When I moved to Kamas, Utah just over a year ago I knew that I would be buying a road bike. The long country roads and the ones that intersect the mountains would surely become my new training grounds. I didn’t give much stock to the Mirror Lake Highway that connects Kamas to Evanston, Wyoming as it passes through the Uinta Mountain Range. The reason I essentially wrote it off was because it sees some pretty heavy traffic in the summer and the shoulders are non-existent in many areas, particularly after you factor in the many camper trailers that are a common caboose to F150’s and the likes.
But the one thing I didn’t factor in was that the road closes each winter and doesn’t open until May or even June. There is 14 miles of paved road that is open for winter access that is kept clear for winter access and recreation. As the snow melts out the pass will still be closed but the road may be clear for 25-30 miles from Kamas until finally UDOT will plow the pass.
So I set out for a ride yesterday afternoon
with plans of going up Weber Canyon but decided to head up the MLH. What a call that would be. After the first 4 miles that are Samak, I counted a total of 2 cars on the way up and 2 cars on the way down. 2 other road bikers were seen but other than that I had miles of road to myself. It was my own private highway. What a score!
Speaking of score, just after turning around I found some string cheese, granola bars, Ritz crackers and bottled water on the side of the road, obviously left by some snowmobilers. I didn’t dare touch the cheese but the rest of the booty was either consumed or taken home for future outings. Yep, I’m a dirtbag at heart, but at least I’m not a thirsty, hungry dirtbag.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
