Day 11

Day 11, Written on June 7, posted June 8

Today turned into a long day of riding through a huge variety of terrains and temperatures. I started out in the San Juan Mountains taking the long way around on the San Juan Skyway. After that I dropped backed down into the high desert of the Four Corners area. I scooted right by the monument as it is closed for construction and rode for about fifty miles into Arizona so I could add another sticker. After that I headed north into Utah.

In Utah, I finally got to see Monument Valley which has always been on my list since I took a course entitled 'The Myth of the Hero in the American Western Film'. There were three courses I had in college that have stuck with me to the point that I can actually remember the content: The Films of Alfred Hitchcock (self-explanatory), Number Theory (we spent a whole semester proving the existence of one as the multiplicative identity, this is the course that taught me how to reason you can be the judge as to how successful it was), and 'The Myth of the Hero...'. The relationship of Monument Valley to westerns (oaters as they are commonly referred to in crossword puzzles) is that the granddaddy of all western film makers, John Ford used Monument valley as his own personal backlot and many other filmmakers have since paid homage to him in the same location. I have already referenced one John Ford film but it has been The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance that has been on my mind since listening to an On Point NPR show the other day about debunking myths in the modern media (like LBJ's reaction to Walter Cronkite's determination that Viet Nam was a quagmire or that it was the reporting of Woodward and Bernstein that brought the Nixon presidency to its ignominious conclusion). The whole take away message of the film is that the truth is not really what matters, rather it is the myth that serves to explain the truth and that is what should be printed. If you are for an entertaining evening with John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin, and Vera Miles. Watch the movie. Needless to say, my introduction to John Ford was in 'The Myth of the Hero in the American Western Film'.

I have been thinking about writing that up for days, Monument Valley just dragged it out of me. By the way, did you know that there is a statue of John Ford in Portland, Maine of all places (at the end of Fores Street near Yosaku)?

Coming out of Monument valley, I took the direct route which included a three mile gravel switchbacked road that I tried to do justice with a picture. I must say the families in mini-vans coming down the road did not look happy neither did the Harley's towing trailers.

When I got to Glen Canyon which is where I was planning to stop. It was still the late afternoon and 110F in the shade (of which there isn't very much) so I decided to keep on going and go to Capital Reef National Park which had no camping spaces left and the hotels were all full. So I am 12 miles down the road in Dixie National Forest next to a babbling brook, which should help me sleep tonight.

Oh yeah, one other thing. The cat at David's house showed up right after I left so that bit of drama was averted.

PGL-Day11 at EveryTrail


I wish I was a headlight, on a North bound train;
I wish I was a headlight, on a North bound train;
I'd shine my light through cool Colorado rain.
-Traditional