Day 19 July 18 Snowville to Willard Sea to Sea 08

Hank at camp in Willard Bay State Park with our tent.

Day 19 July 18th Snowville to Willard Sea to Sea 08

Total mileage today 67.86
Time in saddle 5.30 hours
Climbed 1858 feet,
Current elevation 4249
Ave speed 12.3
Temp in Willard 96

Hank and I woke up late this morning at 6 AM. The camp was already buzzing with activity. Our new alarm clock is not working and I did not wake up in time. I must have been tired not to hear the noise of people packing up around me. Surprisingly Hank and I still managed to get on the road by 7 AM. I felt very rushed as I hate getting out late. I hope to have my alarm working tomorrow. If not I will buy a new one.

Hank, Joan and I started out together. We immediately got onto Interstate 84 and hit construction. They were paving the road with new black top. Fortunately, the shoulder was completed plus another lane so for the first 10 miles we road on a black carpet that was smooth and easy riding. We did have to climb for the first 10 miles but the incline was only 2-3% and with the great pavement we sailed along. It was wonderful. The scenery was pretty with fields of hay and rolling hills. It appeared to be more lush than the terrain when we came into Snowville.

We got off the interstate at mile 20. The next part of the journey took us on a quieter country road with varying vegetation. Some areas appeared more rich than other areas. We passed by a large missile launch facility called ATK. We took a few pictures.

Johnny Pierce and I wanting to fly across the country like a rocket.

We rode close to the Golden Spike National site but no one wanted to bike there as it was at least a 6-7 mile bike ride in.

After stopping by ATK we hit 20 miles of freshly paved road with lose gravel. We rode through a wide valley that had mountains on both sides. The mountains were difficult to see as it is very hazy here. We are riding through the great salt basin. On the east is the Wasatch Mountain, which is a 160 mile range that starts at the Utah Idaho border. It is sometimes called the eastern boundary of the great basin or the Western edge of the Greater Rocky Mountains. We past several areas of salt flats and marsh lands. Not many farms or ranches appeared to be in the area. Actually the last couple of days we have seen mountains in the distance but because of the haze we have difficulty seeing the mountains clearly and getting any pictures. We have been told that the haze is due to the fall out from the forest fires in California. All the smoke and ash seems to drift north and east.

The 20 miles of fresh gravel wore us down again. It seemed this distance was as difficult as the 20 miles we did we did at the end of the day yesterday. Joan was getting a little grouchy and just wanted a cup of coffee. When we finally did cover the 20 miles, we saw the Last Spike Café in the town of Corine and enjoyed a cup of coffee and a plate of French fries and two huge glasses of ice water. We were absolutely parched after that 20 miles. This really hit the spot.

As we biked into Brigham City, we saw water running along a drainage channel along the road. Joan, Tony and I decided we cool off out hot painful feet. It felt absolutely fantastic and cooled us all down. Funny, how such simple things as cold water can make such a difference on such a hot day. Made me realize how blessed we are to have these so readily available, when people in poor countries can not easily get ice cold water and may not even know what it is.

Enjoying a refreshing moment with my feet in some nice cold water.

Joan and I stopped at a grocery store to get some cold chocolate milk and suntan lotion. Hank and I are running out and we need to kept it on as Hank has very sensitive skin and he needs to kept his arms and face protected. I bought him a skull cap to keep some sun off his head and to absorb the sweat so it does not run down his face.

As we were ending our ride we noticed a sign at a fruit stand Welcome Sea to Sea and advertising bing cherries. Joan and I had to stop to see who these people were. They had heard about us and decided to put out the sign. So if you are in the area visit Nielson’s Produce in Perry Utah just outside of Brigham City, very friendly ladies will serve you.
Nielson Produce welcoming the Sea to Sea tour
Joan and I arrived in camp at 230. It was very hot but we had a large lake to swim in and a large cover shelter with picnic tables. When we arrived lots of people were already in and working on their laptops or were swimming in the lake. I went for a swim and it was very refreshing. Apparently the lake has a dam and on the other side is the great salt lake. We will probably see it tomorrow. Our camp site along at Willard Bay State Park. Note the Wasatch Mountains in the background.

So here we are the end of day 5. Tomorrow will be the biggest day yet with the most miles and the highest climbing. Please pray that the day will go well for all of us. Hank and I plan to get out before 630 if we can to beat the heat and get a good start.

I do not know if I will get the pictures posted today. I will try but uploading pictures is always a challenge.