Long-distance trips can be a little tricky when dealing with weather in various states. Last summer, we traveled from Texas, rode the Pacific Coast Highway to Oregon, and then came back down through Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. We encountered dry heat in Arizona, mild temperatures in California, snow in Oregon, a crazy storm in Utah, cold again in parts of Colorado, and an extreme heat advisory in Texas. We did our homework and knew about the snow and extreme heat in advance. Packing for that trip was a little difficult because both warm and cold weather gear were necessary.
We learned from our last big trip that we tend to buy National Park T-shirts as souvenirs, so we each only packed 5 shirts to start with and strategically had stays with a washer and dryer available. It worked for the most part, but we did end up mailing a box of clothes home about midway through the trip. I wish we had a video of me holding the box while we rode to UPS. I am sure it was a sight.
There were several times during this trip that we observed snow-capped mountains, but I did not expect to be riding in it in June. Our ride up to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon was one to remember. While the road was clear, snow lined both sides of the road, and once we reached Crater Lake, the snow in the embankment was about 5 feet tall. A part of the park was inaccessible due to the snow, and parts of the lake were still frozen. This is a must-see natural phenomenon. I had no prior knowledge of Crater Lake National Park, and it now ranks in my top three.
We had ridden in Utah a few years earlier and experienced Zion National Park. Last summer, our intent was to complete the Big Five National Parks of Utah and visit Bryce Canyon NP, Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, and Arches NP. With that plan in mind, we booked three nights in a cabin in Moab, and on the second day, a massive storm hit that prevented us from fulfilling our plan. I will share our adventures in Utah's National Parks in a future article....such a wow!
On our way to Moab, we hit rain and a lot of wind. Unfortunately, we were at about 10,000 feet in elevation when it really started coming down on us, and the sun was already down. On top of everything else, we were low on gas. We threw on our rain gear and continued on. Honestly, the wind was worse than the rain, and that was all second to finding a gas station in the middle of nowhere. The next day, a large storm was predicted to come through Moab. With our experience from the night before, we decided to take advantage and do some laundry and get some rest.
This storm was like nothing I had ever seen before. For one, a wall of sand came through a canyon followed by black skies, torrential wind and rain, followed by more hail than I have ever seen. At first, I wanted to witness everything, but it got a little scary. I will admit, I went into Texas tornado mode and closed the bathroom door to protect us from glass just in case. My husband thought I was crazy until we went outside to see the aftermath.
Hail was piled up and looked like snow. One of our screens had been ripped off the front of the cabin, and several other cabins around us were the same. What wasn’t covered in hail was covered in leaves and dead birds. There was flooding on the main road below us and several waterfalls from the terrain above us. We checked on the manager, and six windows had been blown out of the check-in station for the cabins.
Now I am sure you are wondering about the damage to the bike. There was none. Earlier in the day, we asked the manager if we could park the bike on a concrete slab near the manager’s office. Instead, she offered us a garage, and we took it. Thank goodness for people who are pro bikers and just good people.
I initially thought that type of storm was a normal occurrence for the area. The manager said it was the worst she had ever seen and was one week after massive flooding that swept away a Texas couple on an ATV. For a moment, she thought we were the missing couple and was elated we had been found. She showed us their picture and it was quite uncanny... all of us in our 50s, a man with a goatee and a blonde wife, and of course traveling from Texas. Days later, the woman's remains were found.
Light, unexpected rain is one thing, but a massive storm... no thank you. Some rest, relaxation, and laundry can always be done. When in doubt, wait it out.
The Blonde Backpack
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