UTAH EST UNIQUE.

I had forgotten how amazing mattresses are. Sleeping in a bed always rejuvenates me. After some packing, Kaitlynn and I headed to a coffee spot next to the motel. We split an asiago bagel, and I slurped a double shot of espresso. The flavor was fine, but the search continued. We said our goodbyes, and it was back to the road. I backtracked west on the side streets next to Interstate 80. There was a little gas station at my turnoff, and I chugged an energy drink.

After my stamina boost, I started south on U.S. Highway 191. My landscape the past week has been lush woodlands. This was no longer the case. My earth element guided me back to the dusty desert. I will admit that this desert was less of a wasteland in comparison to Oregon. It was full of Utah juniper trees and desert willows. The desert foliage was quite charming, in my humble opinion. All of the sudden, I was cycling along some colossus craters. This was just the start of the stunning rock formations. Finally, a sign signified my location. I was traveling through the famous Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. 

It is humorous to me that I just happen upon these amazing areas with no prior planning. I used the sign as shade and refueled my body with an apple. I continued along the route, and the climbing commenced. For about twenty-one straight miles, it was nothing but incline. I might have lost my mind if it were not for the remarkable rock formation in sight. There were one billion-year-old rock configurations that displayed the history of our planet. My brain was blown by the beauty. After far too much climbing, I earned that downhill. Folks, it was a legendary descent. When you climb twenty miles up a mountain, you get to go twenty miles down. Towards the end of my decline, I was welcomed into Utah. I had taken the train and landed here but never set foot. 

Shortly after the border passing, I found some forestry. The descent dropped me into the tiny town of John Dutch. There was a restaurant/store just off the road. I was starving, so I helped myself to a meal. My dinner was a jalapeno burger, fries, and a pale ale. At this point, a warm meal is seriously satisfactory to me. I grabbed a few supplies from the store and continued on my journey. This is where the steepest climb of the day began. It was the start of another mountain. I knew there were campsites close by. Unfortunately, the first two campgrounds were full. I kept trekking up the peak to Firefighters Memorial Campgrounds. Third time is the charm, so they say. They were right because there were sites available. 

Words cannot explain how happy I was to kick back and relax. Unfortunately, I still had to set up my camp. After completing that task, I consumed a few more calories. My meal was tuna with mayo, cream of celery, applesauce, and a warm IPA. Like most evenings, I wrote about my day. Today I rode seventy-three miles and climbed six thousand and two hundred feet of elevation. That was the second farthest day and the highest elevation climb. Needless to say, I was spent. Sleep came easy on that excellent evening. Proof of my reckless route, here.