my swiss hosts have moved on (however, I now have a place to stay ANYTIME I WANT in Switzerland. I was like 'cool'. Although i doubt I'll get to Switzerland in time to take them up on their offer. I've also been invited to Virginia by another set of my campground hosts - but I kind of feel these invitations have an unwritten expiration of two years.)

(The Virginia couple seem to want me to visit so they can find me a job).

In other news - Another touring cyclist has arrived at the campground - so now we're splitting a site. This is my third campsite in four nights? The way I've been skunking around the campground, dragging my broken tent after me from site to site, has made me feel like Zion's phantom of the Opera.

But back to the other cyclist!

His name is Josh, and this is his first tour too. Now, since I tried to bike from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon in June/July, I've decided it was insane. Josh's first tour? He biked from Yosemite to Zion through DEATH VALLEY. He said it was so hot that at night (no sleeping bag, no tent) he had to wake up every hour and spray himself with water from his camelback in order to stay cool enough to sleep. He started his day at 3:30 am.

Me: You win.

(To date, he's seen one other touring cyclist)

He's heading down towards the Grand Canyon then out to Monument Valley to New Mexico where his girlfriend is meeting him to drive him the rest of the way home (Oklahoma) .

Monument Valley is supposed to be its own special hell for a cyclist. I know because Dru (remember crazy Walmart Dru?) was obsessed with me cycling Monument Valley (because it was in Forrest Gump). She wanted me to do it EVEN though it was 100 miles out of the way, even though every bike store we went in to (three) all said : It's awful, don't do it.

Here is the conversation that we had in the Page bike shop.

Dru to Bike Store Guy (BSG): So, how do you get to Monument Valley?
BSG: You want to cycle Monument Valley?
Dru: She does (points at me)
Me: Not really. (we'd already been to two bike stores by this point)
BSG: We wouldn't recommend it. Its a desert.
Dru: But still.
BSG: Its a really dangerous road, too. There is nothing there.
Dru: But if you're going to anyway.
BSG: No one here cycles it at this time of year. There are sandstorms. Tremendous winds, dust everywhere. Temperatures at 120, road kill all over the place. And nothing, I mean, NOTHING, there.
(to me) Are you sure you want to cycle it?
Me: No, I don't want to do it.
Dru: How about you just tell us how to get there so we can see for ourselves?

( I had visions of Dru dropping me and my bike off at Monument Valley, then yelling 'Pedal!!' at me as she drove off - she was that persistent.)

Anyway. I wish Josh the best of luck, but for sure COUNT ME OUT. If there is one thing I've learned in the past two weeks, its when the local cyclists tell you 'don't do that' DON'T DO THAT.

eta: just read the wiki entry, and apparently, Airwolf - the supersonic helicopter from the 80s tv show - lives in Monument Valley. I'll have to tell Josh. It was also where the Griswald's car broke down in National Lampoon's Vacation. Still not enough to get me to bike there.