It is hot as Hades in Utah at the moment so it was time for Jan to move on and get a little cooler air as he rode through Cedar Breaks National Monument at over 10,000 feet.
‘HI ALL. GOT UP VERY EARLY AND DEPARTED KANAB BY AROUND 0830.
I WENT BACK UP HW89, AS FAR AS LONG VALLEY WHERE I TURNED OFF ON HW14 AND WENT THROUGH CEDAR BREAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT WHICH IS A MINIATURE VERSION OF BRYCE & ZION CANYONS. ‘
It is a lovely, cooling ride uphill for 60 miles until the peak is reached, passing Navajo Lake on the way.
Yes, this is the place where eagles fly
At the top, is Cedar Breaks National Monument
From the National Parks Service website:
‘Spectacular Geology, Forests, and Meadows at 10,000 Feet. Cedar Breaks is one of America’s most special parks: there’s a view down into a half-mile deep geologic amphitheater. At the top, you can wander among timeless bristlecone pines, stand in lush meadows of wildflowers, ponder crystal-clear night skies and experience the richness of the sub-alpine forest.
‘People have been visiting the Cedar Breaks area for at least 9,000 years. Seasonal campsites left by Desert Archaic people indicate that they came to hunt and to collect chert on the lower slopes of Brian Head Peak. Chert can easily be fashioned into arrowheads and other tools; archeological evidence suggests that the Desert Archaic people collected it primarily for use as a trade item. Since that time, visitors to the area have enjoyed its resources in a variety of ways’.
‘European Americans had settled below Brian Head Peak by 1868. Because most of the settlers were of Irish descent, the area became known as “ Little Ireland. ” Like the Desert Archaic people before them, their habitation of the high plateau was seasonal: most families owned small herds of dairy cattle which they moved up to the mountains for summer pasture’.
Let the photos speak for the view;
Yes, that is the shadow of an eagle
The red rock formations and the cathedral-like spires are not unusual in Utah; what is unusual are the meadows and wild flowers found at the top.
Brian Head is a great winter ski resort. Lots of new apartments have been built since we were last here (that time, Christine went up on the ski-lift to almost 14,000 ft)
‘BEYOND BRIAN HEAD IS PARAWAN. FROM THERE, I TOOK THE STATE ROAD THROUGH SUMMIT & ENOCH, ON TO THE 130 NORTH TO MINERSVILLE, WHERE IT TURNS INTO THE 257 NORTH.
The house was fine until the lake dried out
THAT IS A BRILLIANT ROAD TO RIDE, HARDLY ANY TRAFFIC.
AT THE TOP END, YOU HAVE THE ADOBE WALLS OF FORT DESERET ALTHOUGH NOTHING OF THE INTERIOR REMAINS, JUST THE OUTER WALLS.’
THEN I CARRIED ON ON 6 N, ACROSS ‘LITTLE SAHARA’
BEYOND THERE WERE EUREKA, AND SANTAQUIN, WHERE HW6 AND I-15 JOIN. I HEADED NORTH UNTIL SPANISH FORK, WHERE HW6 LEAVES THE INTERSTATE AND HEADS EAST.
I AM NOW IN THE LEGACY INN, IN PRICE, AND WILL THINK ABOUT WHERE TO CARRY ON TO.
DAY’S RUN 417 miles. TAKE CARE OUT THERE.
Note: When doing my daily check of the bike, I discovered that the seal for the final drive is leaking oil all over the rear wheel! More on that tomorrow
