Bow Passed Along to Leslie Holton!

Bow is now in the hands of Hoodoo 500 UltraMarathon Bicycle Race Solo racer, Leslie Holton. Here she is at racer check-in in St. George.

For those who don't know, the Hoodoo 500 is a non-stop bicycle race which makes a big loop starting in St. George, traveling through Kanab, Bryce, Escalante, Torrey, Panguitch, Cedar Breaks, Cedar City, Enterprise, Snow Canyon and back to St. George. Racers climb mountain passes over 10,500', brave all kinds of high desert weather, and test their endurance, both physically and mentally.

Leslie has been out on the course for 24 hours now. I last saw her between Mt. Carmel Junction and Hatch (around mile 130), and she was looking good and strong! I look forward to greeting her at the finish line after 518 miles and over 30,000' of accumulated climbing.

Details about the race, including photos and time station splits for Leslie and all of the other solo and relay team racers is here: http://www.Hoodoo500.com

Bow in Park City, Utah

After our Tour of Southern Utah we headed to Park City to get out of the heat and to have some fun on the awesome trails. Here's Bow's view on the Mid-Mountain Trail. It's 27 miles with about 3,000' of climbing. All singletrack.
Yours truly! The day after these two shots were taken we rode a trail called Spin Cycle. Two years ago I walked down the entire "spin" section; way to afraid to ride the crazy switchbacks. This time I rode every inch! I just tapped my foot down on one tight left-hand turn. I'm so glad I took that two-day Dirt Series Women's Camp in Ketchum in July. Mountain bike is a huge mental challenge for me - as I'm very nervous making turns to the left (especially on tight switchbacks), and trails with exposure to the right usually scare me. But I've overcome most of that this year - and was so happy with how I rode in Park City this time! Yeah!!!
After seven days and over 500 miles of road riding on our Tour, and four epic off road rides in Park City, we opted for a little touristy fun... The Alpine Slide! I'd never done such a thing... and Bow and I laughed all the way down!

This is Brian, my wonderful, supportive husband!
This is me!
Brian and I took Bow full speed on the two-person mountain coaster. The crazy thing has a brake - but Brian refused to engage it. I laughed so hard I was crying!

We also visited the Utah Olympic Center - and watched athletes practice on the ski jumps. Boy do they fly! This is one thing I doubt I'd ever try!This looks like a ton of fun!

We took the $7 Tour as well. Here's the view from the top of the ski jump.

Now we're off to Zion to hike the Virgin River Narrows. Stay tuned for a report!

:-)

Day Seven - Cedar City to St. George

The final ride is bittersweet - because I'm both sad and happy that another Tour of Southern Utah is coming to an end. Good thing it's a wonderful 86 miles with 2,785' of climbing to take my mind off my emotions. We had a great group this year - and everyone seemed happy and really enjoyed themselves. It's impossible not to love cycling in Southern Utah.
Snow Canyon is the highlight of the day. It's all downhill from here!

Back in St. George, we arrive at our rolling home away from home! It will be GREAT to sleep in my own bed. Leading tours has its benefits - but sleeping in a different hotel in a small town every night is not one of them...

Day Six - Panguitch to Cedar City via Cedar Breaks

I've done this route five times now. Today the weather was absolutely, incredibly perfect. Two of the other four times we were pounded with hail and freezing rain. Sunshine and warmth is definitely better!
Elizabeth is all smiles at Panguitch Lake.
Jann and I take a little break as we pass the 9,000' mark. I felt really strong and the altitude didn't slow me down until we neared 10,000' and the road pitched upwards...
Bow and I start to feel a little winded as we climb above 10,000'. It's no big deal really - but it helps to have that one bigger cog...

Here I am with my husband, Brian, and my father-in-law, Ron, at the summit at Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Cedar Breaks is like a super-mini Bryce.
The start of the 17 mile descent into Cedar City. The descent has amazing, diverse views!
One of my all-time favorite routes: 59 miles with 4,700' of climbing!

Day Five - Torrey to Panguitch

Day Five of our Tour is 109 miles with about 3,200' of climbing. But Bow and I didn't ride it all. We had to drive the van into Loa for grocery shopping and also to look for a hotel in town to host a time station for the upcoming Hoodoo 500. After running our errands we helped set up the lunch stop, and rode into Panguitch from there. It was 47 miles with 1,100' of climbing. And absolutely amazing, perfect, and NOT usual conditions. It was much cooler than usual, and we had a tailwind! Typically this day is super super hot with headwinds pretty much all day. So we all got lucky - and everyone was HAPPY!!!
A quick stop for water and snacks. I had a Starbucks vanilla frappaccino, and lots of folks had soft serve ice cream. Everyone was smiling!
Here's the group Bow and I rode in with. Front to back, Elizabeth, Vickie, Joe, Peggy and I honestly can't tell who's on the back...

Day Four (afternoon) - Capital Reef National Park

The "bonus miles" are 30 miles out-and-back into Capitol Reef National Park... but I was too whipped to ride them this year - so I sent Bow with Jann & Lynn on their little drive into the Park. Here are some shots they took.

This one totally cracked me up! Bow wants a good view too!

Day Four - Escalante to Torrey

Of all the places I've been on my bike, the road from Escalante to Torrey, via Boulder, is one of the top five on the list of my all-time favorites. Check out the photos to see why...

I've ridden this route five times. It's 61 miles with 6,500' of climbing; including a 14 mile ascent to 9,600' at the summit. Today it felt so much harder than ever before! I don't think I'm all that less fit this year... but it was close to 100 degrees, and the heat really zapped my strength, both physically and mentally. I think as I'm aging, I'm less able to regulate my core temperature. I had to slow down a lot, drink more, pour cold water on my head, and dig really deep to keep pedaling up the hill. But we made it! Here I am with Bow at the summit.

The descent definitely makes the climb worthwhile!
The gang regrouped at a coffee house in Torrey. I had a delicious "four berry smoothy" and lots of homemade taffy. Yum!
On the final stretch to the hotel at the edge of Capitol Reef National Park - Bow takes in the awesome sight!