We climbed out of Bluff on a hot sunny morning. The problem with a
cute little town surrounded by cliffs is you need to climb over them
to leave. We hit the first steep hill just around the first bend,
and our stiff legs were not ready for it.

As soon as we climbed a few hundred feet the terrain changed to high
desert; not as dramatic as yesterday's buttes, but looming ahead
of us were the snow covered Abajo Mountains. Our destination for
today, Monticello, is nestled in the eastern foothills of these
mountains. And so we climbed all day; almost five thousand feet.

The difference between today's climb and yesterday's is that
today we got to keep the real estate we worked for. We started the
day at 4,300", and ended it at over 7,000. And yes, for those of
you who are paying attention, I did err when I wrote that we would
not be at 7,000 feet until Colorado. Today we were over 7,200 in
Utah. However, tomorrow we drop down to 4,000 when we ride to Moab,
only to climb back up and past that in Colorado. Hey, could some one
please straighten out these roads.

The hot sunny morning quickly changed to a cold cloudy day as we
approached the Abajos. Bonnie and Ken actually got caught in a
little hail, because they stopped to check out a museum in Blanding
and were about an hour behind us. The price of culture!

In the desert Gail needed to squat
But her wallet it appears she forgot.
Five miles further down the road,
She notice the lighter load,
And had to go back to find the wallet she sought.

I know you have heard about the burning bush, but have you heard
about the pay bush. For some reason, as Gail decided to avail her
self to a desert ladies room, she though they were like pay toilets,
and left her wallet behind the bush. We stopped at a Mobil in White
Mesa when she noticed her wallet was missing. Panic time!

We first called the motel to see if she left it there. We then had
to call Walter to pick her up, and go back down the road. She
thought it might have fallen out while I suppose she was trying to
keep her derriere off of the ground. How she recognized the exact
bush five miles down the road, I was afraid to ask, but there her
wallet was.

I have wisely advised her that in future she should discard the
leaves, and take the wallet.

We have passed the eight hundred mark. We are now at 810 miles and
44,045 feet of climbing. I hope we will be ready for Colorado.