Trans America Trail - 2008

 

Day 12 – from Moab, Utah to Price, Utah.

 

Miles: 115 (road distance as per GPS)

 

Hotel: Super8 Price, Utah

 

 

 

Commentary:

 

I started early and headed out of Moab on 191 to get up to the turn off on the old highway.

This proved to have been closed off however so I continued up 191 and then turned left.

The trail runs around the north west side of Moab before cutting through some bad lands to get up to I-70.

 

 

I was lucky enough to have a cool day for riding (this was to turn into a curse!) but the sun would have made for better pictures.

There was one slightly difficult climb just about 5 miles along the trail. Sandy, rocky and steep. But not too much of a problem with the new tyres. The biggest problem was the stock gearing on the bike; I was in 1^st all the time and sliding the clutch too much.

 

           

 

I got through the red sands are started heading towards Green River, Utah.

The riding was good and it was getting even cooler, the temps were dropping.

As I approached I-70 I came across a bit of a flood plain that had the dreaded ‘bull-dust’ in it.

This is a talc powder like substance that almost flows like water. The tyres just sink straight through it and the bike weaves all over the place. An additional problem is that I couldn’t see it until I was in it.

 

I stopped to take a video of the place as it was pretty desolate there.

Whilst I was doing this I became aware of two (very) large thunderstorms tracking north and west of me.

I would not have wanted to see what the bull-dust would turn into if it got wet!

 

I ended up following a line of telegraph poles but soon realised this was not the right route (thanks to the eTrex). I got back on the correct route and headed along past some workers that were laying a pipeline. The road cleared up and I was soon heading up to I-70. The trail passed over 70 and went west along an old dis-used highway.

A word of caution to anyone reading this that wants to use this highway: there are trenches dug along here and if (like me) you ride pretty fast, these can catch you out!

 

The storms were still in the distance and I was a bit worried about these. I had seen on the weather channel that this part of Utah (where the trail goes through) was going to experience some pretty dire weather over the next few days. This channel has a ‘local-on-the-8’s’ which broadcasts the local weather every 10 minutes on the eighth minute. Very handy when you’re tracking bad weather.

 

I got into Green River and gassed up. I nice little town but I decided to go to Price, Utah.

Whilst I was there the weather hit and the bike got pummelled by hail and rain for the rest of the evening.

It was at this point I decided to make an ‘executive decision’ after watching the weather forecasts.

Utah was experiencing and going to experience more hail and storms. Having ridden through this type of weather before I was a bit concerned about getting caught in it out in the back country.

For those hard-core riders I have two words for you: ‘grapefruit hail’

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/stormcenter/2005-04-24-Hail-season_x.htm

http://www.chaseday.com/hailstones.htm

I decided to head north to see Salt Lake city and Bonneville.

 

 

Journal Quote:

 

Nice ride out of Moab, it was cold – down from 90’s to 50’s (!) took some good pics in the desert, the ride was over too quick though and ended up in Price, Utah. Decided to do a detour to Lakeview as the weather is looking serious. It’ll take a few days to get there but it’ll be better than being stuck in mud in the desert! Price is a one horse town in the middle of nowhere. Tomorrow will be Salt Lake City.