Tat section 35 Green River UT to Emery UT 91 miles. TAT Section 36 (the first bit!)
Woke just outside Green River. A cold night and slept badly as a cactus had punctured my inflatable mattress… Shoulder and ribs hurt from the muddy falls yesterday; I can only just get my jacket on! Still, first change of gear is always a good feeling!
Guy washing the garage forecourt nicely blasted of the mud off the bike.
I figured with the shoulder, I’d take it easy with the Tat 35 EZ option out of Green River. A rider’s report said: “We took the easy route and crashed in sand about 4/5 times but made it to ferron state park”. Oh great.
Nice going, no falls, probably a different story if wet. Some long flats once you hit the camping park, I carried on to Emery.
Emery was an empty town so I pushed on, TAT Section 36 -Kanosh and Richmond.
Odd alien zone.
Getting into the first climb of White mountain – Some steep inclines.
Lovely view.
Ops. Then the dry rock Slowly becomes a moist black soil, with Flint like rocks.
Try riding over this thing without closing your eyes.
Edit
In the Forrest the black soil gets slippy, a pannier catches a log and I’m off. Too steep to get back on the bike so had to walk the it up the hill (under its own power with me trotting alongside), only to meet another, even steeper incline.
It’s 6.30pm I can’t get up the hill and going back down is just as ominous…
I only had enough water for food, I pitch camp resigned to the fact I might have to go back down in the morning. The infateble mattress is still home to cactus spikes so another cold night 3000m up!
Next morning I woke fully determind to get up that hill. Found a stream, filtered and drank lush cold water. Stripped the bike of all luggage and attempted the track again.
Here is the struggle. Boring but you get the idea! I managed to walk the bike up, went back for luggage on foot.
Turns out there’s five more of these hills, with the last one strewn with tree roots. I had come too far so went for it, on the bike, with full luggage and got over them all! I think it was the toughest part of the trail by far, not technically but it took… gumption! The top wasn’t all that.
“More difficult” Understatement of the year.
A fork needed a little clean out but good to go. 3300m up, only down hill from here.
Met a load of cattle, a deer and a rancher Tom. His horse was cool, it picked it’s way through thick forrest.
Spot the deer!
After the difficult pass I ignored the EZ routes and enjoyed the final TAT 36 sections – it was twisty like ‘the dragons tail’ but made for dirt bikes. Just a little crossing… Kept going and the last hill down is a smooth carpet of slightly tricky loam type soil, smell of fresh pine was intoxicating – soon found the source of the smell, this cat was mauling everything by the side of the trail.
Widening the road for asphalt !?
Finally made it to Richmond and via air B&B, stayed with the lovely Bret and Zoe. Phew
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