September 8, 2023
Dammeron Valley (UT) to Panaca (NV)
Adversity
No tour is without challenging moments. After a great night, I awoke to a soft rear tire. My plan for an early start on an 80-mile day was compromised already. I got the tire off, checked for anything that might have caused it, and found nothing. A spare tube was put in and the tire partially inflated with my hand pump. At that moment, Lindsay came out of the house all ready for a 14- mile training run. Seeing my predicament, he retrieved his floor pump and inflated my tire the rest of the way. He took off on his run and I headed back out on the road.
Back on Highway 18, my forward progress seemed to be slower than usual. At Veyo, I descended briefly to a stream crossing and then began to climb. On the Northern edge of town, I stopped and checked the tire. All seemed well but I couldn’t completely conclude that the problem was over. In the past several days, my tires had absorbed countless insults from poor road and shoulder surfaces. Those are often the cause of pinch flats.
Moving on, progress continued slowly. I was still climbing, gradually most of the time, with more difficulty at other times. It continued for 22 miles in total from Dammeron Valley until the summit was reached, not far from Enterprise.
In all (and considering yesterday afternoon), if a ride was started in St. George with Enterprise as the destination, there would be nearly 40 miles of continuous climbing. I was happy that it had been split into 2 days.
Shortly before the summit, a Coca-Cola truck unnecessarily passed me very closely. There was plenty of room and no oncoming traffic. The truck driver could have moved over but did not. At Enterprise, I stopped at a convenience store and took a break out front. A Coca-Cola truck pulled in. Two young guys got out and started unloading product. I wasn't sure if this was THE truck or not. Neither of the two fellows spoke to me. I did not say anything to them. At that point, if it was THE truck, I was willing to forgive and forget.
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I headed off down the road toward Beryl Junction. The grade of Route 18 was completely different here. I was moving along very well, making good time, and forgetting about any perceived problems with me or the bike.
A line of traffic was coming the other way and then a Coca-Cola truck came quickly right up behind me. The horn blared but there was no shoulder and nowhere for me to go. I pointed to the non-existing shoulder but the driver was not deterred. The horn kept blaring and the truck got very close to me. At that moment, I decided not to back down. I held my ground and Mr. Jagoff (a Pittsburgh term of "endearment") was simply going to have to wait. When the line of oncoming vehicles went by, another close pass occurred. I suppose I should have contacted the corporate headquarters but would anything really have happened if I did?
Once the Coca Cola truck had passed, it was peaceful again. Very good time was made. I reached Beryl Junction in what seemed like a few minutes. If only that road could have lasted a little longer. It ended in a “T” with Route 56, where a left was needed to go West. After the turn was made, I was immediately riding into a head wind. The road surface of UT-56 was very nice but the wind slowed me down considerably. It also was now getting warm.
Modena, a dying town in a forgotten corner of Utah lay 16 miles away. Every mile seemed to pass slowly. My water was warm and I dreamed of an ice cold… Pepsi.
But when I got there, Modena was dried up and blowing away. Not a single soul stirred. Despite how deserted the place seemed to be, several of the ramshackle homes had threatening signs that said "No Trespassing." Perhaps the walking dead come out at night.
The Main Street surface looked like some sort of art enhanced by psychedelic drugs. I don’t touch the stuff but whoever did the patching work was experimenting with something.
Now, it was a run for the state line, with 8 more miles of Utah to go. The wind remained constant and the heat rose. Once again, each mile seemed a challenge. At the top of a small climb, there was the line. I stopped but was so disoriented, I forgot to take a photo. Probably because there was another sign advising that Panaca was 20 miles further. I drank some hot water and continued onward.
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Climbing to Panaca Summit was required in order to get to the town. About 12 miles out, my tire felt bouncy. Upon checking, the rear tire was flat again. There was no choice except to remove the panniers, get the tire off, check for problems, and patch it. I completed all of the above and then used the hand pump to inflate as best I could.
Got rolling again but had little confidence in the tire. I stopped frequently to check it and add a few more pumps of air. Eventually, the summit was reached but the downhill ride could not be enjoyed for fear of a tire problem and potential crash. I limped into town and found my lodging.
After offloading some gear, I headed to the local store for some nutrition. On the way back, I passed a house with a lot of bikes in the yard. On a whim, I asked the young fellow (Dakota) if he had a bicycle pump. He took me around the corner of the house to talk with his visiting father (Van) who is a mountain biker. They didn’t have a pump but did have a small DeWalt device that could put air in a tire and give a jump to a car battery. It worked well and I got to know the two fellows a little bit in the time spent. Meeting good people along the way is a perk of doing these rides.
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I went back to my lodging place to take care of a few things, eat, and then crash. This was a tough day but a good one. Good things happen when least expected. Adversity was overcome… temporarily.
Today's ride: 82 miles (132 km)
Total: 424 miles (682 km)
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