Podcast 53.12: Zion National Park, part 2

Critical Transit

Part 12: I spent the day riding around Zion and later hiking via shuttle bus, then reconnected with Ross after we had split up at Bryce. (Ross finally joins me on air in the next episode.) In the adjacent town of Springdale, I picked up my summer sleep sack (it's 95 degrees here), ate a vegan breakfast burrito, took a yoga class and visited the library where we met (and shared our campsite with) Gianni on his Brompton.

Edit: I snuck in a bit of audio at the end about the end of the trip. Ross and I parted ways at Zion and I headed west to St. George for the bus to Los Angeles. Sleeping on a mattress was amazing, especially after a grueling day with the temperature over 100F/38C, bad roads, strong headwinds and of course a flat tire just past Hurricane.

This spring I rode my bicycle across southern Utah to view the spectacular remote desert landscape and explore seven national parks: Colorado NM, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP. My friend Ross and I left April 30 from Breckenridge, Colorado, and took 3 weeks to ride nearly 1,000 miles / 600 km to Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah — taking in the sights and spending some quality time on the road and in camp, plus a few “rest days” in Moab, Utah.

The ride was mostly fantastic — amazing scenic landscapes and no traffic — but came with some challenges: very long and strenuous climbs over mountain passes, temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95F/35C, isolation from people and civilization, long distances between bike shops, the steep dirt/gravel Burr Trail, and long stretches without access to food (and no real supermarkets) or water (I carried over 2 gallons and still had to ask car tourists for water a few times).

I talk about the landscapes, people, challenges and more in the summary episode but be sure to check out the mini journals recorded from my tent or along the road. I will post a new episode every 1-2 days so you can follow along in front of your campfire.

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ROUTE: Colorado, Part 1 | Colorado, Part 2 | Utah