Friday, July 27th: LOGAN, UT or … NO GRANNY!

2 AM and the wind is almost blowing this cabin away. Lightning in the dark sky, people around on the campground trying to stake down their tents or grabbing stuff that was left outside. But no rain at all! At 7 AM my boss wakes again and for the first time she uses technology to predict the weather: outside it is dark – and dark clouds keep coming from where we have to go to. Storm tracker on the computer will help us out and it did indeed. The radar showed possible rain and thunderstorm till 9.30 am and after that … clearing with no rain anymore. Well, we missed the thunderstorm, had a couple of raindrops while we were having breakfast and the sun showed its face around 9.30 am! By 10 o’clock we were on our way – trying to kill “the hill of Never Again!”.

 Indeed, the first time my boss climbed this thing, she finished and said “never again!”. Since then, we have been cycling over it about 5 times! Never again! She admits she hates the thought of having to work so hard, but once she is actually doing it – well, she loves it. The view of Bear lake (it’s like getting on top of the lake) helps of course. Almost every curve in the road is known – taking the outside curves making the grade somewhat smaller. The “almost top” is some kind of rest stop – it’s parking lot full with busses. The view is awesome, but I think the hummingbirds are the most photographed shots here! 

The one mile to the top is not so fun – but my boss yells out when she finally reaches it. Now, it’s a shoot of almost 30 miles down – with some severe headwinds. The moose along the road is gone. Too bad! A few times my boss cycles of the road, letting traffic pass her, since the winding road in the canyon is really narrow! While my boss cycles I get a chance to look around and it is funny how the scenery changes as we proceed: at the top we had some wider valleys, but further down the canyon is narrow, the grassy lands have disappeared and I see high steep rocks to our sides – the Logan river running next to us. 

My boss is not looking forward to the steep incline out of the canyon – this will bring us to sudden civilization again. But there is no escape! It has to be done! Very slowly she works her way up again (it’s only a ¼ of mile!). 

The ranger station is our first stop after the ride down: my boss wants something cool to drink. She notices some soda machines and buys herself a Mt. Dew! Boy – what a mistake! My boss nearly burns her hands taking the aluminum can from the machine! No cooling system??? What a disappointment. In she goes to tell the ranger about the machines, but they cannot help her! Luckily there is a very cool water fountain in the building! Hurray – water for the thirsty ones! Being somewhat cooler now she can go on – she even has some energy to pay a visit to the State University, here in Logan. 

Students are playing games on the grass fields in front of the buildings. The book shop has what she was looking for and a happy boss can go “home” now. It feels very warm – and indeed one billboard says it’s 99°F . Get me to a cool room, I beg her, but first give me some beef I can chew on – yeah – one from Burger King! After filling our stomachs we head to Baugh Motel – “I knew it was you, when I saw your name on the sheet this morning”. See, that’s why my boss calls this coming home – people know her! Later that evening we enjoy the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and fall asleep as soon as the Belgians have entered the stadium!