End of Chapter One ... (August 19, 2009)

And so endeth my first bike touring adventure.

I am back in Tempe after a quick drive from Salt Lake City to Phoenix. It is amazing how much distance one can cover in a car, after having spent almost three months doing an average of 55 miles per day on the bike.

The trip to Salt Lake City International Airport (to pickup the rental car), was somewhat of an adventure. Upon waking in Brigham City, I looked out the window and saw nothing but low black clouds and lots of water on the ground ... and lots of water heading toward the ground. Great ... one last ride in the rain. As it turned out, by the time I left the hotel the rain had stopped. It was a cold and wet ride none-the-less. Fortunately, I was able to cover the 2o miles to Ogden quickly, aided by a nice strong tailwind.

In Ogden I loaded the bike on to the Frontrunner ... the urban transit train that runs between Ogden and Salt Lake City. From the SLC station, I rode the bike the six or seven miles out to the airport. Traffic patterns at the airport (and to the car rental areas) were not designed with bicyclists in mind ... quite nerve racking. But I succeeded in running the gauntlet, and found my way to the rental car counter ... not many people wearing biking clothes at airports, are there?

Anyway, I rented the car and headed for Las Vegas. I was able to save about $100 by renting SLC-to-LV then LV-to-Phx, as opposed to SLC-to-Phx. Bit of a hassle, but well worth the savings.

Saturday I drove to St. George, UT and have very little to report about the drive other than the fact that I think I stopped at just about every convenience store along the way to buy some form of junk food. On Sunday I drove to LV, then on to Phx.

I had never been on the highway from SLC to LV before. As is to be expected, I saw quite a bit of desert. The area that is truly amazing is the Arizona Strip, the area where the highway (I-15) crosses through the northwest corner of Arizona. This drive is like driving down, in, and through the Grand Canyon ... it is spectacular (but I sure wouldn't want to ride a bike on that road). I am sure that the Arizona Department of Transportation - Road Building Division was not too excited about having to build the highway, as I am not sure there are any Arizona towns serviced by what had to be a very expensive road to build. (For you "advanced placement english class" students ... that last sentence was quite a sentence, eh? Diagram that one, you eggheads!)

The rest of Sunday's drive was taken at an easy pace (cruise control is wonderful). I took I-40 from Kingman to Ash Fork, then headed south through Prescott and down Yarnell Hill. It made for a longer day, but I did not want to arrive in the Valley of the Heat mid-afternoon. Arrived back home Sunday evening.

So it has been a couple of days of getting the bike cleaned up and gear stowed. And it is hot.

I have mixed emotions about having ended the ride. I realize that emotionally I was not prepared to continue the ride, but I do miss the daily riding adventure.

Was the ride a success? Yes, I think so.

Will I do any more bike tours? Definitely!

I have been asked what was the trip like ... my best answer is that it was much like any other long-term endeavor in that there were good days and bad days ... interesting/mentally stimulating days and some very mundane days. I met some very interesting people and really enjoyed seeing new territory and learning about the history of the Northwest. I also had the opportunity to get to know my cousin Larry and his wife Ilene ... which was one of the highlights of the trip.

I am not sure if I am able to properly convey stories about my cycling adventure. To me, the adventure was very much a "be here now" type of experience, and other than a few unique situations (example: the shoe tree), it is difficult to express what I experienced. Trying to convey the joy of long downhill runs, or the agony of long uphill climbs (or strong headwinds) is not an easy task ... nor is conveying the serenity of pedaling through beautiful country. Bill Sievers is correct ... bike touring must be experienced to be truly appreciated and understood.

The bike has been cleaned and is now at rest ... I look forward to my next cycling adventure ... anyone want to go for a ride?