We got up a bit later than usual, the mounting toll of many miles. We knew that today would have us in the middle of nowhere for lunch, so we bought extra food before leaving Cedar City. This is not insignificant weight for us.
A statue in town read "Heroine of China." It was of Helen Foster Snow, wife of Edgar Snow. Both were allies of the Chinese resistance to Japanese occupation in the 1930s and further revolutionary developments. I didn't know that much about Edgar Snow besides his statue at Peking University, but seeing this one of Helen (born in Cedar City) made for a very nice bookend. I didn't have time to get a picture. A very chance sighting.
We climbed out of town with a very faint tailwind, so at much more ease compared to yesterday. In the morning, we'd decided to cut out route short today to give ourselves a break. We took out a long stretch of gravel, shaving off 15 mi and 1000 ft of climbing. The essence of the route is the same, save for skipping out on the hamlet of New Harmony.
The gravel section today was a bit less rocky and steep. The descents still rattled my bike quite a bit, but controlling the bucking and writhing now felt well within my domain. 2000 ft climbing on gravel dispatched without too much fuss. I fear my tour fitness is only coming to bear as the road draws to a close.
The landscape looked very similar to the other gravel back country.
Exiting the gravel, we took a gentle downhill in the road to our campsite, Baker Dam Recreation Area, which has no running water. We begged some off a camp neighbor. Our backyard has a via to the mountain and is strewn with volcanic rocks, reminders of a different Utah.
Tonight, we will dine on pasta -- did that is lighter to carry all day and only needs water to cook up. Our truncated route was indeed easier, and we'll wrap up tomorrow with a short jaunt back to St. George.
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