Just Keep Pedaling: Jordan River Parkway Trail -- Salt Lake City, Utah

This is Part 6 of an 8-part blog series chronicaling a 7-day road trip, during which we were able to achieve riding our bikes in 8 different states toward our goal of riding in all 50 states.

Links to all posts:

Day 1: South Dakota

Day 2: Montana

Day 3: Idaho

Day 4: Washington and Oregon

Day 5: Utah

Day 6: Wyoming and Colorado

Day 7: No rides or posts, just finished driving the rest of the way home.

The Grand Adventure continues

Day 5:

We got up early Saturday morning in Pendleton, OR and headed out for Salt Lake City, UT. It was raining and foggy as we left.

But we soon drove out of it and the sun came out.

We had to drive through part of Idaho first. We had already ridden bikes in Idaho on our way out so we did not make any stops in Idaho to ride on this leg.

Right after we crossed into Idaho, we had a bit of a road rage incident. I was driving along in the right lane at the same speed I had been in Oregon and came upon our first Idaho speed limit sign which raised the speed from 70 to 80. So I sped up. Unfortunately a car in the passing lane who had passed me when I was going 70 was now going slower than me, so I began to pass him on the right. I think he thought I was trying to pass and cut in front of him before a vehicle that was coming up in my lane, which I was not. I intended to slow down and pull in behind him. He gunned it and pulled back in front of us and gave us some hand gestures not intended to please, then for the next 20 miles or so did whatever he could to not let me pass him even though my cruise was set clearly higher than his. Finally he let me pass on the left and I completely ignored him as we passed as to not further incite his delusion that I had it out for him. Thankfully that was the end of it. Moral to the story... Don't get excited about speed changes and pass people on the right, because you never know when the guy you're passing might think he was born to be a NASCAR driver! As we drove away I got the distinct impression from my mirror that a "marriage moment" had just happened in his vehicle.. as his wife's head looked like it spun around three times.. :D

Soon after, we had a bit of our own Marriage GPS Moment trying to locate the Panda Express in Boise for lunch... To the non-techies in our group think Travel Map Reading Moment! :D We ultimately found it and we were rewarded with a yummy lunch and this good fortune! So True!

(This little slip of paper did ease the tension and we were able to laugh again and put it behind us. ~~~H)

We were traveling on I-84 which parallels the old Oregon Trail so there were many stops and tourist traps along the way boasting trail memorabilia and history. Here was even a road named after it.

Finally we reached Utah!

First we went to our hotel to get checked in and changed to go ride. We have found that we like the Microtel hotels so when there is one in a town we are in, we try to stay there. There was one near the airport that was not far from the Jordan River Parkway Trail that we planned to ride.

Once we got checked in and changed, we headed out to find the planned trailhead for us to park and ride. Little did we know what was in store. :)

The Google maps GPS took us to the area I had marked for the trailhead but we were having trouble spotting it. Finally my sweetie spotted a sign in a parking lot along the road for the trailhead so we pulled in and parked. So we got out and started surveying the area, looking for where the trail headed off away from the parking lot. There was a bridge that lead across the Jordan River and a sidewalk that ran along the street. After further investigation of the bridge, it seemed to just lead to a deserted gravel parking lot on the other side of the river! So, Gadsby Trailhead appears to not be the Great Gadsby Trailhead! LOL

(It was definitely the "trailhead without a trail"......) ~~H

Luckily there was a gentleman walking his dog along the sidewalk so we asked him where the trail actually started. He said we had to go back to the next light and turn right and go a couple of blocks north to a government building and a park and the trail started there. His directions were spot on. We unloaded our bikes and headed out on the trail.

I was a little concerned with the surroundings when we first started out, as there were people sleeping in tents along the river and on benches along the trail, also lots of graffiti that looked like gang markings.

(This was a shame, because the most outstanding feature of this trail, in my opinion, were these concrete markers poured into the trail surface. They listed the competition names and the first, second and third place winners of each event in the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics. Here are some that had not been defaced, although they are showing their age and lack of care. ~~H)

We also had to cross this very narrow bridge. Glad no one was coming when we did! In the distance you can see me waiting for my Sweetie to cross. That is because on the other side of the bridge out of the picture were a group of teenagers back in the weeds smoking something that I am not sure would be considered legal in the state we were in! I was not sure they would be really excited to be caught on camera!

A couple of miles in we crossed a street and the whole landscape changed. There was a golf course along the trail and then a new school and then we headed out into somewhat open country. Here are some pictures of the trail as we traveled through.

(The Jordan River is not really that picturesque.

Kind of green and gross looking. ~~H)

(The billboard advertising sin did amuse me, though,
and took my mind off the green water. ~~H)

Eventually we came to this section that was very well maintained that was sponsored by Chevron. This was the first place on the trail where we met actual recreational users of the trail and they practically mowed us down when we were trying to setup to take this picture. Sometimes people need to spend less time concentrating on a new PR for their ride and more time enjoying their beautiful surroundings! Enough on that soap box!

This is not signifying a touchdown. We had to make a U for Utah! Yes we are dorks!

Some other recreational users along the multi-use trail! Think I'll stick to my bike!

We rode across a long boardwalk that traversed an area prone to flooding it appeared. This one didn't smell nearly as bad as the one we rode across in Spearfish, SD earlier in the trip!

Loving it as usual!

Luxurious accommodations along the trail!

Sorry, no horses!

Nearing the north end of our ride we crossed under this bridge that appeared to be the start of another northern branch of the Jordan River trail, referred to as the Legacy Parkway Trail.

We took a look on the other side of the bridge and decided to turn around as we would be up over 10 miles for the ride by the time we returned to our vehicle. All and all, it was a nice easy trail to ride. Unless you're looking for the Olympic sidewalk markers, would stick to the northern end of it though. Stay north of 1000N Street.

She takes over the narrative:

And then it was time for supper at TGI Friday's with a special friend. When you work at home doing what I do, you become acquainted with coworkers who live all over the country, and through the magic of Facebook you sometimes develop close friendships with those same coworkers. If/when provided the unlikely opportunity to finally meet those coworker friends in person, the meeting looks like this.

Us with our sweet and patient husbands, who were two strangers to each other, who had to find something to talk about with each other throughout the entire supper while my sister-friend and I gabbed and laughed as if we had known each other for years, which we had. I just wish it could be face to face much more often.