Category: Cycling

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Start: Lusk, Wyoming
End: Hot Springs, South Dakota
Mileage today/cumulative: 93 / 1,535
Elevation Ascended: 3,209′
Weather: Sunny, 75° at start; sunny, 102° at finish
3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)

First of all, thanks for all of the comments and words of encouragement as we make our way to the Atlantic Ocean. We always look forward to reading comments when we wake up and, again, when we get a few minutes of down time before dinner. Our riding days are very regimented with the ABB staff telling us when to eat breakfast, load luggage, and depart on our bikes. On the arrival end, they schedule dinner, “rap” (when we get feedback about the day’s ride and our route sheet for the next day), and mechanics hour for any bike issues that need attention. When we’re not doing those things or riding our bikes for miles and miles, we’re cleaning our bikes, checking tires, packing or unpacking luggage, and cleaning ourselves up. The daily drill feels a little bit like being in the Army but nobody yells at us and we don’t have to make our bed.

We knew that today’s ride was going to be long and hot, so after my touch of heat exhaustion yesterday we changed our strategy a bit. We rolled out with our regular group but not too long after we started, they stopped to take photos but Bev and I continued on. We just needed to ride at our own speed and, by being super efficient at the SAG stops, reduce the total time spent in scorching heat. I was still feeling the effects of yesterday’s ride for the first 50 miles but after that, my body seemed to reset itself and I felt strong again for the last half of the day. Bev says that something happened when I crossed the South Dakota state line and suddenly she was the one trying to hang on. I was just happy to bounce back.

The highlight of the day was crossing into South Dakota, the fourth state on our ten state, two country trek. Their state welcome sign is pretty cool and their roads, at least for today, have wide, clean shoulders to ride on. The state line was also where we entered the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, which were beautiful and expansive, segueing from the plains of Wyoming. We also had a nice visit from a South Dakota Sheriff’s deputy at our second SAG stop. He stopped by to see what a bunch of criminals in spandex were up to, loitering about in funny shoes, drinking Gatorade, and eating pretzel sticks, peanut butter, and fig bars for the 21st consecutive day. Chris, our blind rider, was introduced to Deputy Steve and we were all relieved when Chris shook Steve’s hand instead of accidentally reaching for his sidearm. Deputy Steve didn’t think to ask how a blind man was cycling through his state.

Some of our fellow insane riders talked about adding seven voluntary miles to today’s ride so that they could claim three consecutive riding days of 100+ miles. We opted to ride an extra half mile, straight to Dairy Queen, where we ate Chocolate Cherry Chunk Blizzards because it was 102 degrees and we still have some God-given sense. Tomorrow we ride through Wind Cave National Park and the Black Hills National Forest, which include prairie dogs, the Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore! Lots of climbing for another epic day.

 

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Start: Casper, Wyoming
End: Lusk, Wyoming
Mileage today/cumulative: 107 / 1,442
Elevation Ascended: 2,800′
Weather: Sunny, 70° at start; sunny, 92° at finish
3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)

We spent Day 19 yesterday trying to relax and stay cool in Casper, Wyoming. It was our second rest day and marked the end of another leg of this crazy adventure, leaving only three more to go. By my calculation, that puts us 40% of the way there. This rest day was much like the first one way back in Boise, Idaho except that Boise is a thriving city and Casper is definitely not. A trip to the laundromat, massages, a trip to a local bike shop, and a stop at Wells Fargo to get cash and share some kindness with a teller. The highlight was a real Wyoming steak dinner and a couple of bottles of red wine with five of our new friends. We will try to call upon the memory of that fine dining experience for the next week as we ride through a culinary wasteland.

Today’s ride (Day 20) was tough. We left Casper at 7am, headed toward Lusk, Wyoming, and it was already getting warm. We passed the “Kum and Go” convenience store on the way out of town, wondered if anyone market-tested the name, and then decided it’s just Casper, Wyoming. From there, we passed through the quaint town of Douglas, which was the last sign of civilization for another 60 miles, except for Lost Springs, population four.  Bev rode strong today but I only felt good for a very short stretch and really struggled for the last 50 miles. Bev “pulled” me for those hard miles,  getting me to Lusk with lots of hard pedaling and encouragement. There were big doings in Lusk with their Rawhide Days parade, which, at 15 minutes long, was the shortest parade anyone had reported seeing. We missed it because I was busy recovering from the ride by laying on the bed and rehydrating. I’m  hoping that we both feel strong tomorrow on the way to Hot Springs, South Dakota and into our fourth state.

 

 

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Start: Riverton, Wyoming
End: Casper, Wyoming
Mileage today/cumulative: 120 / 1,335
Elevation Ascended: 2,753
Weather: Sunny, 65° at start; sunny, 92° at finish
3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)

Today’s 120 mile ride was the longest of the entire tour and it was definitely a day to be riding with a group to share the load and take your mind off of the desolate landscape. There was one establishment between Riverton and Casper, about 60 miles into the ride. It was an odd store/bar/motel called the Bright Spot and it was located in the ‘town” of Hiland, population 10. Yes, ten. This business has no reason to exist, yet it is there in the middle of nowhere. I met the woman who owns it and learned that the lounge has been there since 1921. She bought it seven years ago when she moved from Casper, which she left because “it’s too crowded.” The lounge has four or five stools in about 300 sad square feet. It had one television, tuned to The Price is Right. No beers on tap and they discontinued Taco Tuesday at the end of 2016. Maybe because there are only ten people living in Hiland, Wyoming. Just guessing. We all bought sodas and probably doubled her revenue for an average Thursday.

Our friend Deb, while riding with another group today, encountered a local man who claimed to be a former Army sniper. He told Deb that the Army asked him to train soldiers to become snipers but he declined because if the current generation “steps in dog shit, they have to use the internet to find out what to do.” We are totally stealing that line.

We also saw antelope today, causing most of the riders in our pace line to sing Home On the Range more than once. It was that kind of day.

Tomorrow is rest day #2 – hooray! Saturday we head to Lusk, Wyoming where we’ll get to experience the Rawhide Days parade!

 

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Start: Dubois, Wyoming
End: Riverton, Wyoming
Mileage today/cumulative: 80 / 1,215
Elevation Ascended: 1,470
Weather: Sunny, 65° at start; sunny, 95° at finish
3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)

Fast and furious sums up today’s ride. Eighty miles with an average speed of just over twenty miles per hour. Neither of us could believe it when we saw our stats for the day. The elevation profile was kind, with a net descent and only a couple of steady inclines. Most of all, we kept a pretty good pace line with a core group of five riders, including ourselves. It was another fun day in the saddle!

We gladly left Dubois, a town everyone will remember for at least a few more days due to the GMO mosquitoes that bit everyone in places one wouldn’t think possible. Add anti-itch cream to the list of things applied to the butt. However, before departing that town with poor internet and well fed bugs, we met an older man who is also riding across the country. He carries all of his own gear and camps along the way or stays in friendly churches that accommodate self-supporting riders. His bike weighs 40 pounds and he hauls 50 pounds of gear. That’s doing it the hard way.

Since cresting the Continental Divide yesterday, the terrain has changed dramatically. In the early miles today, we saw red rock formations and buttes that have been formed over the millennia and reminded me of old John Ford western films. From there, we rolled into more range land with open skies. Some riders reported seeing a few antelope but I think they were jackalopes that escaped from Dubois.

Tomorrow we ride 119 miles to Casper, where we’ll enjoy our second rest day on Friday. There is absolutely nothing but open range between here and there. It’s going to be a long, hot day but we’re feeling stronger than we did seventeen days ago when we left Astoria.

Before today’s photos, a few more from yesterday’s ride from Jackson to Dubois, courtesy of our friend and talented photographer, Martin Stabler.

And now, photos from today’s ride from Dubois WY to Riverton WY…

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Start: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
End: Dubois, Wyoming
Mileage today/cumulative: 54 / 1,135
Elevation Ascended: 3,031
Weather: Sunny, 60° at start; sunny, 85° at finish
3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)

We’ve arrived in Dubois, Wyoming and stepped back in time. Our hotel uses actual keys. There are no stop lights or stop signs on the Main Street. There is one bank (Wells Fargo, of course). At the local saloon, the non-smokers drink outside. And, finally, internet service here is one step below AOL dial-up and they could really use a cell tower. We’ll see if this post gets published sometime tonight.

Our planned 84 mile ride was reduced to 54 miles due to some permit issues that ABB was unable to resolve with the National Park Service. Long story that makes no sense (as in everything political), but new management at the Wyoming DOT changed rules on commercial operators seeking permits to ride through Grand Teton National Park even though we would have been riding bicycles on a bike path and state road for all of 30 miles. Nobody complained much – we still had beautiful views of the Tetons and we didn’t have to deal with Fourth of July traffic in the park.

The ABB staff shuttled us from our hotel in Jackson to a spot immediately beyond the park entrance. We saddled up and had a fantastic ride. Six mile warmup, a sixteen mile climb up to the Continental Divide, where we peaked at over 9,500′, the highest spot on our entire tour, followed by an exhilarating non-technical nine mile descent. Once we reached the bottom, strong tailwinds pushed us for the last 20+ miles into Dubois. We took a lot of photos throughout the day – it was that kind of ride.

Happy Fourth of July from Wyoming!