Safe Return Doubtful

81 miles (130 km) – Total so far: 1,358 miles (2,186 km)

I only realised last night when checking through my route that i missed a turn yesterday. Midway through the morning I should have turned south east on 412. With the wind in my face I must have missed it. Cost me an extra 12 miles, and the interstate ride.

What a great day to ride today, I just wish there were more of these solar eclipses that keep everyone off the roads. I headed south on 414 through Mountain View and then nothing but some good scenery until Manila. There’s about 400 metres of climbing, mainly to get up to the high plateau at 2300 metres, then a fast drop down into the town.

At about 11:30 things got cooler and less bright. I pulled over at McKinnon along with a couple of guys headed with their boat to Spirit Lake to fish, and a young family travelling home from a few days camping and fishing on Green River. Fortunately one of them had the ‘special glasses’ and we shared and watched the eclipse. It didn’t get much darker, but noticeably cooler for quarter of an hour or so. A present of a strong Colorado beer from the young family as they left also, for tonight.

At Manila I picked up some lunch and filled up water, as from here the climbing properly starts headed into Flaming Gorge. There are two cruel hundred metres hills with 8-9% gradients to enter the Park. Both descend back to 1900 metres. I thought of stopping for the night at this point, there are campsites, but decided to go on. Several times in the next 3 hours climbing I regretted that decision, but on arriving at Red Canyon was rewarded by spectacular views, a virtually empty and peaceful campsite, and the best food yet at the Red Canyon Lodge restaurant. Schools are due to start back in Utah this week, so the campers have gone home until Labour Day weekend at least. Having put the tent up I cycled 3 miles to the canyon look over point, the had a very good soup, chicken pasta and apple pie dinner. It was a long and tough day, but just that bit easier after a motel night and quick start in the morning.

Heading through the town of Mountain View on a different sort of Monday morning, eclipse day

Wyoming plains for a few miles

And some Wyoming hills, making a pleasant change – roads are as quiet as I have known

McKinnon at 11:38 am on 21st August – it’s a total solar eclipse but we are on,y in the ‘90%’ zone. It went much cooler and a small amount darker. With the special glasses you could see the moon passing across.

A highlight for me personally as the young family I was chatting to gave me a beer.

This is McKinnon. Actually there’s a school also, across the road. But a town of about 10 people.

Heading down steeply to the town of Manila.

Up and down a few 100 metre hills and into the Flaming Gorge – and it’s a spectacular entry.

This Junction allows sightseeing traffic to go on a longer loop to the right which is slightly less steep. I am not sure if it was the right decision, but I went the steep way. 9 and 10%, but for several miles.

A ride out from camp to the Red Canyon view point. Below is the dammed Green River

Storytime:

The Black Hand –
Andy has always had a taste for the dark, scary, sinister side of life and his love of Edgar Allen Poe and all things gothic from an early age exemplifies this.
 
One particular memory of childhood is the whole story of ‘The Black Hand’ – to you and me now simply a harmless single black glove, but when Nige and I were young (me maybe 7, Nige maybe 4), this represented the very essence of evil and fear.
 
Traditionally Mum and Dad would go shopping on a Saturday morning and would leave us all alone in the house. Andy as the eldest and probably aged about 13/ 14 was left in charge, however the moment our parents had gone out, the antics started…..
Nige and I would be sitting downstairs watching Tiswas or Swap Shop (remember that ?) and then a single black glove would be lowered by a very thin string to wave and move along the window in our sight line. Dunc and Andy would declare ignorance and assure us that it was nothing to do with them whilst Nige and I would be in absolute screams of terror awaiting some guidance and protection from our wise elder brothers………it never came, merely a declaration that it had nothing to do with them.
 
This went on for many months and we never worked it out.
 
Did this scar Nige and I for life ? Probably.