Zion to Arches, via Capitol Reef

Leaving Zion was tough. I'd only stayed two days, but Zion was magnificent, the motel the best I've stayed in and I'd got on really well with the couple that ran it. They dropped what they were doing on Friday morning to come over and say goodbye, and I left feeling like I was leaving a little piece of me behind, in a way.

Having had a day completely off the bike, I should have been feeling fresh and ready for a ride, but instead I was tired and not really interested. The feeling wasn't helped by a long sit in roadworks in the heat either. I turned off highway 89 finally, which I'd followed more or less all the way from Idaho, and took the road towards Bryce Canyon. I didn't turn down to Bryce but I did pass through Red Canyon, which is similar with lots of hoodoos and chimneys.

From there, the road twists and turns across the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, a landscape of mesas, buttes and mountains in grey and red/brown rock. In the early afternoon, the heat was intense. There was absolutely no shelter, no trees, and very few towns and sitting in my heavy bike gear I started to appreciate what a jacket potato feels like. The view was outstanding, but it occurred to me as I passed under a set of red cliffs that they were just nicely coloured shade at this point. Even the thirty seconds of cool was a welcome relief. I passed a guy on a Harley going in the other direction, with nothing on his head and a t-shirt on, he was bright red. It seemed almost suicidal in that heat.

Finally, late in the afternoon the road started to drop into the Dixie National Forest, a wind came up, and there were trees again. The road still twisted and I started to enjoy the ride, until at Torrey I realised I wasn't going to make Arches National Park that day, so I stopped in a posh RV park to camp. The guy who ran the place asked if I'd ridden up highway 12, and it turns out that I'd unintentionally come across one of the best biking roads in the States. Shame I was a bit too cooked to pay attention :)

The following morning I broke camp, had a decent cup of coffee and then rode across Capitol Reef National Park, which was unique in being the first park I didn't have to pay to get into. Essentially it was more red/brown sandstone mesas. The road then crossed the San Rafael desert, on my left was a long reef, mesas and mountains, and on my right, for mile after mile, nothing but flat sand and scrub as far as I could see.

I finally made Moab at lunchtime and ate some lunch before heading into Arches National Park. I rode out to Delicate Arch, which is probably the most photographed arch in the world, and jumped off the bike to take a picture. Unfortunately I'd not realised it was quite a hike to get a decent view, uphill in the baking heat in all my bike gear. By the time I got back to the bike I was afraid to get too near anyone in case the smell killed them. I needed some shade and more water, but instead of heading for the visitor centre I went to take more pictures. Walking back to the bike it dawned on me I had no hat, so I put my jacket over my head finally and that helped. I didn't care if people thought I was Batman.

Having drained the last of my water, I made for the visitor centre. I was being careful as I knew I was feeling a bit wonky in the heat, but no care can prepare you for the terminally stupid. I was riding along at about 40mph when I noticed that some clown was parked in the road on the other side to take pictures, blocking his lane. Just as I was about to pass him, the car that had been stopped behind him pulled onto my side of the road to overtake him.

Now in the movies your life is meant to flash before you, but all I saw as I performed the best emergency stop I've ever done was that the licence plate was from Nevada. The lady driving continued to pull around the stopped car and gave me a look as if to say "what's the matter with you?" as I sat stationary, trying to collect myself and trying not to empty my bladder. At least the guy in the parked car had the common sense to look sheepish.

By the time I reached the visitor centre at the start of the park I had calmed down, but was absolutely bathed in sweat. When I found a place to stay in Moab for the day (getting off the road seemed like a good survival tactic) I noticed that dye off my clothes had run. Walking in the desert in bike gear - don't try that at home.

Arches was remarkable, but I've come to the conclusion that the lady I met yesterday lunchtime that told me Arches beats Zion is off her nut. No way.

Fraser.