I need to encourage my woman a little bit.
There’s the passage way, I tell her, between those two mountain tops.
And then
at last we reach the top!
A little dance around the Sweet Machine is all the energy
left in my woman. Once over the ridge we are surrounded by aspen trees. They
give an eerie atmosphere! But there it is: Fish Lake.
Our highest point of
today: 2775. We climbed 1265 meters – no wonder my woman finds it hard to stand
on her legs. We cycled for 7hrs and 27 minutes. The pork ribs give back some
life in my woman zombie. But the legs…they are very, very tired. A good night
sleep will hopefully do some wonders.
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