Quest West - A Ride Across America

So Close, Yet So Far
Cedar City, UT
Our morning out of the Lake was a cold and wet one, although we got started just after the big storm had passed through and were able to stay pretty dry. A mile and a half in, we passed the spot where we had walked to dinner last night after being told it was only "a half mile down the road." 19 miles in we hit a summit of 10,460ft, and while Jon was huffing and puffing because he had caught a cold overnight, Tony was cruising up the slope, showing no signs of altitude sickness, fatigue, or even age. We had great views of Cedar Breaks (more hoodoo formations tucked away in a lush mountain forest like a hidden city) and Cedar City way down in the valley below, which was our destination for the night - it seemed as if the 20-mile downhill stretch couldn't even take an hour. We were wrong. Our MacGyver skills aren't TV worthy just yet, as Tony's front tire needed another patch. Then, as we descended, he had to check his speed by braking and unfortunately heated the rear rim so much that his back tube exploded...twice. We were forced to leave him by the side of the road 10 miles from town.
Song of Day: Over the Hills and Far Way by Led Zeppelin
Oh, we went back up to get Tony with the rental car he had waiting at the hotel, in case you were worried. Unfortunately, he could only enjoy the 10-mile downhill from the car, although he had certainly earned it on the bike.