I’m glad to finally get out of the prairie after the endless cornfields of Nebraska. I change my route to avoid the fierce headwind and promptly make more than 300 km to Fort Collins at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.
The Cameron Pass goes almost 100km up to an altitude of 3000m. Then comes Walton, a Wild West town as one imagines it. After Buffalo Pass I follow a piece of the Tour Devide over Lynx Pass and then down to the spectacular Colorado River. The big challenge from here on is dealing with the heat. During the day the thermometer rises above 40°, and the tendency is rising.
Now just no mistakes! I calculate when I am where and how much water I need. In Utah it gets a bit harder. Through the San Rafael Desert I drive into the canyons of Capitol Reef National Park. Merciless heat alternates with violent storms. Now I am in Cedar City, a stone’s throw from Las Vegas, where it is currently 45° hot.