The Roving Lunatic

An update for the last evening in St. George. My blog post went in about 8, then I thought I might go for a little spin on the mountain bike. BUT, the same massive thunderstorms that slammed us in Zion followed us to ST. George and were headed that way as I went riding.

The temperature that day precludes riding before eight anyway. My hope was to ride some of the Stucki Trail, or maybe the motorcycle park. The park rocks, but I was alone and if I stacked (read: crash with bike on top of you in a "stack") I would regret it.

So I rode to the highest hill I could to watch the storm approach. The view was amazing in three directions. A great desert sunset, the black thunderhead approaching, and the triple threat, a massive wildfire in Pine Mountain. The mountain looms over town, and the whole face is a steep valley between ridges on the right and left. The valley was aflame, and as I watched the winds from the thunderhead fanned larger and larger towers of flame and smoke.

Real Lord of the Rings stuff, flaming mountain tops, lightning, thunder, swirling wind. Great.

Watching it all converge, I finally headed back when humungous raindrops started pelting me. The edge of the storm was on me. Below I could see wind whipped dust swirls blasting across the riverbed I had to cross. Racing the storm back to the house challenged real riding skills. I made it just as the pounding rain began, whooping out lound of course...

I love that place, too bad it's so damn hot. But you treasure it more when you only get small doses...

Then off to Jackson.