Days 45 & 46: Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT

• Distance: 52.03 mi
• Elevation: 1,391 ft
• Dedication: Alicia, my host’s daughter, and Ethan, Jake’s brother-in-law
• Ride group: Jake, Bailey, and MJay
• Host: AirBnB in Moab

Yesterday had big potential to be a logistical nightmare but actually went pretty well! Our official route covered 120 miles between Grand Junction and Moab, but temperatures were going to be brutal and we anticipated a lot of racking. We also knew that the second half of the ride was going to be much more scenic than the first half, so we chose to rack the first ~50 miles of the day and start from there. That meant we crossed the Utah border in the van, which was a little lame, but we did get our first ever full-group picture with a state sign. The Utah sign was one of the best we’ve seen on this trip! When we got to our planned starting point, we were greeted with a rough dirt road. We assessed the situation for approximately two minutes and promptly got back in the vans :)

We finally found a start point that was more suitable in terms of road quality, but just barely. We unloaded in a pullout that was filled with debris and shards of glass. I don’t think anyone got a flat but I did manage to drop my BRAND NEW uncapped sunscreen stick. Once we got riding we were on an empty but very rough road. I was riding with Bailey, MJay, and Jake (for his actual last ride) and we had a really nice time, especially after the first water stop. We entered a canyon and were following the Colorado River for miles. It was oppressively hot but the views were so stunning; we were rolling pretty slowly for a while just taking in all the views. Bailey and I agreed that it felt like we were on a different planet, or maybe in a Star Wars movie.

Update on my wheel situation: my new theory is that someone used it for the ride to Boulder when I was in the van, got a flat, and changed out my tube. Yesterday we had wheels on almost all the bikes and I’m almost certain that I now have my original tire, just not with my original tube. Unfortunately I did get my first flat of the trip yesterday :( I found a thorn stuck in my tire when we stopped for a photo and a few miles later my tire was going flat. There was little to no shade on our route so it was a hot but quick change. My group was also kind enough to give me some shade, and then shade each other :) MJay was the only one unprotected!

We had one water stop at Sorrell River Ranch, a beautiful lodge and restaurant on the river. We came over a hill and suddenly there was a lush patch of green among all the reds and browns of the desert. We mostly hung out on the porch of a general store that hasn’t opened yet, but their staff was kind enough to let us use the bathrooms in the main lodge. They also had some unbelievably refreshing fruit water. I’m really not sure what was in it but I wish I had filled my Camelbak with it!

We had one last water stop 10 miles from Moab at a campsite along the river. Most of the team decided to jump in to cool off and it was an amazing decision. We’ve crossed the Colorado a few times now and I’m glad we finally decided to get in! The floor of the river was a very strange, soft sand that was kind of icky but also fun to play in– Jake figured out that if you ran in place you would sink very quickly and he and Chase buried themselves up to their hips, which was messy but hysterical to watch.

At that water stop the surface temperature of my Garmin reached 140º, so needless to say we were motivated to reach a spot with AC in Moab. All of the riders met up at The Spoke on Center for lunch. We ended up sitting outside (which was for the best considering how gross we all were) but being in the shade with fans felt so much better than being out in the sun. We racked to our host because it was so hot and the few remaining miles on our route were along a busy road out of Moab.

We’re currently staying at an AirBnB that we decided to cover ourselves instead of camping in 100º heat– definitely a good decision! The house looks small but can actually sleep all of us. No one is sleeping on the floor or couches and we have bed spaces to spare! We also got to spend time together on Jake’s last night, which was a lot of fun and definitely better than being separated in homestays.

Today was our rest day in Moab. Most of the team either went to explore the town or Canyonlands National Park. I drove Jake back to Grand Junction for his flight, which was very sad, but it was nice to spend some time together before he left. We cut it a liiiitle close but the airport was tiny so he made it with plenty of time. I enjoyed some free AND alone time (a rarity on 4K) and made some stops at REI and Chick-fil-A in Grand Junction before driving back to Moab. There, I shipped Richa and Jake’s bikes back to them at a local bike shop before heading back to the host.

We rounded up a group to go visit Arches National Park at sunset. I was glad people were on board to do that since I was gone for most of the day and also because it was a lot cooler, both in terms of temperature and the views! I went with a group to hike the Delicate Arch Trail and the sun was lighting up the rocks in such a beautiful way on the way up. We got lots of good golden hour pictures! After sitting at the top and admiring the arch for a while we took a group photo and I headed back down the trail ahead of the group to get a few more moments of solitude for the day. Dan ended up joining me and we had some really nice conversations on the way down.

By the time we got the vans loaded it was well past sundown and we were all starving, so we headed to the nearest McDonald’s. Of course, the dining room closed as soon as we got there and we were in the run van, which is too tall to go through the drive thru. We tried to walk through with no success but our water van showed up while we were waiting, so we had them pull up and then placed a humongous order– like, $180 of McDonald’s. The poor cashier definitely thought it was a joke but we were hungry!

This was once again not a very restful rest day, but I had a really nice time and feel so grateful to be visiting and experiencing this part of the country with my team. It’s special to visit these areas for the first time but even more incredible to do so on such an amazing journey. Today was one of those days where I found myself missing a moment while I was in it, knowing it was that special. I’m trying my best to live in the moment and not think about how I will never experience this again (yikes), but at the same time those feelings make me even more appreciative of those moments.

Until tomorrow,

Lauren