Hell's Backbone, national parks, hills and headwinds.

We started with a great breakfast at our lodge and hit the road around 830. We planned for a little shorter day after we had our longest day and hilliest day back to back. It was beautiful. Allie and I agree that highway 12 is the prettiest road we have ever been on. It started with a short downhill and then a long uphill onto this shoulder-less, narrow, winding, steep road with sharp cliff drop offs on either side. 

We stopped at a little cafe built into the side of a canyon. The waitress said she's sees cyclists come in every so often in the summer but we are the happiest she has seen in a long time. Most cyclists are heading east though so they just came out of the desert we are about to enter..

I forget what else happened. We haven't really had any service for days. We rode about 61 miles into headwind and stopped at an RV park. My dad rented an RV to help get us through some of the desert for a few days. It was great sleeping inside! 

61 miles

8.5mph average

4300 ft climbing. 

Happiest cyclists

Headed into the desert

That they've ever seen