Today we biked from Fruitland, Utah to Pleasant Grove, Utah and probably had one of the most beautiful rides of the trip! After leaving Edward's house a bit late, we started with a climb up to Strawberry Reservoir. This was actually somewhat scary because near the top, there was lots of construction and sometimes we didn't have a shoulder or second lane to bike in. Luckily, we all made it to the reservoir and took a nice break to appreciate the calmness.
Unluckily, right after that, Caralyn biked into a construction sign and hurt her knee. With the small first aid kit we had and my bandana, we cleaned it up and waited for the car to come back and take Caralyn to a doctor.
With quite a ways to go, Edgardo and I continued up the mountain hoping we'd make it to Pleasant Grove at a reasonable time. Maile said we were almost to the top, so we rode hard, weaving through road signs until we finally made it to the top!
Halfway down the backside of the mountain, we stopped for a quick lunch. Edgardo and I got in and out in around 20 minutes so we could get a head start on the last half of the day. Speeding down the rest of the mountain, we rode through a small town and made it to Deer Creek Reservoir.
We stopped a few times for pictures because the lake was so beautiful. On the sides, there were mini beaches -- something I never would've expected to find in Utah -- and in the background we could see snow-capped mountains. Most of the way down, we also had a nice shoulder to ride in which made it easier to enjoy the scenery.
Finally, we reached the turnoff point and started on a bike trail. We took a short water and bathroom break, surprised that the other group hadn't passed us, then took off on the beautiful trail. The downhill continued and the path was much nicer than the highway shoulder, so we flew down the path, probably averaging over 15 mph. The path pause for a little bit for an amazing waterfall. The water was ice cold and there were people everywhere playing on the rocks. I really wanted to stop for a swim, but I also wanted to arrive before 6 PM, so we took some pictures and kept biking.
Finally, we reached the next turn onto another bike path and again paused, surprised that the other group hadn't passed us, and kept biking for the last 10 miles. At this point, we figured we had been making good time, so we might as well go slowly. Since the path was so wide, we rode side by side and talked about classes. Edgardo said he's planning on taking 6.0001 next semester (MIT's introductory programming class), so we talked a bit about computer science education. Soon, I found myself explaining how computers work, and before we knew it, we were off the trail pushing through one last small hill to our host's house.
Surprised and confused at how we arrived so early (especially before the other group), we put our bikes against the wall and went inside. We were greeted by Joe, Maile's dad's friend, and some apricots he freshly picked. Caralyn and Devin got us some snacks and water and we got to meet the rest of Joe's family. Half an hour later, the others finally arrived really hot and sweaty. We soon learned that the reason they were so late was that they stopped for a swim on one of the beaches at Deer Creek Reservoir.
Now, all starving after a long day of biking, we had dinner with Joe's family and Joe's neighbor, Joe. I had 3 fresh burgers, a hot dog, and some halibut quinoa which Joe caught himself from Alaska. Tired and full, Joe helped drive us to our apartments for the night. Being a professor at UVU, he managed to get us two 4-bed apartments for the next two nights. After unpacking, we all settled into our own rooms with our own beds! I think this is the first time this trip where we've each had our own rooms! Honestly, it felt a little weird to be able to escape everyone else, but I'm definitely looking forward to having my own room again once the trip is over. Tomorrow, we'll be teaching at a Space Center in an elementary school nearby, but tonight we're all just really looking forward to some nice quiet rest.
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