Derailment Number Two

I sat there for at least a half hour, perhaps forty minutes, my heart still racing at a hard pace, and the heart rate wouldn't go down. I don't think I have ever been that fried, that exhausted. I remember a few mosquito's coming by and feasting on me and I just didn't care. The Interstate guardrail behind me was hard, but I leaned my Camelback against it and sat there, hoping someone might stop and throw a bottle of water my way ... I still had water, but it was more than hot enough to bathe in, good water, but oh so hot.

For some reason, I pulled the Spot out. I looked at it, and then did something I've never done before, as I lifted the little flap and pushed the button and watched the green light come on.  I sat longer, half expecting to hear the wail of a siren coming from Green River, all of 4 miles away, to help my sorry butt out. I didn't hear any, just more semi's heading west on I-70.

I fell asleep as the darkness began to fall and then I woke up. The heart rate wasn't as crazy as before, but it was still up high, and I found I had a little more strength and I got on the bike and started riding toward Green River with my tail light on. Got a mile or so, and a Utah Highway Patrol car pulls up and the officer gets out and asks if I was the guy that needed help. I talked with him for a bit, he said Green River was close and I thanked him and headed out.

Got to a gas station/food mart and that big gulp soda was one of the best things I have ever had.  I sat with the mosquito's for a while longer and then headed for a hotel and a quick bite to eat at a restaurant across the street.  Couldn't really eat, but enjoyed some iced tea and a root beer float.

Then I get the txt and call from Susan. Apparently GECOS had called her and she was worried sick about me, since GECOS couldn't get in touch with me because my phone was in airplane mode.  #epicfail

Next morning, I got up and turned backwards toward Moab and rode a fairly easy 50 miles on I-70 and US 191, and it was pretty darn hot when I got there, even with two cold drink stops along the way.  At this point, I just wasn't into continuing, especially with several more days of heat forecast for the southern Utah region. And, Susan was really freaked out by my "emergency" and I was pretty tired and right now, on Friday, am still just resting some.

So what happened ?  I know I ate something that didn't agree with me on Monday ,as I drove up and really didn't have that much in my system when I started out to ride to Green River.  ( was spending a lot of time in the bathroom too before I left and that probably dehydrated me some ).  Then it was really hot, maybe 102 in Moab, maybe warmer in some places. The route was really pretty, but had absolutely zero cover, not a tree or decent sized bush to hide under. And I thought ... it's only 70 miles, I don't need the Camelback, the water bottles and the couple of soda's I'm taking will be enough.  Talk about miscalculations !

The ride out of Moab was beautiful. There is a great bike path that goes all the way to US 321, the highway going into Canyonlands National Park on the north side.  I exited that road about a mile from 321, and went toward Gemini Bridges, then a campground, past a lot of mountain bike trails, up into some scrub forest, past a very dry well with a still spinning windmill,  and then down into a hot featureless area with a line of electrical transmission lines before connecting with I-70. I was so fried at I-70 I wasn't taking a chance on the frontage road turning into dirt and slowing me down, so I went on the Interstate, which actually was pretty pleasant riding, the shoulder was really wide, and not scary even with an 80 mph speed limit. It was 4 miles from Green River when I just couldn't go any further, pulling over next to a guardrail, like I said earlier, probably the freakiest bonk/heat stress/high heart rate event I have ever had.

Colorado River

Climbing above US 191

At the Top

Dry Well

So that was the end of the little attempt to ride part of the ATR route in Utah. Maybe when it cools down, maybe not, I just don't know.  I have to stop trying to do things and then not finish them.  The ride home was nice though, drove through Mexican Hat and then Monument Valley, a couple of places I've never seen before.  Till next time.

Mexican Hat

I think I'll go home now ....