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- How is it goingHi Emmett, I’ve had a hard time tracking you, but I’m curious as to whether you have made your journey or or still on your journey and if it has gone well. Will be anxious to hear back from you.
- Long wayS Emmitt you made it a hell of a long way. I’m impressed. Hope to see you soon
- June 5Hey Emmett. Sorry to hear your trip ended earlier than expected. I hope you’re feeling better now after some R&R. Be thankful you’re not riding out in the NV desert during this 110+ heatwave. What an accomplishment, nevertheless, riding through the deserts of Utah into Nevada! You’re a better man than me…Yesterday I just rode only 10 miles for the first time this year on my mountain bike to get the car from the repair shop and I was winded by just a few hills. Let me know when you get back so we can catch up and hear your stories of the road. I’m sure you can outdo Charles Kuralt! Safe travels! Tom
- Your journeyHi Emmett, I’m just thinking about you and wondering how it’s going on your trip. I see on the map you were up by Delta. If you get a chance, drop a short line tell me how it’s going and I’m thinking about you hoping it is all going really well and is a good journey.
- Bike tripThank you so much for letting us live thru your eyes and words on your adventure! I especially liked the pictures and will use the swollen eye one for some future leverage!! Take care coming home. I’ve seen the cousin’s driving!!
- Emmett UpdateEmmett woke up this morning to a lot of feet pain. He has decided to bag the bike trip. He has hobbled his way to Baker, NV, and was finally able to find a cabin to stay for a few days. His cousin will be driving out to pick him up. Emmett should be home Thursday or Friday.I will say this. He has described some things he has been able to see along the way plus meeting people that have left a great impression. These are things he wouldn’t have been able to achieve had he been driving or not done this trip at all. Kudos to him for this bike trip.My family and I will enjoy the stories he will tell us about this trip. Thank you, Emmett.
Safe travels home. - Emmett Pictures
Summit sign, Mt Wheeler from summit sign about 45 miles away. Wheeler is in Great Basin National Park. - Emmett Pictures
The white is salt flats not snow, a mountain he liked better in person. - Emmett Pictures
- Emmett UpdateHello. I have another Emmett update.Emmett rode 89 miles today. From Delta, UT, to a place just across the border into Nevada. He said it is just “a stop in the road” a place to lay his head.He travelled 2,700 in elevation. 19 or so came in one 8 mile stretch towards the end of the day. Emmett then biked 20 miles to where he is currently staying.Emmett said there is a “whole lot of nothing, stark and empty”. Ten miles west of Delta, he would see one car in his lane and not see another car for five or six more miles. Maybe that is why it is called The Loneliest Road in America?The weather has been nice – cloudy tho but temperatures have been ideal. His face is still swollen but not as bad. His feet – painful and makes it difficult sometimes.Pictures will be posted soon. Oh my gosh – not of his feet please!
- Hey Cuz!Your face doesn’t look so great! 🙁 Hope you are feeling better today. A day or two of rest might just be what you need. I can’t imagine the heat you went thru or the pollen. You are a braver person than I am! Keep your eye on the price at the end of your trip. Bill says “Take care of your self”. Hang in there old man:) you can rub it in when we see each other again! Debi Sent from my iPhone
- Emmett Pictures
Emmett took this picture four hours AFTER taking the two Claritin.
- Emmett Update
Good evening. Please read this in a somewhat deep voice with a boisterous laugh. Yes, this is “Emmett”.I started my morning in Richfield, UT, south of Salina. I wasn’t able to achieve my goal of making up the 50 miles I lost yesterday. My loooong climb out of Salina consisted of 15 miles at a 3-4% grade. I was able to maintain a super fast 4-5 mph. Side note: Lance Armstrong could have done it at 20 mph. But I’m not comparing myself to Lance.I reached Scipio and encountered a beautiful valley very similar to the valley by Westcliff. Snow capped mountains. Really pretty and plush terrain.US-50 had some traffic but not like rush hour. Not overly busy. I bike into a town, sweating, wiping my unibrow, and eyes. The pollen was horrible. My eyes were like slits. I found a motel. I sat in the lobby for half an hour or so. No workers. I entered a gas station across the street. They sell Claritin – individually packed and for $6.00 a pill. I bought two and took those right away. I knew I looked like a character from a 1950s B-grade horror movie. (Side note – maybe the hotel people saw him but were afraid to approach him. They may have then decided to hide the children.) My eyes are still puffy.I then biked 35 miles. I had 4-5 miles of 3-4% climb again. But then was able to go downhill with little head wind to the US-50 exit. I biked 27 miles to Delta. I had to stop every once in a while because of my feet. I was looking thru my bag and what to my wondering eyes should appear – not 8 reindeer but my Garmin GPS! Please refer to previous post about the Garmin.
I am currently in Delta. I’m extremely smelly and tired. And hungry. And thinking I need to apologize to a friend for throwing a container of aluminum foil at her and cutting/scarring her leg for life. I’m sure she doesn’t remember the incident. But I do.Bike update for some of you that are wondering – the man at the bike shop in Richfield repacked the bracket and found that there might have been a bearing issue. It has fixed my problem. The bike now runs great.I plan to bike a bit tomorrow, find a motel, and take it easy. I may just take two days. Thank you for all your kind words and thoughts. - May 30May 30I took yesterday off to wash clothes and give my feet a little break before today’s ride. I did go to the John Wesley Powel museum. It was a nice little museum. I really enjoyed it.Today started out with a stiff headwind for the first 16 miles. I felt like I was crawling. Then it got bad. I started up the San Rafael Swell which turned out to be 10 or 15 miles of very steep 3 to 7 % grade. More 5 to 7 % than anything else. There was over1,500 feet of elevation gain. I was sweating so much it was running into my eyes. When I would try to wipe the sweat away I would veer all over the shoulder. Someone seen this and called the state patrol. When I was stopped to get a drink after the worse of the climbing a state patrol officer pulled up beside me. We talked for about 10 minutes. Then he wished me luck like I was crazy and drove off.While in the swell I developed a sound I thought was the derailleur being out of adjustment. I would stop every few miles and make adjustments to no avail.The day continued to have steep climbs and short downhill stretches until I was about 48 miles from Green River. By now I have climbed to 7,200 elevation after leaving Green River at 4,100 feet and over 4,800 feet of total elevation gain. Note this is way more elevation gain than I have done in a number of years. I was very tired. I was worried about water as there was no place to fill up. I stopped at a over look hoping they had water. There was a couple from Wisconsin that offered to fill up my bottles. They had a 7 gallon tank. It was a big relief as I only had a couple bottles left and many miles to go.After 50 miles I had a wonderful 6 or 7 miles of steep downhill. When I started to pedal again I had a nasty noise from the bottom bracket when I put lots of pressure on the pedals. Thinking I would ruin the bike I pulled over into a over look and called a friend to ask if he could come and get me. While talking a the phone a man came up and started looking at the bike. I got of the phone and told him what was going on. He loaded up my bike and took me into Richfield UT, to the only bike shop in the region. I tried to buy him dinner but he would take nothing. He was fun to talk to.The bike shop owner did not find much. He did repack the bracket and tighten some other things. So tomorrow I am going to backtrack a little to get back to the planned path and go to Delta.While in the bike shop I was talking with owner and a local. The local told me I will have a steep climb not to far from here, that at will let me know if the problem is still there or if it is gone. If it is gone I will continue. If the sound continues I will have to decide what I am going to do. I don’t want to be in the middle of Nevada 50 miles from anything and have the bike stop working.I will not be able to talk about elevation gain any more as my Garmin was left in the man’s truck. Oh well.The next couple days look to be much easier than the last couple. Should be fun. Speaking of fun, some of the scenery was breath taking. Must also admit I probably missed more than I saw as I had down trying to pedal up some of the steep climbs.I will talk more tomorrow.
- Live From The FieldWow Emmett, truly living the dream. Keep it up
- May 29
Hi Em, glad to hear you’re taking a well deserved rest day. Here’s a bike photo from my office for some encouragement. 😀
- May 29, 2024Morning stretching. Humid, no rain. Snacked on veggie bagel, shortbread cookies and cottage cheese. Glad to hear you are resting. I hope you are not watching the boob tube. 🪨 Nancy
- May 28 rideMay 28What a day. 95 miles, 2,2400 ft of elevation gain, 2,700ft of elevation loss.I took the old Highway 50 and US 6 out of Fruita. It took me 26 miles down the road. It started wonderful, a two lane road with not much traffic. Once I was out of the built up area there was very little traffic. Did I mention the wind was at my back. Then after 20 miles it turned into a dirt road with lots of washbroad. I had to slow down to a crawl for the next 6 miles. I did see several antelope, lizards, and a orange and black bird. Sure was pretty. It was so quiet, felt like I was the only person in the area.Then I hit I70 and rode it to Green River. Had the wind at my back until the rest stop about 25 miles east of Green River. There was one stretch that was about 25 miles of false flat going up with a few climbs mixed in. I went into the rest stop as I was really starting to drag after all that climbing. I met a man there and we talked for about 30 minutes while I eat a banana and the best of coke of my life. lol I talking to him.It got weird once I left the rest stop. The stop is at the top of a hill and when I left it the wind was in my face. From that point the wind was in my face part of time and at other times there was no wind. When there was no wind it was like being in a furnace. It made the last 25 miles interesting and challenging.I no longer like Marvel movies. They are filming a new movie in Moab and most of the motels here in Green River are booked up. It took me four tries to find a room.I think I am going wo take tomorrow off to wash clothes and give my feet a break. The next leg is going to have a little more climbing and an additional 10 or 15 miles.
- Yay!!What an amazing journey. You are inspiring! Praying for your safe biking journey. Sent from my iPhone
- Safe travelsEmmettAnother morning of rain. Did stretching. Salad and tapioca pudding for lunch. High humidity this afternoon. Stay away from vultures.🩷
Nancy
