Friday, July 07, 2006
Day 19 - Casper, WY - 7th July - A day off!
Weather: Sunny
Location: Casper, WY
Miles per day: 0
Today is a day of rest and reflection. After the last 9 days of riding, I was desperate for this day and it could not come too soon. For those who read my yesterday's posting, I apologise. When I initially posted it, I was exhausted after cycling 120 plus miles. I only realised that on re-reading it, it barely made sense. I made editorial corrections earlier today.
Time is flying by so quickly. I look back and can hardly believe I've made it! Seventeen days of riding and already 1,328 miles and 2.5 states. Great weather. Great cycling. Great challenge. I now wake up wanting to pedal. At the nightly route rap, I no longer flinch seeing the following day's elevation or long miles. I get a feeling of wanting to be on the bike.
Not much happens on a day off. Get some extra sleep, laundry, clean bikes and visit the local sites. Whilst I enjoyed my day off, I won't miss Casper. I'm ready to ride!
PS - some history: At Casper, Oregon Trail travelers had to cross the North Platte River in order to follow the Sweetwater River for the next portion of their trek. A small fort called Platte Bridge Station housed soldiers who protected the area. When the Indian wars heated up in 1865, young Lieutenant Caspar Collins was sent to provide safe escort for a wagon train carrying critical supplies for the fort. Shortly after his arrival, he came into conflict with the Lakota warriors and was killed. They renamed the Plate Bridge Station in memory of Collins, calling it Fort Caspar since there was already a Fort Collins in northern Colorado, named for Caspar Collin's father. The city of Casper was established in 1888, eleven years after Fort Caspar was abandoned. Some obscure person misspelled Caspar as Casper. The Casper vicinity has long been noted for its oil, initially mixed with flour and marketed as axle grease for emigrant's wagons. Casper's destiny was set as a boom and bust oil town. Wyoming's economy continues to be based on Oil.
Location: Casper, WY
Miles per day: 0
Today is a day of rest and reflection. After the last 9 days of riding, I was desperate for this day and it could not come too soon. For those who read my yesterday's posting, I apologise. When I initially posted it, I was exhausted after cycling 120 plus miles. I only realised that on re-reading it, it barely made sense. I made editorial corrections earlier today.
Time is flying by so quickly. I look back and can hardly believe I've made it! Seventeen days of riding and already 1,328 miles and 2.5 states. Great weather. Great cycling. Great challenge. I now wake up wanting to pedal. At the nightly route rap, I no longer flinch seeing the following day's elevation or long miles. I get a feeling of wanting to be on the bike.
Not much happens on a day off. Get some extra sleep, laundry, clean bikes and visit the local sites. Whilst I enjoyed my day off, I won't miss Casper. I'm ready to ride!
PS - some history: At Casper, Oregon Trail travelers had to cross the North Platte River in order to follow the Sweetwater River for the next portion of their trek. A small fort called Platte Bridge Station housed soldiers who protected the area. When the Indian wars heated up in 1865, young Lieutenant Caspar Collins was sent to provide safe escort for a wagon train carrying critical supplies for the fort. Shortly after his arrival, he came into conflict with the Lakota warriors and was killed. They renamed the Plate Bridge Station in memory of Collins, calling it Fort Caspar since there was already a Fort Collins in northern Colorado, named for Caspar Collin's father. The city of Casper was established in 1888, eleven years after Fort Caspar was abandoned. Some obscure person misspelled Caspar as Casper. The Casper vicinity has long been noted for its oil, initially mixed with flour and marketed as axle grease for emigrant's wagons. Casper's destiny was set as a boom and bust oil town. Wyoming's economy continues to be based on Oil.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Day 18 - Casper, Wyoming - July 6th 2006
Weather: Sunny (good tailwinds most of the day) Location: Casper, Wyoming (from Riverton, WY)
Miles per day: 122.67
Average miles per hour: 15.10 (a great average with the help of tailwinds)
Elevation climb:
Blizzards/Ice Cream to date: 13 (very little access to food all day)
Flat Tires to date: 1
Here on the edge of Hells Half Acre (see photo below), a tempting business opportunity! Most of us were expecting to have a Buffalo Burger here but were disappointed. We then spent twenty minutes calculating the number of cars/trucks coming by and developing a marketing plan. Somehow, I don't think my next job will be here.
Hells Half Acre - the picture really doesn't capture the barreness of this area. The view from my potential new restaurant!Six weeks ago I had hardly ridden a bike more than 5 miles. I am astounded that I could possibly say that riding 122.67 miles today was so easy but its true. I loved every minute of it. I was cruising along at a very pleasant rate of 15.10 mph - quite a fast pace for myself (of course, I must admit the luxury of the Tailwind). Although, my body is now well rehearsed for the daily challenge.
Last night, there was trepidation of the next day - we were told there were strong possibilities of Headwinds (nasty to ride in) combined with our longest distance day (120 plus). This could be really tough. With a 4:00 AM alarm, I bolted out of bed to ensure an ontime departure at sunrise. I was on the road at 5:34 AM with some apprehension but it quickly turned to confidence as I realised a few facts:
1- we had a TAILWIND (giving me 3-4 mile push).
2-The total elevation climb for the day was minimal compared to previous days.
3- I was energised at the thought of a rest day tomorrow.
The day literally was a long breeze!
The scenery remained desolate. We passed Boysen State Park with a nice lake but then it turned to arid climate. There were no trees, no vegetation, no decent roadside stops for the 120 miles. NOTHING! Occasionally, there were oil drills scattered about. We passed towns with populations of 10 or 20 every 30 miles or so. Wyoming is one of the least populated States with about 500,000 people in total. It is remote and desolate.
Roadkill was present everywhere (over 300 I would estimate for the day), if you didn't see it you could certainly could smell them. On a more positive note, there were occasional sitings of live antelope, cows and rabbits.
We managed to find one road side stop - it was very old. It was selling food with questionable sell-by-dates along with stuffed rattlesnakes (odd combination). I opted to skip eating at this foodstop. We then stopped at Hells Half Acre - an amazing site. It was a 'badlands' like canyon where it was believed Indians pushed Buffalo off the ravines for food. It was quite a spectacular site - I have tried to capture it with photos but concluded that the photos probably would not do it justice.
We then pedaled another 40 arriving into Casper.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Day 17 - Riverton, Wyoming - July 5th 2006
Weather: Sunny. Low 90s. Beautiful day. VERY DRY.
Location: Riverton, Wyoming (from Dubois, Wyoming)
Miles per day: 79.7
Average miles per hour: 14.84 (lots of downhill)
Elevation climb: MINUS 1900 (a downhill day!)
Blizzards/Ice Cream to date: 14 (a Monster Blizzard today)
Flat Tires to date: 1
Today was a fantastic day of downhill. A welcome relief after the two previous days. Scenery was a bit sparse and very dry. Speaking to a woman in Kinnear (population 44), she said it rarely rains or snows. (On a side note, we sat in the only store in town for about an hour and concluded we had met 25% of the population.).
In an effort to develop the Riverton region, in 1902 Congress passed an act ratifying an agreement with the Indians of the Wind River Reservation, ceding lands north of Wind River to the United States. Plans were developed to create 3 dams: Bull Lake Dam (1930-38), Wind River Diversion Dam (1920-23) and Pilot Butte Dam. With irrigation, the region could then be economically developed. Looking about the place today, it appears to remain an extremely dry area and somewhat sparsely populated (Riverton population is just 9310). There continues to be a thriving American Indian influence (with Casinos) accentuated with local Walmart, Kmart and all the American Fast Food joints (thankfully DQ!). That's progress eh?As today was a relatively quiet day, I would like to remind everyone that I am raising money for 'Save the Children Foundation', an international relief agency for children in need with an emphasis on a 'hand up' rather than just a 'hand out'. If you would like to donate, their is a link to the right side of my blog.
Day 16 - Dubois, Wyoming - July 4th 2006
Weather: Sunny
Location: Dubois, Wyoming (from Jackson, Wyoming)
Miles per day: 85.5
Average miles per hour: 10.98
Elevation climb: 4716 feet
Blizzards/Ice Cream to date: 13
Flat Tires to date: 1
The lyrics of America the Beautiful were written by Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929) an instructor at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, after an inspiring trip to the top of Pikes Peak, Colorado, in 1893. For me, the song was in my head all day as it might also have been written after seeing the Grand Tetons.... And here is just the first verse.
" O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea! "
I am not on this trip because I am an avid cyclist (I am DFL daily) but because I simply have been homesick for the America (after living nearly 14 years in England) that I knew in my youth. By the age of 21, I was lucky enough to have been able to have camped throughout America. For many years, I have been itching to see America at a grass roots level again. I can assure you that I am now getting my fill each and everyday, mile by mile and its wonderful. The natural beauty and spectacular scenery is simply indescribable. Today (this 4th of July) allowed me to absorb all aspects; the sights, the sounds, the smells and the feeling of being in this beautiful country. I feel so lucky to be spending the 4th of July in my most favorite place: The Grand Tetons! A must see!
As I cycled, I could also sense the positive aspects of America: the outdoors, the people (my fellow riders) and the raw buzz of entrepreneurism. Today, in the middle of nowhere, I stopped by a gas (petrol) station under renovation. It was in a terrible state but was showing some signs of hope with new construction. Before I knew it, I was chatting with the new proud owner. He was full of enthusiasm having bought the place 18 months ago with big plans to create a restaurant and additional accomodation. He was relaxing on the front bench as he described his big plans. It was inspring. He had all the freedom to live his dream anywhere in America. He chose to rebuild Lava Lodge, Dubois, Wyoming. I will one day be keen to return to see how he progressed.Now on a final note, I (and a few others on this trip) are struggling with the limitations of blogger and loading photos. This is a daily frustration and as a result today (best photos yet), I have posted to Flicker. I hope you can see them. I will continue to pursue getting photos onto my Blog direct. http://www.flickr.com/photos/anniesbigbikeadventure/sets/72157594188925946/
Monday, July 03, 2006
Day 15 - Jackson, Wyoming - July 3rd 2006
Weather: Sunny (some clouds) and 82Location: Jackson, Wyoming (from Idaho Falls, Idaho)
Miles per day: 88.72
Average miles per hour: 11.50
Top speed: 41.80 MPH - ripping down a 12% grade! great fun going faster than the speed limit!
Total elevation climb: 7414 Feet
Blizzards/Ice Cream to date: 12
Flat Tires to date: 1
I received an email from Japan recently that gave me a great japanese word: Gambatte meaning 'endure, fight and don't give up'..... Today, I lived by those words. It was a spectacular day. However, I would be lying if I told you that today was easy.... Not in the least! It was actually brutal. We started with a nasty Headwind (something you only notice when you are trying to pedal forward, look down and realise you are only plugging along at 8 mph). With Tailwinds, you hardly notice the benefit but can cruise along 3-4 mph faster (gets me going 17 mph) and it is very enjoyable. After 25 miles of headwind, we started to move into the Targhee National Forest heading through Pine Creek Pass and then towards Grand Tetons Pass (elevation 8341 feet). Now the fun began! Initial grades were 6% but the last 6.6 miles had grades varying in the range of 8 to 15%... just brutal and toss in, incrediby challenging and difficult. At times, I felt excruciating pain and thoughts of misery moving at just 3.5 MPH wondering if it would ever end.
Then came the exhilerating emotional high - the reward of reaching the summit of Grand Tetons Pass. Few words can describe the raw emotion of joy and happiness. Life can't get much better. A feeling that brought tears to my eyes.
We had brilliant fun talking to those who took the easy way (via car). The weather had been swinging from sunny to rain all day but cleared for us - we could see for miles. Absolutely spectacular! We then ripped down 5 miles of 10% grade with top speeds of 41.80 MPH --- great hair razing fun. The finale for me was viewing the Grand Tetons in the late afternoon sun (see photo). Arriving at the hotel, we munched into gigantic chocolate chip cookies (sent by a rider who left us the previous week). Just what the doctor ordered!
Today was the by far the toughest ride day but also one of the most enjoyable in terms of natural beauty.
We topped the evening off in Jackson by stopping into the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar where the bar stools are horse saddles. And of course, I requested 'We're going to Jackson' by Johny Cash which had been buzzing in my head all day (of course, that song is for Jackson, Mississippi!). Tomorrow is another 85 miles heading to Dubois with 6% (piece of cake compared to today).
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Day 14 - Idaho Falls, Idaho - July 2nd 2006
Weather: Sunny 95
Location: Idaho Falls (from Burley, Idaho)
Miles per day: 34.15
Average miles per hour: 14.85
Elevation climb: Not worth mentioning - very flat
Blizzards/Ice Cream to date: 12
Flat Tires to date: 1
Today was an easy day. You could almost call it a non-riding day. We set out along the Snake River and before you know it, we were done. We needed a day like this because the next 4 are going to be real tough stuff and we must be ready!
Our destination today, Idaho Falls has man-made falls for its Hydro-Electric Plant (there are as many as 10 along the Snake River). Over 50% of the towns electric power comes from the dam which was rebuilt in 1982.
Since today is a short day, I shall mention the details of my bike. Which is the right bike for this trip? Through conversations, I've learned that no two bikes are the same and much is down to personal preference. My bike is a Trek 520, a traditional long distance touring bike with the ability to carry both front and back panniers. It is often referred to as the Limousine of Long Distance or even a Lounge Chair of Long Distance. Its real strength for this trip is that it is comfortable for riding on the bike for long hours (due to its long frame design). That said, with a steel frame, it is heavier than most of the bikes on the tour (possibly my excuse for being last so many days!). I have mixed feelings with the bike as many comment on its weight. Although at the last bike shop, a chap was commenting that '"I may not be the fastest with the bike but I would be guaranteed to be the most comfortable". With my long days on the bike, the Trek 520 is the perfect bike for me.
With over 50 people on the tour, people have various brands (Trek, Specialised or Lemonds) of road bikes (which are lighter). There are two Tandem teams, two recumbents and one Tri-pod bike (a woman and her two children). I am impressed by the daily bike maintenance performed on all the bikes - lots of polishing and cleaning to ensure the bikes stay in tip-top shape.
Finally, I am really enjoying the group and the support and kindness people have given me. In particular, the 3 Amigos are inspiring.
