Day 50

Fruita, UT to Escalante, UT, about 74 miles.  Happy July 4th!  Today was a big day in many ways.  First, it had some of the best landscapes.  This morning I started in Fruita within Capitol Reef National Park and saw Chimney Rock.  I later climbed Boulder Mountain, one of the most difficult mountains yet, and then descended along The Hogback, a stretch of steep road on a ridge with huge canyons on either side.  I finished the day going through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  The second way in which this day was big is that it was probably the most challenging.  I'll have to consult with Google at some point, but it had what I believe to be the most elevation gain of any day thus far, and very steep roads going up Boulder Mountain and winding through the canyons.  There was also a hailstorm at the top of Boulder Mountain, but luckily I had just stopped to take a picture and there was a small shelter nearby.  Third, I met two more cyclists.  One going east (but doing a loop going back towards LA after Pueblo) named Jim stopped under the shelter with me during the hailstorm and we chatted briefly.  Then at the bottom of the mountain, I met Jacob from Berlin, Germany who is going west to San Francisco and eventually finishing in LA and we happen to be staying at the same place on Wednesday evening.  We rode together for the rest of the day and will ride through to Cedar City on Wednesday.  Fourth, I have met a big milestone: I am within 1,000 miles of San Francisco.  I now have an expected end date of July 19, which includes fourteen more days of riding and one planned day off in Cedar City.