With 160km to go I start nice and early after a rather mild night in the salt flats of the Great Salt Lake Desert. With good conditions [slight tail wind and a dead flat road] the milage should not be a big challenge today.

I am in Utah now [for some reason missed the welcome sign] and am back to Mountain time. By switching time zones three times in the past week I feel a little bit like a jet-setter, a bike-setter, I guess.

It will be my first full day riding on an Interstate, Interstate 80. It's loud but otherwise safe and smooth riding. Quickly I finish the remaining miles through the salt flats. While they might look quite impressive from above when you follow my route on the satellite map, they are rather un-entertaining to me from below. Flat, white, a few peaks sticking out... I could have gone off-road through the flats but that would have been a bit of a logistic challenge and would cost precious time. It's Sunday today and for Thursday bad weather is forecasted. I deem Wednesday to be the last reasonable day to cross the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City. I was extremely lucky so far with the delay of winter here but I also don't want to push my luck any further.

The day on the Interstate passes by uneventful. Once I turn into the valley of Salt Lake City we get the first fantastic view of the Wasatch Mountains. Klaus is really excited. It's his first encounter with the Rocky Mountains [He stayed in Vancouver while Ilma and I went to Jasper in Canada]. I am 50/50. One half admires the beauty of the mountains glooming red just before sunset, the other half is, let's say concerned by the snow-capped peaks.

After passing a huge copper mine and smelter [Kennecott mine] and a spectacular sunset at the Great Salt Lake I make my way into Salt Lake City. It's getting dark, the 4 lane highway is incredibly busy. It's exhausting. Thick smog in the valley comes on top. Even though I decide to leave the terrifying highway at the airport it remains a nightmare navigating through the rush hour for more than 30 kilometers. It's the first major city on my trip that seems to lack an appropriate bike infrastructure.

I am very happy when I arrive at my hosts place in Millcreek. I am staying with cycling legends Julie and Lou for two days and spend a great evening over dinner with them.