The Dirty Devil (69)

  

We got on the road just before 7AM, starting off the day with beautiful canyon views.

   
 
We entered Glen Canyon after a big descent and were greeted with stunning views of the canyon walls, Lake Powell, and The Colorado River. 

   
   
As is the case with rivers, we began ascending immediately after crossing The Colorado and Dirty Devil.

   
   
We were both feeling a little anxious to get out of the canyon and to Hanksville, where we will spend the night. The views were amazing, unlike anywhere I had been previously, but it was very hot.

  
After an initial steep section, the grade lessened as it continued upward for about 15 miles.  On the flip side was a boring descent (not steep enough to coast well), made worse by watching all of the trucks pulling boats zoom by while we were stuck in the heat.  We finally rolled into Hanksville a little after 2PM and got lunch at Stan’s Burger Shak.

We survived the first long stretch with no services, but it wasn’t easy. 

  
As a reward we got a motel for the night, at the Whispering Sands Motel. Today, we also developed our own rule of thumb for water: 10-15 miles per 24 oz bottle, depending on the terrain and temperature.

We were feeling especially lazy, so we wound up walking the 200 feet back over to Stan’s for dinner and groceries. Returning to the motel room full and happy, we relaxed, watched TV, and (unfortunately) didn’t pack up before going to sleep. That will slow us down in the morning, but getting to sleep earlier tonight was too inviting.

   
 
Trip stats, to date (Day 69)
Fry Canyon, UT to Hanksville, UT
Daily mileage: 76.5mi ;  Trip total to date: 4,098.4mi
Daily riding time: 6hr 00min;  Trip total time: 354hr 49min
Daily ascent: 3,207 ft;  Trip total ascent: 201,992 ft
Flat tires: Rachel – 3; Chris – 2

4 thoughts on “The Dirty Devil (69)”

  1. Rach, are those racing stripes removable?

    First pic, green shirt, no stripe, next pic green shirt with stripe.

    1. You’re so observant I switched to a shirt with more shoulder coverage, since the sun was beating down on us

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