G.A.S.P.

(Great Adventures to Scenic Places)

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July 14, 1999

The next day (7-14), I rode north to the Flaming Gorge Recreation Area of Utah and Wyoming. The first 13 miles took me a good three hours. Only four miles into the day’s journey, I came to a sign (I had been forewarned) that said "5 to 8 per cent grades next 9 miles, 10 switchbacks." It was a doozy, back and forth up the mountain – a gain of about 3000 feet elevation in those nine miles. I proceeded another 42 miles to the town of Manila. This will give me a different route tomorrow than I had been planning, but someone at the Visitor Center in Vernal told me it was more scenic and less mountainous than my planned route. The only drawback is it’s 18 miles longer to Rock Springs, WY, but scenery and flatness help make up a lot for more distance. Today’s ride included a number of other climbs besides the "big one," and was about 55 miles. I think I am more tired tonight than any other on this trip.

Click on thumbnails to see full photographs.

The one fairly level place on this ride was a three or four mile stretch on either side of the summit (elevation 8428). It was there that I encountered a large herd of sheep on the open range (i.e., no fences). I was so surprised to see them way up in the mountains, and there were so many that I stopped to take a photo. I took a quick photo, then looked back up the road and saw a little black and white head pop up next to the road – a sheepdog, maybe a Border Collie. He just sat there, not barking or growling, not even thinking of crossing the road. Yet he was making darn sure that I wasn’t going to do anything to his sheep. I took his photo too, then saw another little black and white head pop up a little further back down the road. These dogs were really earning their keep, yet I’m probably the only one who passed by today who even noticed them.

The little bit of Flaming Gorge that I got to see today was beautiful – lots of brilliant reds and oranges in the rocks.