Western Legend, Lore And Wide Open Spaces

Op-Ed Contributor

by Frosty Wooldridge

(WireNews+Co) - Denver, CO - 14 December 2012

Bicycling through the Land of the Sleeping Rainbows

“A bicycle does get you there and more.... And there is always the thin edge of danger to keep you alert and comfortably apprehensive. Dogs become dogs again and snap at your raincoat; potholes become personal. And getting there is all the fun.” Bill Emerson, "On Bicycling," Saturday Evening Post, 29 July 1967

Next morning, we woke up to golden leaves falling all over our tents. While this may be titled “The bicycle tour through the land of the sleeping rainbows”, it also could be called, “Bicycling through autumn splendor.” At every juncture in the mountains and on the plains, we pedaled through spectacular colors beckoning our eyes. Reds, topaz, burgundy, saffron, greens, yellows, purples and gold.

As we jumped out of our tents, another color show ripped across the Eastern Horizon. Brilliant red, gold and strawberry colors crept across the sky like a giant Japanese fan. Just as quickly, as the sun cracked the horizon, the colors faded as fast as a firefly’s light.

We stopped in Price at the Dinosaur Museum. Lots of big critters with shinny teeth romped around this area 65 million years ago. They ate everything in sight. Sure glad we don’t have to outrun those 40 ton monsters on our bicycles. If one cornered me, I might scream, “I’m a vegetarian!” Yeah, right! “Gulp, ah dessert de bicyclist.”

We passed through Dale to see the Huntington Castle. It seems that in different parts of America, somebody always enjoys a lot of extra money—so they build a castle or some other outrageously large home. P.T. Barnum built one in Sarasota, Florida. It’s filled with incredible paintings he bought in Europe as well as lavish furnishings. The Hurst Castle along the California coast offers much the same. Red Stone Castle adorns a river in Carbondale, Colorado. I’ve visited them all. Rich people enjoy some fancy digs.

We pounded the pedals through more beautiful countryside. Rivers produced golden cotton wood tree leaves. Brilliant underbrush jumped up with more colors.

As we passed through Ferron, Utah, a massive squall cloud rose up like a giant 10 mile high gray curtain. Lightning split the sky with white hot lights, and thunder boomed like the mouths of a thousand canons.

“Eeeyii, it’s pouring cats and dogs,” Bob said, stopping. “I’m pulling on the rain gear.”

“Get ready for a wet ride,” I said.

Back on the highway, rain splashed on the pavement, drained into instant streams and cooled the air. Trucks drove enormous amounts of spray into our faces. We turned on our red blinking lights and front white blinking lights.

(“Look at those two fools riding bicycles into the coming rain storm,” said a blackbird. “We, on the other hand can fly away any time we like. Never can figure out humans.”)

Rain fell on us mercilessly for the next three hours. It splashed into our glasses. It slapped us upside the head with persistent malice. It ran a cool chill down our spines.

“Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live.”Mark Twain, "Taming the Bicycle"

Truth be told, I love pushing the pedals, and, at the same time, bicycling in the rain—sucks! Under the rain gear, you sweat. Your feet get wet. Water drips down the back of your neck. You can’t see through your glasses for all the water droplets and fog. People in passing cars point and laugh at you. They thank their lucky stars that they aren’t on that bicycle pedaling through rain.

But you know something, I wouldn’t change places for anything. Cycling carries my spirit, body and mind to places most folks will never visit. Cycling creates an almost mythic rendition in a person’s spirit that brings peace, tranquility and joy to every cell in his or her body.

As we pushed our bikes through the rain, we glimpsed the buttes and mesas off to the west of us. In all, we traveled through a clean and vibrant desert landscape. Sagebrush and ground cacti dominated. Mountains rose and fell along the highway.

We pedaled along until we saw a thin blue-silver clearing in the clouds. It grew across the sky.

“We have a chance for sun,” Bob said.

“Pedal faster toward its warmth,” I said.

“As fast as I can,” said Bob.

The thin blue-silver opening in the sky grew ever larger as we entered Emery, Utah. We stopped at a one horse gas station to find a microwave and plenty of canned soups. While we sipped hot soup, the sky darkened again and the thin clear strip vanished. Suddenly, hail pounded the bikes outside the store front. Rain pelted the packs. A guy walked into the station, “Sure glad I’m not riding a bicycle in this weather today.”

“Leave that insanity to us,” Bob said.

A half hour later, we buttoned up and headed into the renewed storm. Mean, nasty, cold and ugly. Mother Nature threw everything at us. We pedaled into a tempest.

One thing about cycling in the rain: you “feel” your life more. You deepen your appreciation of warm, dry weather. The one aspect of bicycling through a rain storm stems from the fact that it lets you know that you breathe, feel, sense your surroundings and become very aware that you are alive.

Once again, another thin strip of clear sky cracked the dark horizon ahead of us. The blue grew. It widened. It gave hope.

An hour later, we rolled onto dry pavement and exhilarating blue sky. We rolled over a river flooding with silted gray water. Golden cottonwoods grew along both sides of the river. We snapped a few pictures.

Ah, warming sun, blue sky and an open road that led into steep mountains. Rain? Mountains? Give me steep mountain climbs any day over rain.

Part 4: Inching our way toward Land of the Sleeping Rainbows, Valley of the Gods and Capitol Reef National Park.

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Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents - from the Arctic to the South Pole - as well as eight times across the USA, coast to coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece. In 2012, he bicycled coast to coast across America. His latest book is: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World by Frosty Wooldridge, copies at 1 888 280 7715/ Motivational program: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World by Frosty Wooldridge, click: http://www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com (http://www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com).