| Southern Utah Bike Tour |
Screaming descents are great unless you have to ascend them the following day. 
From Brian Head our route involved returning along Rt. 143 south toward Cedar Breaks, then following it east toward Panguitch Lake. Most people agreed that they didn't sleep well the night before, probably due to the altitude. Several people decided to take the support van to the top of the climb, about 5 miles from the hotel. Kerie and I left early and stopped briefly at the other Cedar Breaks overlook that we had missed the day before on our way downhill. Kerie took one of her infamous timed photos.
From the top of the climb, it was downhill nearly all the way to Bryce.
It was a crystal clear day, and the air was as clean as I've ever experienced it. There's something indescribable about riding in those conditions at around 10,000 feet. We stopped at Panguitch Lake to get a drink at the only store there and talked for a while with a couple of locals who were surprised we had made the climb from Cedar City the day before. They said that the ride through Red Canyon would be worth the climb. About the only thing on the beach at Panguitch Lake were a herd of cows. A few were also grazing in the mountain meadow.
We stopped at Panguitch for lunch, although the placed we planned to stop, Buffalo Java, was closed for the season, a common problem during the trip. We opted instead for a local diner that was nearly overwhelmed by the cyclists and the civic club holding their weekly meeting, but somehow we avoided the dreaded 2 hour lunch. From Panguitch we followed US 89 south toward Red Canyon, part of Dixie National Forest. There was a wide shoulder and a slight tailwind so it was a quick trip to the Route 12 turnoff. Unlike Bryce National Park in which the canyons are mostly away from the road, the Red Canyon road passes through the midst of most of the rock formations. There was a special treat for us, a new, paved bike trail that traversed the length of the canyon. We were able to avoid the RVs and see most of the same sights.
As you can see below, it took a while for us to get through the Canyon. It would be a great place to stop and sketch and paint, but I'll have to be satisfied with these photos:
 Kerie at Red Canyon entrance |
 Kerie and Mark on Red Canyon trail |
 Tunnel through red rocks |
 Red Canyon |
 Red Canyon |
 Red Canyon hoodoos |
Ruby's Inn is the complex that has developed over the years just outside the Bryce Canyon entrance. It's quite an operation; a hotel, shops, restaurants and gas station to service the tourist crowds. And a herd of odoriferous cattle next door. The park lodge would have been a much better option for the two-day stay, but I'm sure reservations are nearly impossible for a large group like ours.