Biking For Wishes and Quest West: July 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th

July 5th

I like to stay positive but today was not fun. I woke up at 4:30 to begin my 73 mile ride in the desert heat and had two flat tires, one on my bike and one on the trailer. After patching up my tires I started the ride and within the first 27 miles had 13 more flat tires. Tiny thorns that kept popping my tires. I had run out of tubes and patches and spent 3 hours in the intense heat with no shade hitch hiking. My friend Erika at the Weed Chamber of Commerce alerted the AZ highway Patrol for me but after an hour they had still not arrived. I was eventually picked up by a really friendly tow truck driver named George. Thanks so much George! George dropped me off in the town of Kayenta where I had planned to camp for the night. I found an ace hardware and was able to patch my tires but the patches were not sticking maybe due to the heat. After several attempts and most of my patches I finally got my tires to hold air. Now to find somehwhere to camp. There was no campground in Kayenta and it was another 20 miles to get to one. When I decided I would take a chance and try to make it to the next town with my sketchy tires a huge sandstorm and thunderstorm blew in. By the time it had passed it was nightfall and I really didn't want to get stranded in the desert at night with flat tires. I went to the McDonalds and spoke with some people from the area who told me where the police department is and I could ask them where to sleep. The Kayenta police were very friendly and let me camp in the back yard of the police station. It was around midnight and I was ready to sleep and get the day over with.

Elephant Feet

Where I spent 3 hours here hitch hiking in the heat

Storm blowing into Kayenta

July 6th

Today started and ended very bad but the middle of the day was really nice. As I started my early ride out of the Kayenta Police Department I passed 4 dead dogs within the first 5 miles. It was very disturbing and made me want to get out of Kayenta even more. I was nervous about my tires but they held and I just had to add air to my back tire every 10 miles or so. The scenery became very beautiful as I biked towards Monument Valley, Utah. I met a couple of friendly bicyclists who were on a trip from Minneapolis, MN to Tuscon, AZ. They were almost there and seemed pretty excited. The view of Monument Valley was breathtaking as I got closer and closer. I biked past wild horses and even saw several large bulls on the road. I arrived to my destination, Goulding's Lodge, early in the morning. Goulding's Lodge donated me a room for the evening and I was really happy to not be camping. It was once again very hot and there was little shade. Thank you so much Goulding's Lodge!!!

http://www.gouldings.com/

I checked out the Goulding's Trading Post Museum which talked about the old days at Monument Valley. It was interesting to read about the Navajo Indians as well as the old John Wayne movies that were filmed in the area. I ate a tasty breakfast at the diner on the property and then checked into my room. My room was really nice with an incredible view of the valley and sandstone rock formations. After some relaxation I walked over to the grocery store to get dinner and then watched the approaching thunderstorm from my balcony. I was surprised by the amount of storms I had seen in the past couple days and decided to check the weather channel. I learned that a monsoon was the cause of the rain and humidity, which is somewhat unusual for the desert. After stargazing and seeing a shooting star from my balcony I headed inside for the evening and got online. My day took a sudden change when I learned of my amazing friend Amber Kellar's death. I suddenly felt incredibly alone, sad, and in shock. Amber was only 28 years old and it was so very disturbing to find out that she was no longer with us. May you rest in peace Amber, you will live on forever in out hearts.

Please see my previous blog post devoted to my awesome friend Amber M. Kellar

My campsite at the Kayenta Police Department

On the road again ( leaving Kayenta )

Approaching Monument Valley from the south

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Utah!

Road to Goulding's Lodge

The lodge ( my room on far right )

Awesome view from the balcony!

Goulding's Trading Post Museum

July 7th

Woke up incredibly sad and the last thing I wanted to do was ride my bike but I knew I had to keep moving. I left Goulding's and biked the 6 miles to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Even thought the distance was very short I felt totally exhausted and had a really difficult time. I assume this was due to all of the recent emotional and physical stress. I took a look around the visitor center feeling sad and confused and then went back to my bike to see another flat tire. I spent a long time trying to patch the tire not having much luck. A big storm blew in and I left my bike and headed back into the visitor center to wait it out. I eventually got it down to a slow leak and biked to the campsite to set up my tent. After spending a little time at the campsite I decided to go for a hike and keep moving to try and clear my head. I spent some time taking photos and avoiding talking to people as I knew I didn't have it in me today. I called my amazing mom who late in the evening drove to the bike shop near her house and picked up a tire, tubes, and patches for me. We made a plan to ship it to Bluff, Utah where I would try and get tomorrow and wait for the package. Thank you so much Mom, I love you!!! Another thunderstorm blew in and I once again took shelter at the visitor center until it had passed. When I got back to my campsite I found that my tent was full of sand from the strong winds during the storm. I was feeling frustrated and very sad and then the sun began to set. It was the most healing and uplifting sunset I have ever experienced. I cannot even put it into words. I knew right then that Amber would want people to be happy and not sad. I knew she would want us to remember all the good times and to live life to the fullest. After the sun had set I did some reading and writing and then fell asleep under the desert sky full of stars.

In Loving Memory of Amber M. Kellar

Navajo Hogan

Storm

After the storm

Amber's Sunset

July 8th

I woke up at sunrise to a flat tire and re-did my patchwork and got it back to a slow leak. I was on the road shortly after sunrise and headed 50 miles to Bluff, Utah. I thought I would hitch hike if my tire failed my but it just needed to be pumped back up every 10 miles or so. The ride was incredibly beautiful, the best desert scenery yet! I had amazing views of Monument Valley from the north. The morning was comfortable, only in the 70's but warmed up rather quickly to 110 degrees. The heat didn't seem to bother me as much today and I kept enjoying the scenery. The hills were big and often but still enjoyable. I stopped in the town of Mexican Hat, named after a rock formation nearby. Had a cinnamon roll and orange juice at a deli and then continued down the road. The scenery continued to be awesome but I had to take many breaks due to the heat. Amazing how much water I can drink in one day. I biked past the very beautiful Valley of the Gods and many more incredible sandstone rock formations. Just before getting to Bluff I climbed a very steep big hill and then had an easy ride into town. I spoke with Jim Hook, owner of the Recapture Lodge early in the morning and he offered me a room for the evening. I met Jim when I arrived at the lodge and he gave me my room key and was very friendly. Thank you so much Jim!!! My room was awesome with a nice kitchenette. After a much needed shower I walked over to the market next door and got some food to cook. I ate a late lunch and then took the hiking trail on the property down to the San Juan River. It was a really nice hike with a surprising amount of greenery in the desert. After spending some time at the river it started to get windy and the sand was blowing pretty good so I headed back to the room and relaxed for the evening. I was hoping to take a dip in the pool and hot tub but fell asleep earlier than expected. I guess I needed the sleep.

http://www.recapturelodge.com/