July 4th in Lander

I think this is a first, a post for two days in a row.  Today is July 4th, Happy Holiday!!!!!
This morning we went to the Oxbow for another great breakfast.  Then it was to Main St to find a good spot for the parade.  Lander is roughly in the center of Wyoming and I think about a quarter of the population of Wyoming comes for the celebration here.  The mile long parade route was filled on both sides of the road with spectators. The parade itself is typical, with the fire dept., the high school band and lots of other stuff.  I was expecting a few more western things and there was some.

Then it was into the Lander Bar and a few beers.

OK so we are in the bar and there are some folks dressed in last 1800's costume and Jason (one of the Brits) gets a lot of great photos with them.  Once he sends them to me, I will share them.

OH, we went to the Lander Pioneer Days Rodeo last night and this is the 117th year for this rodeo, the longest continuous rodeo in the country.

We all had a good time at the rodeo which did not end until around 10 pm.  The bike ride back was interesting especially without a front light. At least I had two red tail lights. OK, we have been warned that tonight we should not ride our bikes in town. A lot of crazy drunks setting off fireworks all over the place, literally.  Since we are camped on a bluff overlooking the city we will get a few beers and sit up here and watch the fireworks all over the city.

Life is Good

Bobo

Lander, WY

We are currently at the Sleeping Bear RV Park and Campground in Lander, WY after riding from Rawlins to Sweetwater Junction on Saturday.  This was a ride that had great contrasts in riding. For the first forty four miles we rode with the wind and averaged over sixteen miles an hour. Then we turned west and the wind also made an adjustment so that we were riding directly into the wind for the last forty five miles.  Our average speed went down to 12.5. OK maybe the riding was tough but the scenery was breathtaking.

This picture is of Split Rock, a famous landmark during the exploration and settling of the west.  When we finished the ride into Sweetwater Junction, our camp was at the Mormon Handcart Historical Site. During the Mormon migration to Utah many pulled handcarts literally a thousand miles or more., and I thought riding a bike across the country was hard. Well this was a lovely campsite on the Sweetwater River but it is also mosquito heaven.  I have never seen so many of these pesky bugs.  Well the combination of no showers, a layer of sunblock then bug juice, I will wash my sleeping bag today. 

This really is big country and the riding without traffic is fantastic.

We all got up very early on today (Sunday) for the ride to Lander which was 39 miles north. It is nice to ride in cool temperatures and we missed the wind that usually comes up about 11 AM. This turned out to be a very nice ride with a five mile downhill with absolutely no vehicle traffic on the road to worry about.

Once we arrived in Lander we set up camp and then went to the Oxbow for breakfast, and since we did not eat before heading out we had a big hunger on. Steak and eggs with hashbrowns and toast. That should hold me over until tonight. After dinner tonight I am going to the rodeo and this should be a good one since it is not just local talent.  Tomorrow the Adventure Cycling group is riding in the 4th of July Parade here in Lander.  Guess I should buy a flag for the bike or something.

Oh yea, we may also have a beer or two over the next couple of days, there is a brew pub.

Life is Good

Bobo

On to Wyoming

We had a fun day  in Breckenridge riding the Alpine Slide a couple of times and then going to the Brew Pub for some Avalanche beer.  I did buy a new North Face windwall fleece while in Breck and it has already come in handy.  The night temperatures have been getting down into the 40's.
On Tuesday the 28th we headed out to Hot Sulphur Springs early and rode a wonderful bike path from Breck to Silverthorne, almost 13 miles on smooth bike path past the Dillon reservoir. Our ride went pretty fast and we rode past another reservoir where I got a couple of nice pictures.

We all had to stop in Kemmerling to purchase groceries for our evening meal for which I was the chief cook and bottle washer.  When we arrived in Hot Sulphur Springs, our campground was under three feet of water.  The Colorado River, which the CG was on is at flood stage, as are all of the rivers in the west due to the unusually fast snow melt in the Rockies.

Well Terry our rabbit(he rides fast) got there first and then contacted a B&B who let us stay in their yard, use their showers and in general treated us great. their rooms are very nice and I would recommend anyone to stay at the Stagecoach Stop B&B in Hot Sulphur Springs.

On Wednesday we started the day off riding along the Colorado for about ten miles and then turned north to head for Walden, CO.  We climbed another pass (Willow Creek Pass at 9,680 ft.) and then rode over twenty miles on a road with wide cracks in the surface. This was not fun but I was glad to have the Brooks saddle with the springs on it. Others were not so lucky.  Walden was just another small northern Colorado town without much to distinguish it.  However the scenery on the ride was again spectacular.

Thursday took us into Wyoming after twenty two miles with a small climb of about 500 ft. vertical.  As I topped the hill I looked off to the west and the view was great except for the dark clouds moving in over the mountains.  Well I decided to make a run for Riverside, WY and pedaled as hard as I could for about twelve miles but stopped about three miles short of town to put on rain gear.  About a half mile from town the wind changed to come out of the west and went up to about thirty five miles an hour.  Then the sprinkles started and I continued to pedal hard and got the the Mangy Moose Saloon and under cover just before the skies really opened up.  There were only three of us who got out of the storm, the rest of the group got caught in hail, heavy rain and high winds. Most of them got off their bikes and took cover in the ditch on the side of the road.  By the way, the burger at the Mangy Moose was one of the best I have ever had.

The last 18 miles into Saratoga, WY were not too bad and the temperatures were right around seventy.  Nice riding. Our campground at Saratoga was at Saratoga Lake, nice location without many services such as water, showers, but they did have pit toilets.  The weather was very windy so no one went back into town.

We really did ride into Wyoming!

Our cooks did a great job this evening by opening up an ice fishing shack that was a little ways from the shore and setting up their kitchen in the shack out of the wind.  Very good meal was enjoyed by all. Then it was into the tents for the night. I did get to finish the book "Cobra". Now I will start using my new Kindle.

A nice short ride on Friday into Rawlins of forty miles.  The first twenty went by really fast and then we got on I-80 for thirteen miles into the wind.  That was not bad since David and I paced each other and maintained a nice speed.  We got of I-80 at Sinclair and rode seven more miles to Rawlins, into a thirty mile an hour wind.  Not fun, but we got it done.

I am now at the Western Hills Campground in Rawlins with all of the comforts, showers, laundry, nice bathrooms and a couple of saloons nearby.  We won't do much tonight since we have a 89 mile ride tomorrow and it may be into the wind for a good part of the way.

These roads in Wyoming just seem to go on and on and on, but the scenery is great. We have not seen much wildlife but everything so far is very green and has  not turned western brown yet.

Life is Good

Bobo

Into the Colorado Mountains

Wow, time is flying by, as I sit here in the AYH hostel in Breckenridge on the 26th of June, we have five weeks left on this trip. It has been a while since I have been able to get a good wifi connection so this may be a somewhat long post.
We got up in Sheridan Lake on Tuesday to beautiful day, sunny and cool with a light wind from the north.  On the road we had a 91 mile ride to get to Ordway to get back on schedule.  After 27 miles we stopped in Eads for a good breakfast and then back on the road and into a head wind for about 13 miles. Once we turned to the southwest we picked up speed and made good time for the rest of the ride.  A stop at a small rest stop in Arlington and then back on the road.  Lunch in a small cafe in Sugar City and then on to Ordway.  Now as we ride into Ordway we come up to the Ordway Hotel, an old building and I am thinking "this might be interesting".  Well it was, these were the nicest rooms that we have stayed in on the whole trip. The hotel originally opened in 1904 and a few years ago the current owners purchased it and remodeled every room.  David got a single room and we called it the "King David Suite".

To say the least David heard a lot about this room.

Wednesday we got up and headed for Pueblo, the biggest city is a long time for us.  The ride was good and we made excellent time on the 51 mile ride and there really was not much to say about this ride except that it brought us to a nice city.  The motel in Pueblo was OK and the five Amigos went out for dinner to DJ's Steak House and I had a buffalo steak that was the best meal of the ride to date. I forgot my sunglasses at the DJ's and had to go back a little later.

Thursday we got up and after a motel breakfast we headed for Royal Gorge and the ride was uphill and took us into the foothills of the Rockies.  We had our first climbs in a while and our legs got woken up to climbing.  We did have a very nice downhill from Wetmore to Florence and it lasted for ten miles.  Lunch in Florence and then we rode the worst road of the trip for seven miles into Canon City.  Very bad road surface, no shoulder, and heavy traffic. Oh, and the drivers in Colorado are the worst of the trip.  They do not give cyclists an inch.  I have had many cars pass me within a few inches.  Not fun!

Out of Canon City we had a seven mile uphill to Royal Gorge and at least there was a great shoulder.  The KOA campground at Royal Gorge was good and Sjef and I rented a small cabin for the two nights we were there, with air conditioning!

On Friday we had a rest day and while many of our group went rafting I rode to Royal Gorge and took a few pictures.

I walked across this wood deck bridge along with traffic.  The bridge rocks up and down and sways a little depending on how much traffic is on the bridge.  The gorge is deep and the Arkansas River flows through running high right now with snow melt from the mountains.  All in all this was a nice easy day and we got ready to head into the mountains on Saturday.

And head into the mountains we did on Saturday, with a 67 mile ride to Fairplay, CO. We climbed to an elevation on 9600 feet and for at least 30 miles had a strong headwind. This was a slow tough day of riding with the lowest speed of the trip at 8.96 mph.

We did stop for lunch in Hartsel in an old bar and had a good time there.

From Hartsel we rode the last 18 miles to Fairplay into a strong headwind. But we finally got to Fairplay and the motel we stayed in was better than most and after a good dinner we all turned in early.

Sunday was a big day for us.  We rode up to Hossier pass at 11,532 ft. (3,505 meters) and it was not a real tough ride.  The grades ranged from three to eight percent over ten miles. Once at the top we had a lot of hand shakes and backslapping since this is the highest pass on the entire tour.  The weather was perfect, about 70 on the top with sunshine.

Now after all of the picture taking and snowball fights it was time to head for Breckenridge, DOWNHILL for ten miles.  I put my helmet cam on and took a great video for the first five miles of the decent. This was fun and fast and we had a lot of chuckles after we got to Breck. We are staying at the AYH hostel, four to a bunk room but it is a really nice place.  They even did our laundry for us.

Speaking of laundry, before this trip, my friend Sjef had never done any laundry!  Well he has been turning into a regular laundry expert and when he gets home he may even do some laundry, time will tell.

We have a rest day tomorrow here in Breck and I will pick up my new Kindle and also mail out a package to Linda.

Life is Good

Bobo

Onward to Colorado

Friday the 17th had us riding to Ness City a total of 67 miles at over 15 miles per hour. This was a fun ride with a gradual grade all day.  The only thing about this type of riding is that you pedal all of the time. There are no downhills to stop pedaling and rest, so just keep pedaling away. We made one stop and arrived in Ness City just after noon.  Again the usual city pool and cold showers but it was nice.  In the evening there were severe storm warning and the local police came by to warn us that if the sirens sounded we should immediately seek cover. So OK we are in a park, where is the cover: four blocks away.  We did not hear any sirens but it can really storm out here.  Rain, very hard rain and strong winds along with the thunder and lightning. Some of our group did not select their tent sites well and had items floating in their tents.  But not me!
From Ness City on Saturday we rode to Scott City and we got slowed down a little by the continuous grade and a fairly strong side wind. This 57 mile ride thru central and western Kansas makes one realize just how big the great plains are, miles and miles of wheat and corn. It just keeps going.  You really do not get a feel for the size driving a car at 65, but at 13 miles an hour you sure understand the greatness of this land.
In Scott City we stayed in the Athleticlub and had a very nice evening after the five amigos went to the local watering hole for a few hours.  Great local people and some good stories.  Fortunately we were inside tonight because another of the evening severe storm warnings came up.  This time we were told to go into the shower areas of the building in case the sirens went off.  But once again we had a severe storm but no sirens.

Storm Clouds move in and within an hour we are in a very strong storm on the road on Monday.
That's getting a little ahead but on Sunday we rode to Tribune on our last full day in Kansas. This was another day of all pedaling on a gradual grade up and we made it to Tribune in good time and once again stayed at the local park with the cold shower and swimming pool.  No one came around to tell us about storm warning and we all went to sleep thinking this would be a quiet night, ha, ha, about 11:30 the winds came up, and I mean the winds came up with gusts up to 50 mph.  Kathy  in our group had a pole in her tent frame break and puncture her tent badly but other than that we all made it thru the wind storm fine.
The winds did not stop in the morning and after breakfast we got on the road with a very strong side wind from the north, with gusts up to 45 mph.  And we are riding on a main highway with lots of heavy truck traffic.  Nothing like being blown into the traffic lane by a gust but at least at the start of the ride it was not raining.  The picture above is of the storm clouds that we rode into and just as we entered Colorado the skies opened up and the temperature dropped about 12 degrees to 55 and this along with the side wind.

This picture was taken about 10 am and it had gotten very dark.  About two miles form here two of us stopped at a grain elevator scales and went into the building and talked with the operator and we stayed there for over an hour hoping that the weather would break since this had not been forecast.  The operator brought up the weather channel and the radar showed this storm settling in right over us for the day. Well it did not break and we went out again in the cold rain and wind and I rode 12 miles to Sheridan Lake and stopped in the auto parts store where we were told they sold snacks and soda.  I asked if there was anyplace where we could stay for the night and everyone there said to go to the local church, so here I am at 3:30 pm out of the weather and looking forward to a 85 mile ride tomorrow since I only rode 30 of the scheduled 57.  The weather for tomorrow is forecast to be sunny and warmer so we should make decent time with the winds forecast to be out of the north at 5 to 10 mph. 

Kansas was great to ride in, except for this morning we had essentially no wind issues but Colorado really welcomed us with cold, rain and high winds.

Life is Good   Bobo 

Central Kansas

OK, so after a really nice rest day on Tuesday and a good dinner at Montana Mike's Steak House we got up early and headed out for Sterling, KS.  The riding was flat and fast for touring, we averaged almost 14.5 mph and had a lot of fun.  Again there are very few places to get water or other provisions but in Nickerson, Sjef and I stopped at the Sunshine Cafe and had coffee and I had a home made cinnamon bun, it was huge for $1.59.  Sjef had his favorite, Eggs and toast. we stayed at the city park in Sterling  and had a good evening with a decent meal, hot dogs, hamburgers, salad and other goodies.
Many of us set up our tents near Sterling Lake and it was very nice until at 10:30 pm the sprinkler system that surrounds the lake came on, well it lasted for a half hour.  OK that is not too bad, in fact it kinda put me to sleep.  Well at 4:30am the sprinkler system starts up again and lasts for another half hour.  We took our time taking down our tents and it was pretty dry when I packed it up.
Oh, did I say this is the land of OZ, well it is, see below.

On Thursday we headed to Larned, KS and again this was a flat and fast ride with the winds helping us most of the way.  We have been lucky so far.  There were no services between Sterling and Larned to we rode the entire ride taking only one short break to stop and eat a little and water the roadside. The temperatures were OK and now that the humidity is finally reasonable, riding is comfortable.  Again we stayed at the city park in Larned and it worked out well with the swimming pool next door with showers and rest room facilities. 

About 6:30 PM a lady stopped by and told us that there were severe storm warnings for Larned until 11 PM.  Oh goodie, so we made sure that our tents were secure and the local police stopped by and opened a lodge for us in case the weather turned really bad.  A couple of our group went to the lodge and stayed there for the night.  About 8:30 the first storm came thru and the winds came up pretty good, secure in the tent I read for a while and listened to the storm.  Good light show and lots of loud thunder.  Winds gusted to 50 mph and it was a good blow.  It stopped for a while and then about 11 started again and it was not as severe as the first storm but is was pretty good.  No hail or twisters but there was a small twister about 50 miles away.

Friday when we got up there was a nice breeze blowing from guess where, the EAST, Oh boy another good day of riding.  As we ride from town to town you can tell there is a town coming up when you see the grain elevator, usually at first about 10 to 12 miles away.

Every town has one and sometimes more than one. 

Early this morning we rode to Fort Larned an outpost on the Santa Fe Trail in the mid 1800's

The buildings were not open yet so we could not take a good tour but it was interesting to see one of these frontier forts. The well constructed stone buildings were solid and the fort was in use by the Army for about 30 years. 

Riding the last three days we have slowly begun to climb toward the Rockies, Each day we are picking up four to six hundred feet of elevation and with the luck we have had with the wind our riding has been fast.  Today over 67 miles I averaged 15.42 mph.  I doubt that I will be able to do that again but it was fun to do.  Everyone was so worried about the winds riding east to west but except for a couple of short stretches on the entire trip the wind has not been a problem. All that could change quickly but we will take the good winds for as long as they are with us.

Now a friend of mine is complaining that I am staying in motels too often and should rough it more or give up camping.  Well this is coming from the holder of the No Tell Motel, Master Motel Stayer Award Certificate.  This guy camped with me for a couple of weeks last year and let me tell you, he will never get a Master Camper Certificate, bitch, bitch, and more bitching about camping.  By the way tonight we are camping at the city park in Ness City, KS.  Kansas is cool in that most cities have nice parks with swimming pools and allow cyclists to stay for free. Today we do get the benefit of cold showers, My Motel friend would love that!

Hey everyone, Life if Good  Bobo

Kansas

Over the weekend we rode thru eastern Kansas and really had some scenic riding.  It is a lot flatter here and so far the winds have not been a big factor. On Saturday we rode to Chanute, KS and stayed overnight at the Episcopal church.  Sjef and I picked a small room and claimed it as ours for the night.  Our cooks decided they did not want to really cook so off to WalMart they went and picked up rotisserie chickens and some premade salads. it must have been OK because there was nothing left.

Terry and I went to the Safari Museum in Chanute and it is dedicated to Martin and Osa Johnson who were early filmmakers of wildlife in Borneo and Africa.  This was a real gem and an unexpected treat on the trip.  The picture is of the old train station that houses the museum and the city library.

On Saturday evening five of us decided to ride a century on Sunday since the temperatures were forecast to be in the mid eighty's and winds were to be favorable.  So in the morning the five of us took off early and rode thru some typical Kansas countryside.  We only had one steep but short climb and the rest of the time it was one to three percent grades up and then down, miles and miles of grades up and down. We rode and made good time averaging almost fifteen miles an hour. and arrived in Cassaday around 3:30 PM.  The only thing open in Cassaday was a country store and we ate there before setting up camp in the city park.  This was the poorest camp yet, with dirty tables, dirtier outhouses and one water spigot.  But with the nice breeze and the constant train whistles all night we did get a good night sleep.  Cassadsy is a railway crossroads of sorts and there are trains going by about every 20 minutes of so.

This was it for Cassaday, the country store and not much more.

OK so we get up on Monday morning and have breakfast, of course at the country store, and everyone wants to head out since the temperature is forecast to go up over 100 and the winds will change about mid day, and not in our favor, so off we go.  A little short of four miles out I reach for my camel back tube, and it is not there, it is back at the country store.  So I turn around and head back and this allows me to add an extra eight miles to my days ride.  Fortunately with the century on Sunday I only had to ride forty five miles.  The countryside was mostly pasture for livestock. I did not realize that Kansas has a lot of oil wells. On this ride there was not one single turn.  Thirty eight miles of absolutely straight road.

I actually made good time getting to Newton, KS but for about the last six miles the wind was getting stronger and beginning to come out of the south west.  Made for a little more work but it was OK since we are staying at the Day's Inn in Newton and Tuesday is a rest day for us.

Well I don't know if I mentioned that I ordered a helmet cam last week from REI for delivery to the Newton Post Office via general delivery.  REI in their wisdom sends the helmet mount by mail but decides to send the camera via UPS.  Now UPS does not deliver to post offices so the delivery was refused.  Fortunately I caught this in time and called REI and had them reroute the camera to the motel and I finally received it today. Maybe I will be able to post some video, maybe not, we will see when I have something to make a film of.

Being a rest day we all clean and lube our bikes so today I do the routine and notice that my Brooks saddle is a little stretched out so I get out the wrench and try to tighten it up. The result is that I break the adjusting bolt. Two hundred miles from the nearest bike shop and I break a special bolt, Its a good day.  I walked over to the truck stop (its a big one) and talk to the mechanics in the garage and we get a bolt and nut and finally get it in place correctly and the saddle is as good as new, and I am now a certified Brooks saddle mechanic.  The guys at the shop were great.  We are finding that generally speaking everyone we have met on the trip has been very nice.

This is our last rest day for nine days until we get to Royal Gorge CO. so I do not know when the next blog post will take place.  Services in the small towns out here are very limited and we all make sure that we are loaded up with water and snacks when we head out.  It is getting very common to go forty miles without a water stop or anything.  Ranches tend to be way off the route on gravel roads and some of the gravel out here is very sharp.  I picked out 4 stones from my tires today.  Tonight is steak night so it is almost time to indulge.

Life is Good  Bobo