July 19th: Logan – Ogden or … who’s my friend?

I need to get used to cycling in busy traffic again: two lanes going one way, a lane in the middle and two lanes going the other way – and a wide shoulder out of Logan. I fuel up in the gas station of Wellsville – just before the climb over Sardine Pass starts – instead of going to doctor Pierce.

I’m trying to think of the wind as my friend: it keeps my body a bit cooler. While climbing I wonder where the name Sardine comes from… a camel should be better since there is an up-down-up thing on this route. Road signs are also a great distraction and food for thought: chain up area could become a “chin up” (don’t get down when a climb is coming up), slower traffic is of course meant for me and the truck runaway ramp is a must stop to honor Dale Briggs – a Cycle America leader who died in the beginning of this year and who always made a joke about this sign saying he saw “Trek runaway ramp” (Trek as a bicycle brand – speaking to all cyclists who were riding a Trek bike).

I also see some of my favorite signs like truck on cheese.

Once over the top it’s all the way down (again) to the valley of the Salt Lake. It’s still 22 miles to Ogden along US89. I’m still trying to see the wind as my friend, but this becomes more difficult as it’s force is becoming bigger. The very narrow shoulder (or no shoulder) makes this a not so pleasant ride. At last I see the factory of Pepsi Cola (which is much bigger here than Coca Cola) and know there is a gas station close for a welcome cooling. The 20 minutes I spend there do me so much good – also the refill with ice in my bottles brings me joy! Traffic gets busier, but roads improve a lot. After my arrival at the motel I get outside to buy some food. A microwave dinner it will become. The wind is now blowing very hard and over the Wasatch mountains the sky is black. Later on I see on TV that 13 lightning strikes happened in Salt Lake City – about 50 miles from here. A cold front is coming in from the West and pushes the monsoon rains to the east again! This sounds good, but it’s also the reason for the very gusty winds. My quads are working very hard!