I Saw The Signs

Viewing photos taken from March 2004 to March 2005 reminds me of the many miles ridden during that year. I won't venture a guess at how many there were but I can safely say somewhere along those miles were 25 states and more than 70 national parks. I would never have imagined seeing some of the places I saw, many I didn't even know existed.

The parks that left the greatest imprint on my mind and heart are those in the southwest. There's a definite sense of calm I feel when I'm in that part of the country... it's a soul-soother and a place where any moments spent there are not long enough.

Bryce Canyon, Utah

April Snow in Utah

I was thrilled to see the snow-capped mountain peaks as I made my way to Bryce. I couldn't resist stomping around in the snow to get a photo of my riding boots in the frozen precipitation. As I stood at an overlook around 9,000 feet in elevation, it had really hit me where I'd been only a few days before. I rode from the sands of the Atlantic Ocean to the sands of the Pacific Ocean then rose to the mountains to stand in snow. I felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment but more than that, the overwhelming sense of wonderment.

Zion, Utah

Zion completely stunned me as I rolled into the visitor's center on Earth Day. I pulled into a parking spot beneath a cottonwood and stood looking up at the sky and the rocky walls surrounding me. The cottonwoods were releasing their fluffy white seeds and I imagined standing in falling snow. The image is forever burned in my memory, it was purely magical. Coincidentally, I called Neil as soon as I dismounted and he said it was snowing where he was. I felt like I could completely relate to his surroundings.

Red rock of Utah.

Capitol Reef, Utah

Tannish red rock of Utah.

One of the many tunnels I rumbled through.

Taking this picture seemed like an easy one with a guaranteed usable result. I'd just attempted to take photos of a male turkey and his three lady friends but that didn't work out as I'd hoped. It was fun to be out there alone, no traffic to consider. I laid along the painted lines and snapped a few pics and enjoyed the freedom I felt while lying there. It was just a moment later that a truck pulled up behind me with a laughing driver behind the wheel. Where'd he come from?? Was I that lost in the moment?

Cabrillo, California

I've got to hand it to the rangers at this national park. They were very tolerant of me and Doug, a fellow rider who rode the 50CC when I did. Doug agreed to roll around the San Diego area with me so I could hit this national park for my stamp. While in the visitor's center, we were literally crying from laughter as we read through the guest book. We tried like hell to keep our laughter at a light roar but it was so difficult! I'm sure nothing we read was that amusing and it was just our fatigue wreaking havoc on us. We'd both ridden coast to coast as well as complete a Bun Burner Gold (1,500 miles in less than 24 hours). We were tired and the simplest silly things tickled us profoundly. After easing things over with a ranger, we rode to a rocky cliff just outside the park and watched the sun set. I didn't know Doug until that ride and it was a nice place to talk and learn a little something about someone.

Desert rock and blooms.

Aztec Ruins, New Mexico

Tunnel road in the Jemez Mtns., New Mexico.

After winding my way around southern California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado, I stopped in north central New Mexico to visit with my brother Doug and his familia. It was a special treat to have my brother all to myself for one day. He took me out for a long drive through the Jemez Mountains. My brother is very knowledgeable about the area he calls home so it was an educational tour as well as simple sightseeing venture. One stop we made along our way was at the Valles Caldera. (Tonya at Adventure Journalist was recently there and has fabulous photos from her visit. Check out her June 15 entry.)