Southern Utah Bike Tour

October 6, 2001 - Zion National Park to St. George, 45 miles | Map

As with most tours, the final day is usually not one of the most scenic, as we make our way toward the starting point, anticipating the city traffic as we return to town. We had a late start, discovering one last flat tire that developed overnight. Kerie, Christina and I brought up the rear and I tried not to stop too often to take photos since we needed to get to St. George and pack the van for the ride to Las Vegas. Some people had flights later that afternoon. The road leading away from Zion, Route 9, was relatively lush and scenic, with a number of farms located in Springdale and Rockville.

Again the ride was mostly downhill. It was a hot, dry ride, a little hectic at times as we approached St. George. We actually needed to follow the cue sheet since there was more than one road to follow unlike earlier in the trip. We decided not to pack our bikes as we would be spending another day in Las Vegas and planned to explore a little on Sunday. The tour was one of my favorite so far. The rides were some of the all time best 10, especially the ride from Brian Head to Bryce, and through Zion. It helped that we had mild, clear, sunny days for most of the trip.

Cathy and Steve from Michigan were also staying overnight in Las Vegas, so we joined them for dinner and a quick tour of some of the Venetian casino, dropping $10. in the slots. Saturday in the casino was pretty lively, but the cigarette smoke drove us out early.