Day 52, Party in Panguitch

What started off as quite a difficult day turned into a realllllly good one in the end. We had two tough climbs today (what else is new in Utah...) and the first one we climbed up at the turtle pace of 6 miles per hour with a ghastly headwind bearing down on us. It took us three hours to get 18 whole miles. In the words of a dear brother, "woof."

We saw our German friends from Salida, CO for the third time in two weeks on the first climb, though—they stopped to take our picture. Truly, when there are so few people in remote places like this, people you see twice feel like old friends.

We got to leave our trailers half-way through the day, because Stephanie's mom Carrie joined us today! She picked up enough provisions to get us through Nevada (which with as much as we eat is quite the carload...and she did not forget the important things like Coronas and limes). While she was shopping we left our trailers for her to pick up later so we could tackle the second climb that was much, much easier on our poor bodies without 60 extra lbs.

The highlights of the day came at the end of the day. We got a huuuuuge downhill on a bike path which is so fun when there are no cars to honk at you and scare the living daylights out of you:


Then, as we were momentarily stopped on the bike path, Carrie drove up next to the bike path and we got to get huge hugs on the side of the road and get previews of the food and beer coolers she has purchased for moon-like Nevada! And then, as we arrived in our destination of Panguitch, Molly’s husband Doug arrived on his way back from vacation to join us for the evening! More hugs (and kisses for one of the babes :) We have quite the party here and had dinner all together at the only place open in this rockin’ town.

We start off tomorrow knowing that we have a super-sagwagon driver for the next week! Our legs couldn’t have done it without you, Mom!