Day 17. July 3

Day 17, July 3.   Dubois to Riverton, WY

TAILWIND!  This morning we turned right out of the hotel a little after  7:00a and pedaled for 80 miles along route 26 until we reached Riverton. A beautiful day for bike riding. The skies were a little overcast, but it kept the sun from getting too hot. The road was fairly smooth and we knew the road would be mostly downhill or flat. Dubois is about 6900 feet above sea level and our target city for the night, Riverton, is at only 4800 feet above sea level. Add all that to a 10 mph tailwind and you have a day for biking. As Keith said, this is how I trained - downhill with the wind at my back!

The scenery just keeps changing. I don't know that it's any prettier - just different. Each area has its own beauty. Coming down a sweeping curve, we saw the red rock walls on the right and the Wild River on the left. Taking a peak behind us, we could see some of the snow-capped Tetons in the background. But the Teton Mountains have certainly given way to the rolling grazing lands and hay fields of central Wyoming. We pulled into our first SAG stop at mile 30, having averaged 20.5 mph. I'm sure we could have gone faster, but it felt so good to move that far that quickly without making much of an effort.

Several minutes ahead of us, we could see the rains beginning to fall, wondering if we'd get wet. Timing is a lot. The speedy group did get a few minutes of a shower. We were slow enough to just get the wet roads. But that just kept things a bit cooler. The rains also changed the direction of the wind and we found ourselves riding against the wind for several miles. By the second SAG at mile 55 (at an old, closed stop on e stagecoach line), though, we were still averaging 20.5 mph.  Not bad for an old "slacker," Kristen!

I felt strong today and shortly after the last rest stop, I pulled ahead as we were going up a nice sized hill and never looked back. I rode the last 20 miles by myself, just feeling good. I arrived at the hotel just before noon, having averaged just under 20 mph for 80 miles.

Tomorrow is another day - and a big one -  120 miles into Casper. Let's hope the wind doesn't change too drastically.

When I arrived at the hotel this afternoon, I washed off the road grime from the bike (my shower would come later) and sat down, waiting for the luggage wagon to be unloaded. While on the bench, Jerry, I would guess to be in his early 70s, a bit overweight, walking with a cane, sat down next to me. He pretended to read the paper for a while, but then we started talking. He grew up here in Riverton, but moved to Southern California in the mid 1960s to work heavy construction - laying the heavy foundations for bridges, big buildings and some of the walls to hold the ocean at bay. He is back in town to attend the memorial service of his wife's brother. Jerry and his wife have been married 58 years and was a bit sad that each of his 4 children have been divorced at least once. He did say that the one thing they learned from him was to work hard.

Tomorrow is a long ride - 120 miles into Casper. And then we have Friday off! Rest day #2. That will feel good. 

Please know how much I enjoy your comments and encouragements while on the road. While I've met some great people here on the road, I still think of all of you at home.

If you'd like some different perspectives on the ride or some other pictures, go to   www.abbike.com.   Go to the bottom of the home page and click on ride journals.  Select the Across America North 2013 journal. They have some great pictures there.

Be well

Don