Preparations

I'm trying to get my head around the start of Idaho To Arizona and gathering my things together:  bivy, bag, pad, food, tubes, water bottles, frame bags, and maps.  It looks like Tuesday is a go.  My heart rate gets higher just thinking about it.  On Tuesday it looks like I'll start from the Idaho line above Swan Flats, take the Sinks Road to Hardware Ranch and Ant Valley, head up Skull Crack Canyon and down Pine Canyon to Henefer.  There, I will sleep and resupply.  See the map above.

On Wednesday, I will take the rail trail from Echo Junction to Park City, for a big resupply.  I will then go to Midway/Heber via the Pine Creek descent (that's a big climb out of Park City, so I may just stay on the pavement, US 40).  From there it's all mountains up the big climb to Strawberry Peak and down to US 6 via Tie Fork.  Wednesday night I'll sleep near Strawberry Reservoir or Sky View/Tucker near US 6.  There is no resupply there so I'll be traveling light and a little hungry.

On Thursday, there's the really big climb up Skyline Drive which I will take all the way to I-70.  I will have to resupply off-route in Fairview, Utah or Mount Pleasant, Utah (big down and big up to get back on route).  There, I will coordinate with Patty and Lupine and try to update the blog and describe Friday, Saturday, and Sunday's routes, so stay tuned.  By Thursday night I will still be north of I-70, sleeping god knows where without any resupply opportunities.

It's too far out to know for sure, but I plan to be in Loa, Utah some time on Friday, and in Escalante Utah, some time late Saturday.  On Sunday I plan to meet Patty and Lupine in Big Water, Utah (home of polygamists and the Joseph Clan) after pedaling the Smoky Mountain Road Scenic Backway from Escalante through the Grand Staircase National Monument.  From Big Water it's just a few miles to Arizona.  Light and fast, light and fast.  Wish me luck and a strong pair of climbing legs.  Yes, I know the monsoon season is here.  Yes, I'm taking polypro underware.