Today’s Highlights:
We had another early start today, on our bikes at 6am. It was a cool 60 degrees and we had a nice tailwind to help us cruise along with ease. It was a great start to our longest ride so far – 107 miles. We spent the first seven miles on a nice frontage road, followed by one hundred miles on I80. The first forty miles gained a little elevation, and it was quite easy with the tailwind. We passed some picturesque ranches along the way, but the mountains in the background were veiled in haze today. Photo opportunities were limited without the clear blue sky we had on previous days.
We had our first rest stop at mile 40 and our second one at mile 70. Between the two, we had a significant amount of climbing, almost 2000 feet, reaching a summit at 6919 feet. Most of the landscape approaching the climb was the usual sagebrush and occasional grassy pastures. However, as soon as we hit 6000 feet, low growing pine trees appeared, creating a very distinct change in the ecosystem. As we neared the summit, large granite walls rose up from the valley. The ascent up the canyon was very scenic and accompanied by a cool breeze. It was an enjoyable climb. The summit opened up into grassy meadows with yellow flowers.
After a quick rest and snack at the summit, there was a big, fast descent down the east side. Our luck with the wind changed, and a strong hot crosswind from the south added significant work to the last thirty miles. There was construction along the way, and we traveled fifteen miles in the closed off left lane. Near the end of the work zone, I rode along side fresh pavement and fragments stuck to my tires making a real mess.
After ninety miles, we reached a valley that had a lot of patches of salt. There was some mining in the area. At 100 miles, we had one more small climb. After cresting that hill, the town of Wendover appeared below. Beyond that was an amazing site. It looked like an ocean that had dried up (well, that’s really what it was). Unfortunately, it was still very hazy and I could not get a good picture of it. Tomorrow, we will get a close look at it as we ride through it.
I think today’s 100 miles was my fastest century ever. I finished it one hour faster than my usual century time. However, it still felt like a very long day. It’s actually hard to remember much of what I cycled through. I’m glad I took pictures to help remember it even though the lighting was not favorable.
Pictures Of The Day:
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