Distance: 82 Miles Hite to Blanding, UT
Ride Time: 7:10
Average Speed: 11.4 mph
Altitude Gain: 6108 feet
Average Temperature: 95
Today is a day I have been looking forward to. My Dad grew up in Blanding. I had grandparents, and cousins that lived there while I was growing up. I have grown up myself having a gratitude for this city and its countryside.
We left Hite early enough that we could beat some of the heat. Katie had told us it should be around 100 degrees. I loved seeing this area. We stopped at a grave site of an Indian, a cowboy and a soldier. It described how they had all died doing what they felt was their duty. I loved the positive spin.
I met a young girl riding out of a deep wash. She was involved in a rehabilitation program. She had to ride her mountain bike a distance of about 20 miles. We rode to the top of the wash together. I was glad to have ridden it with her. She turned and went back at that point.
Just as I was coming into Blanding, I got another flat tire. I wanted to replace my tire so I ended up walking the last mile into Blanding. (Can I still claim to have ridden my bicycle through the United States?) I had planned on getting some work done here. I picked up my general delivery mail which Tyson and forwarded and did some shopping, changed to a new tire and tube. While we were in town, we happened to meet up with two other families who knew my grandparents and cousins. One of the women commented that she would never do what Kathie is doing for her husband. We spent the remainder of the evening talking to my cousin, Letha Burtenshaw. She was very gracious and let us do some laundry at her home.
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