Epic Gnar Slam

I'm sitting in a Starbucks (for WiFi) about 30 miles North of St. George.  It feels like Mammoth or Kennedy Meadows - the Sierras, I guess.  Slept great.  Temperatures dipped to only 50 overnight.  My alarm woke me at 6am (felt like 5 due to time time zone) and I started getting ready for my Ride.  I left Chui in the truck with Windows down and figured I'd be gone for 2-3 hours.

I rode the Bear Claw Poppy trail (link has GPX file too!) and it's one of the most fun trails I've ridden in years, just this great rolling pump-track like trail.  Plenty of jumps and opportunities to float over the crest of mini hills. About 12 miles in it was already hot and I started worrying about Chui in the car so I made my way back prematurely.  That's when I slammed, hard.  I was riding a right side berm on the side of a trail and when I start to come down my tire washed out in sand and 'thud!' - all on my right side, wore off some more tattoo and scratched up my knee.  Also irritated my back so I've been on ice while I drive, Advil, etc.  Still a killer ride though and I'd do it again any time.  Check out this YouTube video of some guys doing the first section (called "Three Fingers of Death")

St. George felt like Prescott or Flagstaff to me, very new and extremely clean and well cared for.  I didn't see any buildings that looked older than 20 years.  It also looked a bit depressed economically, lots of vacant buildings and unrealized housing developments.

OK, continuing North bound to SLC and then will look for a camping spot.  I want to be on a lake or river if I can find a place.  Hopefully it's hot as hell and I can find a river camping site.  I will post again Tonight once I get settled.