JULY 22: Escalante, Utah, to Panguitch, Utah, 67 miles via Utah Route 12 and U.S. Route 89. Average speed today, 11.4 mph. Total trip mileage to date,  3,036. Average daily mileage since June 1,  58.4.

A quick an uneventful ride today. Began at 7:30 a.m. with a very gradual climb out of Escalante.  Signs warning of elk on the road marked our climb through pastures in the Escalante River canyon.  A steep pitch came at the grade’s end, affording us a spectacular view of Powell Point and the deep gorge beneath it. Next came a steep drop of close to 10 miles.

Ben lives for these downhills, sometimes hitting close to 50 mph. In contrast, I grab the brakes, hold on tight,  and try to stay under 30. Ben has a lot more fun.

We celebrated our trip’s 3,000-mile mark  in the tiny town of Henrieville (pronounced Henryville, not Ahh-reee ville).  Then it was onto Cannonville, where the sky darkened and pelted us with not only rain, but hail. We soldiered through the tropical storm to Tropic, Utah, where we enjoyed delicious sandwiches before going back out to hot, humid afternoon weather.

On the canyon leading up to Bryce Canyon we dodged a thunderstorm and climbed more than 1,000 feet past the Bryce National Park  entrance and to a 7,600-foot summit.  Then came a highlight of the trip – the 8-mile-long Red Canyon Bike Path.

Signs directed us off the highway and onto the paved path for a downhill run through spectacular orange and red canyons. Along the way the nearby Highway 12 wound through two arches. We didn’t get to pedal through them, but avoiding cars and trucks for a few miles was well worth it.

Thje day ended on U.S. 89, a major north-south route that led into Panguitch, our home for the evening.