Emerging from my tent, a woman walking her dog asked me where I was riding from. I told her and she said, "you need protein, let me go make your breakfast."
Maria returned with perfectly cooked eggs, a couple slices of toast with butter, slices of avocado and some fruit. I was in heaven. We talked a bit about traveling and naturally the weather came up. It didn't look good, and the weather app I started using predicted the same.
She was traveling to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and offered to drive me there. Enticing, but I wanted to head north. Not that I would mind backtracking, but I just rode from the Grand Canyon. Zion is up next.
Before taking off, I gave Maria a big hug.
Thank you, Maria
Riding north, the weather held - just a light drizzle. The road was all hills, but very manageable. Traffic was light and the shoulder was decent.
Upon reaching Mt. Carmel Junction, I noticed not one, but two places advertising homemade pies. I flagged down a car and asked which place to grab a slice - they definitively pointed at the one across the street.
Inside, I had a slice of hot apple pie, with buttered rum and vanilla ice cream. A pretty solid lunch.
However, that decadence came with a cost. I knew the next ten miles would be a brutal climb; I was prepared for that. What I didn't realize was that it was snowing. Or hailing, or sleeting (if that is a word) depending on the elevation.
Absolutely miserable.
By the time I reached the top, the precipitation let up and blue skies started to show!
Hard to believe how much ice fell from the sky, just twenty minutes ago.
I reached Zion!
After checking out the photo on my laptop, I noticed a rainbow right across the frame.
I learned today that Zion has a tunnel that bikes are not allowed in. Not a casual warning either. A ranger is manned at each side making sure people like me don't jet through the tunnel.
So, I asked her what to do and she stopped a pickup truck, asked if they would take me and they agreed.
The couple in the truck, The Brackens from St. George, are amazing. In addition to driving me through the tunnel, they gave me three Costco cookies: Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip and Macadamia! They dropped me off in Zion and pulled out even more food! They handed off an apple, orange and a bowl of chili for dinner. I'm absolutely floored by others' generosity. I wish I could have snapped a photo of them, but they were pressed to get home and wanted to stay out of the rain.
Both campgrounds in Zion were full. The best place to figure things out is a brewpub. Walking in, I knew I would have to order food so I checked out the menu - they had a convenient $3 appetizer of pretzels.
Perched at the bar, I ordered a state-mandated 4% pint of IPA and looked around. I was surrounded by folks with pints and pretzels.
Utah, do something about this please.
Patrons were chatty, and after lamenting about the full campgrounds, James from two stools down said I could camp in his spot.
Ah, Zion!
Joe