Day 42 - Quick and Dirty to Cedar City and More Nina
I managed to thaw in time to climb onto Whitey Jackson and leave Nina, for the moment, until we met up again in Ceday City, a not-too-long ride of about 80 miles. Since Nina had time to burn before she continued to explore the parks and monuments, she selflessly offered to pack up my camping gear (tent, bag, pillow, pad) and carry those items along with my clothes pack - probably about two-thirds of the weight i am burdened with on a daily basis.
I loved lugging a lighter load on Day 42. I don't know why but i had thought i might not perceive the difference. But did i ever! I had been debating since before Nina arrived about whether to keep my laptop with me, and i was bargaining in my head what i could leave behind. The laptop is light for a computer but would certainly add a significant amount of weight. But then i'd be able to blog-as-i-go instead of making notes and racking my brain to remember relevant details (and the minutiae as well with which i burden you all). Practically every two-bit hotel i had stayed in up to that point offered wireless connection. So i was considering it...
The route to Cedar City was downhill at first and on a bonafide bike path, the first i'd been on since Virginia, i think. I coasted through Red Canyon National Park(?? Can't remember what that was called - obviously i didn't keep the computer with me) for about 12 miles until the path dumped me back on Highway 12. The climb to Day 42's summit was long - and since i accidentally gave Nina the section of the map which ended with that day's journey, i don't remember how long. But what i do remember was the ride down the other side into Cedar City. The grades coming up the other side were really steep (definitely well over 10%) even though the west-to-east climb was only 16 miles (compared with the much longer and quite steep though more gradual one i endured). As i approached nearly 40 mph WITH a headwind, i acknowledged that this mountain had certainly been an easier climb for me than for the poor saps who started in San Francisco. Suckahs! (...though i'm the one with the contant headwind).
Nina happened to be picnicking in a Cedar City park as i sped down the hill and she managed to spot me. Moment of luck. I was earlier than expected and we called around to find the cheapest hotel option on the route. The Straford Court Motel was the winner, and was quite nice. Cedar City is actually quite nice as well. It is home not only to the Utah Shakespeare Festival but also a huge renaissance faire, so the hotel was expertly named. Nina and I practically bowed to one another and immediately donned hyper-posh British accents for about two seconds. Aren't we just the cleverest?
The high-speed wireless internet access at the Stratford Court, or lack thereof, was the ulitmate decider: sniff, sniff, my computer would be going back with Nina. The last thing i needed was the extra weight without the benefit (and i'm glad i did considering the shite-holes i've been staying in since!) We ate at a fancy but reasonably-priced restaurant for dinner, a house that had been transformed into a neatly-gardened food joint. I consumed everything in sight but dessert which was procured from a convenience store (her: low-rent verion of King Cone despite her soy allergy, me: movie-sized bag of peanut-butter M&Ms, something i would eat at home). If there wasn't so much high-fructose corn syrup in our respective post-meal snacks, i'd say they tasted bittersweet as Nina was taking off for LA tomorrow and leaving me to it.
I loved lugging a lighter load on Day 42. I don't know why but i had thought i might not perceive the difference. But did i ever! I had been debating since before Nina arrived about whether to keep my laptop with me, and i was bargaining in my head what i could leave behind. The laptop is light for a computer but would certainly add a significant amount of weight. But then i'd be able to blog-as-i-go instead of making notes and racking my brain to remember relevant details (and the minutiae as well with which i burden you all). Practically every two-bit hotel i had stayed in up to that point offered wireless connection. So i was considering it...
The route to Cedar City was downhill at first and on a bonafide bike path, the first i'd been on since Virginia, i think. I coasted through Red Canyon National Park(?? Can't remember what that was called - obviously i didn't keep the computer with me) for about 12 miles until the path dumped me back on Highway 12. The climb to Day 42's summit was long - and since i accidentally gave Nina the section of the map which ended with that day's journey, i don't remember how long. But what i do remember was the ride down the other side into Cedar City. The grades coming up the other side were really steep (definitely well over 10%) even though the west-to-east climb was only 16 miles (compared with the much longer and quite steep though more gradual one i endured). As i approached nearly 40 mph WITH a headwind, i acknowledged that this mountain had certainly been an easier climb for me than for the poor saps who started in San Francisco. Suckahs! (...though i'm the one with the contant headwind).
Nina happened to be picnicking in a Cedar City park as i sped down the hill and she managed to spot me. Moment of luck. I was earlier than expected and we called around to find the cheapest hotel option on the route. The Straford Court Motel was the winner, and was quite nice. Cedar City is actually quite nice as well. It is home not only to the Utah Shakespeare Festival but also a huge renaissance faire, so the hotel was expertly named. Nina and I practically bowed to one another and immediately donned hyper-posh British accents for about two seconds. Aren't we just the cleverest?
The high-speed wireless internet access at the Stratford Court, or lack thereof, was the ulitmate decider: sniff, sniff, my computer would be going back with Nina. The last thing i needed was the extra weight without the benefit (and i'm glad i did considering the shite-holes i've been staying in since!) We ate at a fancy but reasonably-priced restaurant for dinner, a house that had been transformed into a neatly-gardened food joint. I consumed everything in sight but dessert which was procured from a convenience store (her: low-rent verion of King Cone despite her soy allergy, me: movie-sized bag of peanut-butter M&Ms, something i would eat at home). If there wasn't so much high-fructose corn syrup in our respective post-meal snacks, i'd say they tasted bittersweet as Nina was taking off for LA tomorrow and leaving me to it.
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