Looping around Utah

For several weeks our itinerary has been torn up and flushed down the drain. We are now at the part of our journey that was last to be planned - and the least planned.

We are following our itinerary generally, but improvising on a day to day basis. The most significant outcome of our hasty planning is that we have been riding north and south, east and west, all over Colorado, Utah and Arizona, zigging and zagging like a drunken sailor staggering between taverns. This happened because our guide books have featured rides that are not well presented in any overall context, and Chris strung them together without the benefit of seeing the big picture (a map of the four corner states with our planned route would have been enlightening). Never mind, we'll get it right next time...

The weather gods were kind to us again this moruing, and we left Torrey in bright sunshine. Our plans were to continue north to Richfield before turning back south to Panguitch.

The road from Torrey to Richfield was not as exciting or interesting as the road from Boulder to Torrey, but we enjoyed the sunshine as we rode. It was chilly (45F), but with the right gear on we didn't feel cold, and we were just happy that the rain of last nighbt had cleared.

Turning south from Richfield US 89 took us through the Marysvale Canyon to Marysvale where we stopped for lunch at the Big Rock Candy Mountain Resort. Further south the valley opened out into a broad expanse of farmland bounded in the distance by mountains. On our right, there was fresh snow on the higher peaks.

We continued to Panguitch where we took a break and topped up the caffeine in our blood streams. Leaving there, we took a road that was not US 89. (It was UT 143)
We climbed higher and higher to the Cedar Breaks National Monument at over 10,000 ft.
There was fresh snow everywhere around us, but thankfully not on the road. At the end of UT 143 we turned right onto UT 14 and began our descent in to Cedar City on a road that was just made for motorcycling.
The autumn leaves were beautiful. We found a good motel, purchased the makings of dinner, washed our clothes and finally enjoyed a great meal of Alaskan crab legs washed down with a tasty Sauvignon Blanc.

(It's a tough life, but someone has to live it.)