Out of the cold

There was a break in the weather on Saturday and the temperature got up to 45°F which was the warmest it was going to get, so I took the opportunity to book it south as fast as I could. I spent a night in Cedar City in a party apartment with some very cool musicians/students.

Sunday, I left Utah behind



and arrived in Flagstaff, Arizona where I'm staying until Wednesday.

On my way I ran into some trouble. About 100 miles out of Cedar City, I filled up my tank in Fredonia, Arizona at Judd Auto Service. As I drove away from the gas station I thought "What's that noise? And why is my bike all wobbly?...Oh crap. I have a flat tire."

I turned around and rode back in to the gas station where I asked them if there was anyplace that could repair a motorcycle tire around here. The guy behind the counter gives me like 6 different places to call, but all of them were closed on Sunday. So I ask if they have a plug kit or something and while they don't sell any there (or they were just out of them), Steve, the mechanic there had one. He found the hole in my tire, plugged it, and filled my tire back up with air. It looked like it was holding. He got me on the road again and didn't even ask for anything in exchange.

I've been checking my tire pressure every time I stop and it's holding steady. This is my personal thank you to the good folks at Judd Auto Service.

Today I went to the Grand Canyon, which has been a major destination of this trip.

The Grand Canyon is indescribable but for it's name. Sitting on the rim of the canyon, I just felt nothing. But the nothingness was vast. Talk about "mind blowing". There was wind and space and millions of years and me.

It is absolutely futile to bring a camera to try and take a picture of the Grand Canyon. It is good to have a camera along to take pictures of stuff you find in the canyon, and around the canyon, but no picture can do justice to the canyon itself.



Hardly makes the cut.

Walking around the canyon rim for a few hours is just the smallest taste of it. Ideally, I would be here with enough gear (and proper shoes) for a 2 or 3 day hike down into the canyon. I'll just have to return one day for that experience.

Just remember: