The Foot of the Rockies

Yup, here they are, as expected: looming at the end of a long, flat, hot road. Bronwyn and I crested a hill at about 9:30 this morning, and she shouted "I think I see snow!" The morning was hazy, so I held my judgment until we were a lil' bit closer. But she was right. There they were, the snow-covered peaks of the Wind River range (the start o' the Continental Divide) and they were there all day, at the edge of the horizon. The plains started rolling and bucking as we got nearer, then lay down worshipfully before them.

We're here in Lander, Wyoming, an awesome little town. It's home to NOLS headquarters and an avidly outdoorsy population. They've also got a few great little coffee shops (I scoped 'em all out) and an awesome local bar/grill where we got lunch at noon, upon rolling in.


The ride yesterday was a grueling litmus test of our cycling ability: 103 miles, at about 105 degrees, across Wyoming's high desert. We passed through "Hell's Half-Acre," a profound depression at the top of a plateau where they filmed Starship Troopers (whoop-dee-doo...). It was very cool-- see pics. That was our First Lunch stop, and we hung out for a little while before the intensity of the high-noon sun forced us back on our bikes. The rest of the ride consisted of a 40-mile cruise along long, gradual downhill canyons and then a grueling fight against a 10-mile headwind maelstrom in to Shoshoni. Ironically, the last riders and the sweeps were caught up in a brief rain shower and then coasted into town at 30 on a rain-cooled tailwind. Karma, I guess. Or another iteration of the Tortoise and the Hare (thanks for that one, Dad).

Our ride today was a much more pleasant affair, though I felt the entire time that I was willfully riding towards the maw of some gargantuan, cyclist-eating beast. The jagged peaks of the Tetons rise up behind the gentler, grassier Wind River mountains, and at the very top of a few there's the gleam of summer snow. Tomorrow's ride will be marked by a few climbs, but the next day's features a THIRTY MILE CLIMB over the top and down into Jackson.

You heard me right. Thirty Miles. Not three, not thirteen, but thirty. And it's my sweep day. I'm actually thrilled about it. Don't ask me why, b/c I couldn't really explain it. But the euphoria's there.

Tonight we're going for a BBQ furnished by a local community church and then splitting up to spend the night in actual homes! It really caps a funny three-night experience-- last night we stayed in the Shoshoni Volunteer Firehouse, and the two nights before we were in Casper's Drum & Bugle Corps HQ and offices. People slept in the Boardroom. Ah well. Anywhere there's a floor works when you've got a Thermarest, I guess.

Enough for now. I might write a bit more later, if I find another WiFi connection.

-S


PS-- Here's a nice note to end on. I was worried I'd be picked off by a sniper on the roof, but luckily I escaped from my act of insubordination unscathed. Apparently most of the folks in Casper don't think too highly of Dick C either...