Today: 78.2 Miles – Avg Speed 14.2MPH – Top Speed: 44.7MPH
Total: 4,106.16
It’s quite incredible what one can learn with a stroke of good fortune. Last night, as the sun was setting over the picturesque town of Escalante, a neighbour named Diane was pitching her tent in a spot next to mine. As someone had passed on the information to myself earlier in the day, I thought I would pay-it-forward and inform Diane of the impending annual meteor shower that was due to occur once night fell.
“Oh, I think it will be at its best tomorrow night, actually” said Diane.
“Are you sure, this guy seemed to know his stuff.” I responded.
Diane thought about it for a minute, told me to hold on and went to her car, only to return with an astronomy magazine. “Ah”, I mumbled. Looks like I was a touch too confident in my challenge, as ever.
Diane flicked to the relevant page and there it was, tomorrow night. Still, as the stars came out, she told me it was a great night to observe the universe anyway and fetched her binoculars and star reading chart. “Blimey”, I thought, “I’d really inadvertently spoke to the right person about star gazing here” . Over the next hour, Diane showed me exactly where to look in the sky and what I was looking at. It transpired that Diane lectures astronomy at a college level, and here I was getting a free lesson. No loan required. What a head start. I discovered all the main constellations and where to look for them. M-6 and M-7. Learned about The Messier Scale and also spotted the “Coat-Hanger”. I was even told I had a good eye when I found a red giant. I went a bit red myself, if I’m honest. Flattery, eh. It really will get you everywhere with me. It was a great learning experience, was this. I learned more in an hour then I had ever known before, and the fact the skies are so clear in Southern Utah was really going to allow me to employ some of this basic knowledge later in the tour. I became really excited about viewing the event tonight, though. Especially now I knew exactly where to look.
On with today, I packed up leisurely and said goodbye to Diane, but before I left she implored me to go to Bryce Canyon en route. The problem was that it was getting late in the morning and I didn’t want to arrive at my destination too late. I said cheerio to my knowledgeable new pal and was on my way, but...
...after 20 miles I noticed a gold Subaru pass me and pull over on the hard shoulder. Didn’t Diane tell me she had a gold Subaru? Well, it was her. She got out of her car and handed me $20.
“I thought about this as you left today” said Diane. “You need to pay to get into Bryce, and seeing as you’re doing my dream, the least I can do is pay for yours”.
Good lord. I tried to refuse this wonderful act of generosity out of bashfulness more than anything, but she was too insistent. We said our goodbyes again, and there was no way I was going to bypass Bryce Canyon now. You don’t ignore that persistence and passion.
25 miles or so later I had arrived. I went through the pay centre and chose The Navajo Trail, which was a short hike in the same area where Diane had recommended. Well, as soon as I laid eyes on the canyon I was dumbfounded. Yet again, unlike anything I had ever seen before. Sharp pointed hoodoos and spires were raised hundreds of feet in the air and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with each other. These formations have been in the making since the cretaceous period. That was 50 million years of history standing in front of me. Their strange appearance and shape carved from where they have been frozen by ice and the softer rock has broken away come spring. It really is another incredible sight. And I would never have even entered the park if it wasn’t for Diane’s enthusiasm and generosity. Thank you, Diane. You’ve opened these rather squinty eyes wider than I could’ve possiby imagined 24 hours ago.
I left Bryce after a few hours and made my along the Red Canyon bike path, which ran parallel to its eponymous rock formation, as did a highway that had been tunnelled under two arches in the canyon. Another dreamlike sight. Man and nature combining to create something extraordinary.
About an hour later I arrived in my destination of Panguitch. Now then, how about that meteor shower. Oh. I looked up and the entire region was coming under the spell of rainclouds in every direction. It’s going to be heavy showers all night. Well, maybe next year.
Oh, and for the record, the meteor shower occurred near the constellation of Perseus.
Yours,
Prof. O’Dwyer.
Total: 4,106.16
It’s quite incredible what one can learn with a stroke of good fortune. Last night, as the sun was setting over the picturesque town of Escalante, a neighbour named Diane was pitching her tent in a spot next to mine. As someone had passed on the information to myself earlier in the day, I thought I would pay-it-forward and inform Diane of the impending annual meteor shower that was due to occur once night fell.
“Oh, I think it will be at its best tomorrow night, actually” said Diane.
“Are you sure, this guy seemed to know his stuff.” I responded.
Diane thought about it for a minute, told me to hold on and went to her car, only to return with an astronomy magazine. “Ah”, I mumbled. Looks like I was a touch too confident in my challenge, as ever.
Diane flicked to the relevant page and there it was, tomorrow night. Still, as the stars came out, she told me it was a great night to observe the universe anyway and fetched her binoculars and star reading chart. “Blimey”, I thought, “I’d really inadvertently spoke to the right person about star gazing here” . Over the next hour, Diane showed me exactly where to look in the sky and what I was looking at. It transpired that Diane lectures astronomy at a college level, and here I was getting a free lesson. No loan required. What a head start. I discovered all the main constellations and where to look for them. M-6 and M-7. Learned about The Messier Scale and also spotted the “Coat-Hanger”. I was even told I had a good eye when I found a red giant. I went a bit red myself, if I’m honest. Flattery, eh. It really will get you everywhere with me. It was a great learning experience, was this. I learned more in an hour then I had ever known before, and the fact the skies are so clear in Southern Utah was really going to allow me to employ some of this basic knowledge later in the tour. I became really excited about viewing the event tonight, though. Especially now I knew exactly where to look.
On with today, I packed up leisurely and said goodbye to Diane, but before I left she implored me to go to Bryce Canyon en route. The problem was that it was getting late in the morning and I didn’t want to arrive at my destination too late. I said cheerio to my knowledgeable new pal and was on my way, but...
...after 20 miles I noticed a gold Subaru pass me and pull over on the hard shoulder. Didn’t Diane tell me she had a gold Subaru? Well, it was her. She got out of her car and handed me $20.
“I thought about this as you left today” said Diane. “You need to pay to get into Bryce, and seeing as you’re doing my dream, the least I can do is pay for yours”.
Good lord. I tried to refuse this wonderful act of generosity out of bashfulness more than anything, but she was too insistent. We said our goodbyes again, and there was no way I was going to bypass Bryce Canyon now. You don’t ignore that persistence and passion.
25 miles or so later I had arrived. I went through the pay centre and chose The Navajo Trail, which was a short hike in the same area where Diane had recommended. Well, as soon as I laid eyes on the canyon I was dumbfounded. Yet again, unlike anything I had ever seen before. Sharp pointed hoodoos and spires were raised hundreds of feet in the air and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with each other. These formations have been in the making since the cretaceous period. That was 50 million years of history standing in front of me. Their strange appearance and shape carved from where they have been frozen by ice and the softer rock has broken away come spring. It really is another incredible sight. And I would never have even entered the park if it wasn’t for Diane’s enthusiasm and generosity. Thank you, Diane. You’ve opened these rather squinty eyes wider than I could’ve possiby imagined 24 hours ago.
I left Bryce after a few hours and made my along the Red Canyon bike path, which ran parallel to its eponymous rock formation, as did a highway that had been tunnelled under two arches in the canyon. Another dreamlike sight. Man and nature combining to create something extraordinary.
About an hour later I arrived in my destination of Panguitch. Now then, how about that meteor shower. Oh. I looked up and the entire region was coming under the spell of rainclouds in every direction. It’s going to be heavy showers all night. Well, maybe next year.
Oh, and for the record, the meteor shower occurred near the constellation of Perseus.
Yours,
Prof. O’Dwyer.
The wonderfully generous, knowledgable and friendly, Diane.
Last one.
See the car?
I don't know who she is either.
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