When Men and Mountains Meet

On a wooden campside table west of Caineville, UT I joined Jon and Nick as they looked over our route maps for the coming days; nothing seemed to fit well- the next day's ride would be too short and leave us at a very remote campsite in Dixie Forest. Increasing the day's ride was problematic as well- the next town, Boulder, UT, had no location for our group to camp. As we added distances and considered all the options, the only other option would be a big push to Escalante, UT. The total distance? 84 miles. We were split on the feasibility of the day's ride. Before us was a very difficult (5,000 feet!) mountain climb, extreme desert heat, canyonlands and exeptionally steep ascents. We debated the day's forcasted temperature, the elevation change, and our group's fatigue. Was it too much? Was our team up for the challenge?

We arrived at a strategy which Jon, Nick and I all agreed upon; we would stage water breaks as usual, with the addition of a food stop at Boulder Mountain's false peak, giving our riders extra fuel to push over the summit in the early afternoon, avoiding the afternoon heat at the mountain's 9,000+ ft altitude.. Twenty miles past the summit, on Boulder Mountain's fantastic descent, we would stage a full lunch with a long break to recoup energy and wait out the Utah's energy-sapping afternoon sun. Regardless, the day's plan would be very challenging- it was up to our team to decide whether or not to step it up.

After double checking distances and calculating approximate ride times, We polled the group at an impromtu meeting. As we explained the potential plan, describing the climbs and elevation gains that would come, I became a bit nervous seeing so many fatigued faces. I was astounded when everyone raised their hand in affirmative of taking on the challenging ride! The team understood the challenges, the benefits in pushing onwards and no one shyed away from it! After the meeting, as I prepared for bed, my anxiety was replaced with excitement. I was excited for the ride, yes, but really my excitement came from our team's response. I realized how special our team really is- the resiliency and determination of our team remind me what this experience is about.

Arguments, unfortunate circumstances and frustration are sometimes unavoidable. Through this, when our team can unite behind a common challenge and excel, beauty shines.

"Great things are done when men and mountains meet" - William Blake