Day 21. Sunday, July 7

Day 21. Sunday, July 7.  Lusk, WY to Hot Springs, SD

What a start to the day. About 4am, there was a tremendously loud thunder crash, waking me up thinking "This will not be fun - all day in the rain." We left the hotel this morning just after 6:30. It was very overcast and the roads were wet, but no rain. My rain gear was stuffed into my back pocket, just in case (but no rain all day, with skies clearing by noon.)
The road was pretty flat for the first ten miles, but then started to descend- a little over 1,000 feet over the next 20 miles. For the first 45 miles we were heading almost due north, so with a wind out of the SSE, it made for a pretty comfortable first leg of the day. Then we turned due east, while the wind maintained a steady direction. Not too bad, though.

At mile 69, about 11am, we stopped for a bite to eat at the Fresh Start Cafe in Edgemont, SD. Unfortunately, we were there for an hour before finishing. I guess they we just so busy serving all the people, as the town was celebrating Red Neck Rally the whole weekend. We decided not to stay for the mud races later that day, but did watch this guy riding his home-made combination bicycle/riding lawn mower. The waitress told us Bob was pretty darned handy!

As we were leaving the parking lot, one of my riding buddies, Yuval (he's also a roommate) got a flat tire, so I decided to help and stay back to ride with him. Because service had been so slow, we were the last ones on the road. Twenty five miles by yourself can get a bit lonely.
As we were leaving, there was another group of cyclists, about 50, also leaving from a stop across the road. So we joined some of them and learned they were the deCyclists out of Bloomington, IN. This is a youth development group that is riding from El Paso, TX to somewhere in western Canada, about 2,000 miles.  Most of the riders are in high school, between 13 and 18, with a few college kids and adult chaperones mixed in. It was fun riding about 10 miles with these kids. One of them, I can't recall his name, is a senior in high school, but is torn as to which university to attend. He wants to go to Indiana so he can compete in the Little 500 (relay bike race - think of the movie Breaking Away.) But he wants to go into engineering, so he's also thinking Purdue. Tough choice.  Then there group turned north and I still had 12 miles to go.  Where did Yuval go?

The ride today was 92 miles, but very pleasant, despite the four mile climb and the last mile climb before town. As we will be climbing over 5000 feet tomorrow, it was good to get a warm up in.
The scenery is again changing as we entered into the Black Hills area, bringing trees back into the landscape. We saw a few prong horn deer close to the road and I almost ran over a live snake, coiled up in the shoulder of the road where I was riding. Some of the scenery was just spectacular today, God revealing a hint of his splendor.

While shopping at the grocery store here in Hot Springs, I met Tino and Bettina. They are husband and wife (28 years) cycling from Portland, Oregon (where they live) to Portland, Maine, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their first (and last) cross country bike ride. They each had about 50 pounds of gear on their bikes and they are staying in campgrounds along the way. (My bike weighs Less than 25 pounds, fully loaded (not counting me of course!) As you can imagine, they got pretty wet last night. I'm so glad we're traveling from hotel to hotel, spoiled all the way. They have three kids, all in their 20s. Bettina home taught them to try to instill character and kindness.
All in all a great day. Hard to think of a 90+ mile bike ride as an easy day, but it was a lot of fun today.

Tomorrow will be a busy day, as we go to Wind Cave National Park, past the Crazy Horse Monument and then to Mount Rushmore before ending the day in Rapid City. It's 8:30 and bed time.

Be well.

Don

Don

Day 20. Saturday. July 6

Day 20. Saturday. July 6.  Casper to Lusk, WY.  107 miles

Just got off our rest day, so most riders were feeling pretty fresh. We left Casper just after 7:00 this morning with nice skies, not too hot and favorable winds. Actually the first 65 miles were pretty easy today and lots of fun. The scenery was not quite as boring as on Thursday. We saw a river much of the morning, which meant a lot of vegetation. Also saw several deer and even a herd of 20 or so running across the fields. We started out in a pace line of about 10 riders, so it's pretty easy to sit back in the middle, with the wind at your back and go 20+mph with working at all. Shortly after the first SAG, though, we had to get back on the interstate for almost 15 miles. That pretty much broke up the nice pace line.
After the second SAG at mile 65, the winds shifted a bit and the road turned slightly, making for a pretty strong cross wind to fight. En the road turned bad so the next 20 to 25 miles were a challenge. But we had four of us working together to make it a bit easier. We got into Lusk shortly after 2 p. not too bad.

We saw a lot of very long trains today, all hauling coal or going to get coal. We were told that they run all day long, sometimes up to two miles long.
Lusk has the distinction of being the county seat of the least populated county in the least populated state in the US. Lusk has under 1600 residents. We went through one town today where the sign said "population 4." But it did have a bar.  In comparison of size, though, the county is approximately twice the size of the state of Rhode Island.  Lots of cattle farming around here. The average size ranch here in Wyoming is 4800 acres, but many are much, much bigger. From what we were told, each head of cattle gets about 40 acres. I found that surprising. I also learned that almost half of Wyoming is managed (owned) by the Bureau of Land Management (federal government). The largest employer here in Lusk, though, is the state prison for women where nearly 400 are incarcerated.

I talked with LaVonne who helps out here at the Covered Wagon Best Value Inn during the summer. During the school year she works in a special education classroom. She moved back to Lusk about 20 years ago to be with her mother after her father died. She and her husband have two daughters, the oldest having just graduated from high school.  She thinks Lusk is a great place to raise a family, as the crime rate is very low. She said most people leave their keys in the car and don't bother to lock the house when they leave. Every once in a while a teenager will get in trouble for trying to steal some alcohol and last year some kids busted up a pumpkin. That made the front page of the local paper. She thinks her daughters have learned to treat other people fairly from her.we visited the town museum where they have some real and plaster cast dinosaur bones. I guess they've found lots of these bones pretty close to here. They also,have one of the actual old stage coaches that was used over a hundred years ago. It did not look comfortable at all.

Next week (we missed by a week) the city of Lusk will celebrate the Legend of Rawhide with a big parade and I'm not sure what else. While at the museum, I asked what the legend was ... and here is what I was told. Remember, it's legend so probably not true
There was a wagon train coming through these parts years ago and a young boy vowed to shoot the first Indian he saw.  And evidently he did. Some thought it was an Indian maiden he killed, but it turned out to be an old woman washing clothes. Anyway, this endangered the entire wagon train, so the young boy turned himself over to the Indians. They took their revenge by skinning him alive, and thus the legend of rawhide was created.

Tomorrow, we ride a little over  miles and into South Dakota. The next few days promise to have their challenges.

Be well. 

Don

Day 18. July 4

Day 18. July 4.  Riverton to Casper, WY.   -   120 miles

Today is two for one day. I'll tell you about yesterday's ride and then REST DAY!

Yesterday was a test, as it was a very long day in the saddle, not only because we were riding 120 miles, but we rode it through very barren scenery. The road just seemedto go on forever. Somebody said out here you could watch your dog run away for three days! 
 We left Riverton just after 6:30, fortunately with a slight tailwind. Over the first 65 miles, the road rose about 1500 feet, pretty manageable, but there were a few hills where you had to work.  Amy, my riding buddy from northern Kentucky, and Yuval, my roommate from Israel, and I decided to ride together in a short pace line, each taking a mile turn at the front. So it went pretty well, but again, pretty boring because of the never changing scenery. Just mile after mile of sage and cattle. We hit the town of Shoshoni at mile 21, and didn't see much else until mile 61, the "town" of Hiland. This town is so small that they use the same sign to mark the beginning of town and the end of town - population 10. There's one store and two houses. Because that was, for all practical purposes, the last town before Casper, we watered up good. Well, actually, at mile 81, we rode through the town of Powder River, but it was a modern-day ghost town. All the buildings were boarded up, houses, restaurant, gas station with a few cars that obviously hadn't been moved in several years.

At mile 75, we reached "Hell's Half Acre." Excavations and archeologists have determined that the plains Indians used to stampede the bison over this little cliff.

At this point, the roads were supposed to start going downhill, but I didn't notice, as the wind turned and we were again riding against it. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like we ride into the wind a lot. Maybe I just notice it more. After 70 miles, with 50 still to go, it feels like the wind wins a lot. Finally, after 8 1/2 hours in the saddle, we arrived in Casper. The town was pretty dead, as it was the Fourth of July and many businesses were closed.

We have now completed two of the five stages and over 1/3 of the mileage. On Sunday, we'll enter South Dakota for a few tough, tedious days.

So today, Friday, July 5, is rest day. What do you do on rest day? Most of us do NOT get on the bike. After 8 1/2 hours yesterday, yes, the backside needs some down time. We walked a bit, just to keep the muscles from locking up, but it's a relaxed day for laundry, shopping, cleaning the bike and making sure the drive train is lubed and ready to tomorrow.
I got to sleep in until 6 this morning. A few of us were shuttled to St. Patrick's church for morning Mass. We lucked out, as every first Friday, they have an anointing of the sick. I talked briefly with the deacon beforehand and he said today they would extend that to the sick and sore! I was impressed - about 120 attended. After Mass, a few who didn't recognize us as "regulars" came over to greet us. I met Bill and Donna, whom I would guess to be in their late 70s.  I had noticed them when they first entered church, hand in hand.  Donna has a pretty large hump on her right shoulder and is fairly stooped, looking over the top of her glasses. Bill walks a bit slowly, I would guess from arthritis. While it was an effort for them, each made a full, respectful genuflection before entering their front row pew. The sign of the cross was deliberate - not the "swish, swish" you often see.
Bill had been an engineer for the railroad for over 30 years, hauling coal around Wyoming, so they could raise their 5 children. Bill asked if I prayed the rosary. And gave me a card with all the mysteries when I related that I say at least one rosary a day, at least when I ride my bike.

As we headed out the door, looking for a way back to the hotel, we met Ingrid, a woman, perhaps in her early 50s. She had been one of the altar servers. She related that she had some time and would take us to a couple of stores as well as back to the hotel. I learned that she grew up just north of Pittsburgh, but came out west with a chemical engineering degree to work for an oil company. She did that for several years before she and her husband had their daughter. They live on Casper Mountain where there are mountain lions and bears. She now works for the church where she takes care of the buildings and grounds and leads some adult education classes. She also volunteers at a local food pantry. Ingrid was especially helpful to us today. You can meet the nicest people in church.

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

 

Day 16 July 2

Day 16   July 2.  Jackson to Dubois
 

We went over the continental divide today. The rivers and streams are flowing east, the same direction we are headed.
Today was one of those fooler days. Yesterday was the big ride, climbing 5500 feet, so we all thought we'd be in for a relatively easy day. While it may have been a little easier, today certainly presented it's challenges.
We left Jackson a little after 7:30 this morning with blue skies and coolish temperatures. Just outside of town we jumped on a bike path for 12 miles - nice smooth surface - and into Teton National Park. If you've never visited here, I would recommend a trip.
 Then at about mile 36, we began to climb, and climb, and climb. Fifteen mils we climbed, with lots of it at 5 or 6 percent grades. I would guess it took about two hours, maybe longer to climb that pass. Climbing was bad enough but the escort of dozens of deer flies was not so fin either.

But when we got to the top, we were at the continental divide. What a great feeling. The Togwotee Pass is 9,658 above sea level. And then the descent, narly seven miles at between 25 and 35 mph. That felt good. We were told the rest of the ride into Dubois would be mostly downhill. And it was. What they forgot to report is that there would be strong head winds. So the lat 18 miles were tough. The last several hours were tough, first going over the divide, then battling the winds. We finally got in around 3p, having ridden nearly 90 miles and climbed 3800 feet.  So far we've climbed over 48,000 feet, nearly 45% of what we are scheduled for the whole trip!  Give me some flat roads.

As we were walking to a restaurant in Dubois, there was a guy standing on the sidewalk with his dog. I stopped to chat and learned that Jim grew up in Jackson, his parents live in Dubois, but he actually moved to Cincinnati several years ago. He used to climb the towers (cell phones), but not any longer. I told him of my fear for heights and he related that with all the safety equipment, you're actually safer working on the towers than you are walking down the stairs in your house. Yeah, but if you fall down the stairs, you're more likely to break a leg or an arm. Falling from a tower, well, the result will not be good.

Jim is visiting his parents and will attend the opening of the assisted living facility that is opening here tomorrow. I think his parents will be some of the new residents.

Dubois is a stereotypical cowboy town with the architecture. Just picture the old westerns and you know what Dubois looks like. Even the sidewalks are wooden planks.

Be well.

Don

Day 15. July 1

Day 15. July 1.  Idaho Falls to Jackson, WY.
As mentioned yesterday, we left Idaho Falls  this morning just after 6:30, it was a bit cooler, but the sun was up with some nice white clouds against a blue sky. Gorgeous morning. Again, left the hotel with a number of people and a pace line was quickly formed. The strong group went ahead, but our group, led by Dan, husband of one of the ride leaders, and Judy - the ride leader. They led strong for the first 10 miles or so. It's nice to have the line leader know what they are doing. Some of the others are a little afraid to ride close, so you don't get as much effect of the slip-stream as when everyone is riding within two feet of the wheel in front of you. But an 18 mph line to start the day is good. 

Then about mile 15, the state of Idaho supplied us with a freshly laid chip and seal road for the next 15 miles. It was a little bumpy, but could have been worse. Our forecasted "light and variable" winds then turned into a 15 to 20 headwind, as we rode up to our first SAG stop. But we were greeted by a spectacular view of the Snake River. Just gorgeous. I hope the pictures came out.

The next 30 miles weren't too bad, some uphill, but by then the wind had stopped, at least directly in our faces. At mile 44,  we turned the corner and the fun began, as we climbed to the top of Pine Creek Summit. Actually, there was a strong uphill, then it flattened out for a few miles before it was up again.  By that time, several of the others were out of sight, but the scenery here was absolutely

spectacular. The flat farm fields of Idaho gave way to the rolling foothills. The colors were several shades of green, from dark to yellow-green, all with the purple mountains in the background. It was hard to pay attention to the road. Finally, after nearly 14 miles of climbing at 4 to 6% grades, we were greeted by the second SAG at the top. And then the descent. Fun! At 35 mph.  We had about 5 to 8 miles of flat and were greeted by the Welcome to Wyoming sign. We have now completed out trek across Oregon and Idaho! But 6.6 more miles of climb and it started pretty much right at the Wyoming line at about  6 % grade. We were climbing to the Teton Pass Summit at 8431 feet above sea level. The hill started out hard enough, then, about 2 1/2 miles from the top, it steepened to a 10%

grade. I was going between 4 and 5 mph, breathing about as hard as I ever have. Every time we rounded a bend in the road, you saw it went higher. I stopped 3 times those last 2 1/2 miles. But if you keep peddling, you do eventually reach the summit and we were rewarded with one of the most beautiful vistas I have ever seen, overlooking the Jackson Hole area. There were several cyclists from our group and we were giddy and proud to have reached the summit. Lots of high fives and congratulations.  And then the 5 mile descent. Again, trying to keep it between 30 and 35 was a challenge. Some of the curves were a bit technical so I wanted to take it relatively slow. Some of the guys topped out at over 50. Too scary for me.  

Fortunately, we were down the hill and onto the flats again, about 5 miles outside Jackson, when my bulging rear tire blew. Luckily, I was only going about 22 mph. We called for backup and began a long wait.  Then one of our riders came along and he just happened to have some good old duct tape. I lined the weak spots of the tire with tape, put in a new tube and off we were, arriving at the hotel about 4:30. All in all a successful day of riding. We have now ridden more than 1,000 miles!!

We had supper tonight at Bubba's Bar-B-Q. Wow, what a plate of meat. As we were waiting for our table, I started chatting with Eleanor and John, vacationing from Louisiana, or as they say "Looziana." They had spent the last two weeks visiting the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, the Sequoias, the Redwoods, up the entire California coast, into Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming. They will visit Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore and an Amish village in Missouri before returning home. All this to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Congratulations, Eleanor and John.

Some of you know that I taught undergraduate social work between 1980 and 1985. I remembered that one of my students, Barb, had moved to Jackson shortly after graduating. With a little research, I found her number and called. I think she was a bit surprised, but had a nice chat. She had majored in social work and special education and was able to combine both in her work out here, partly in the school system and partly at an agency that works with people with disabilities. She and her husband have a son and three daughters, one of whom gets arrived in two weeks. Congratulations, Barb!

Well, it's after 9:30, way past my bed time. And we have another 85 mile ride tomorrow.
Goodnight. Be well.

Don

Day 14. June 30

Day 14. June 30.  Pocatello to Idaho Falls

Idaho Falls

Even though it was a relatively short day (65 miles) we left around 7 to avoid the heat of the day. Even with that, it's odd how one day the legs feel strong and like they could go all day (yesterday was sort of like that, even in the wind), but today was not. Partly, I think, is that the person I was with was strong and going 21 mph+. I decided to not wear myself out and dropped back a bit, partly to save myself for tomorrow's ride.

The Snake River plays an important part for Southern Idaho

Today was nice going through eastern Idaho potato fields. The Snake River was again in view for part of the day. This river plays an important part for southern Idaho, feeding the fields with water and providing recreational opportunities for thousands.  It did get a bit hot today, so I drank a lot. At one point, almost out of water, I saw a lady out planting flowers, so I stopped to,ask for a drink. Michelle was very nice, bringing me a glass of water and a cold bottle of water. We spent a little time talking while she planted flowers and I sat on her front porch. I stopped a few other times just for a breather and was struck by how quiet it was.  Eastern Idaho is mile after mile of rich farm fields.

Idaho Falls

We arrived in Idaho Falls about noon today, but rooms were not ready until 2:30 or so. This gave us a chance to visit the nearby Applebee's for a nice meal and big. Chocolate milk shake. Too many more of these and I may end the ride bigger than when I started.
Our hotel is right next to the falls -not high, but very long, to produce electricity.

Tomorrow is the big day as we enter Wyoming and climb 5500 feet to cross the Teton Pass. I'm looking forward to seeing the town of Jackson, as I've never been there before. So it's to bed early tonight for an 88 mile ride. The big climb doesn't start until about mile 70.

So, be well.  Please know how much I've appreciated you comments to the blog, Faceb


ook or the individual emails. They are all encouragements when the saddle starts to get a bit hard.

Don