Ride Report: 67 Miles, 1,658 Total Miles, 16.7 Avg. mph, 1,837 Ft. Climbing, 4,107 calories.
Considering that Sig and I crossed the continental divide not once, but twice, I think the average speed listed in the ride report is, well, pretty darned good. At times we had a tailwind, at times crosswind and at times headwind. It was pretty much an average wind day (at least in my experience) here in Wyoming. The same was true of the scenery - it was...average.
I also learned something this morning. Susan doesn't always understand what I'm telling her. I walked out of the bathroom this morning and pronounced that it was a good thing the tube of toothpaste was almost empty because I threw it away. She inquired why I might have done so, since there was still perfectly good toothpaste left in the tube. I told her it was all wet. She wanted to know why. The answer was obvious, "Because I rinsed it off." Susan: "What? Why would you rinse it off." Me (Sighs): "Because I dropped it in the toilet." Sometimes it's like twenty questions to get her to understand what I'm telling her. I just don't get it...
But back to today's real fun - the ride to Rawlins...
Once we cleared the cloud of mosquitoes lying in wait at Jeffrey City, this was the view. This was no mean feat, the mosquitoes were both numerous and aggressive. At one point they pulled me off Sig and into the ditch to feed. Sig came in with both handlebars swinging and extricated me, following which we rode like the wind to escape. It's like they're the winged monkeys from The Wizard of Oz or something. BTW - this was pretty much the view all day.
This is "Split Rock". Hence the name of the bar/restaurant at which I dined yesterday afternoon. It was apparently a marker for everybody from the Pony Express to emigrants headed West back in the day. When we headed South out of town this morning, it was visible in the distance for probably 10 miles. Used by permission of Susan Schoen Photography, LLC. (Hey - I was busy riding.)
OK - I admit defeat on this one. I think it was just yesterday that I said I had a fairly good idea how these geologic formations come to be, but this one has me stumped. Any geologists out there wanna help out? At first glimpse from a distance I thought it was a man made structure. Obviously not.
Then at some point before lunch, Susan forced this upon me at a brief stop. This, boys and girls, is strawberry rhubarb pie WITH ice cream. After how she dealt with that mouse, I wasn't sayin no...
Wyoming just has an eclectic mix of rock formations. This granite intrusion was in the middle of a plain with a river running thru it. Perhaps I should have paid more attention in Geology 101 back in college.
As I said earlier - two crossings of the continental divide today. This was number 1. I'd like the reader to believe that it was a big deal, but not so much. The grade getting there was pretty shallow and only went on for maybe 5-6 miles. But hey - it's still a continental divide.
Then it was break/experiment time. This time with the last of the remaining four food groups: grains. This would be basil spaghetti - made, I'm sure, from thoroughly processed wheat flour. My lab assistant (Susan) found it left over in the fridge. But a grain is a grain regardless of its form. Pretty darned good!
I believe that at this point I can declare an end to the OE research. While the research still has to undergo peer review in the American Journal of Nutrition and Food Science, early indications are promising. I think it safe to give my readers the inside scoop - so long as you all don't go out and buy Oreo stock. The OE is the real deal. It appears that Oreos do, in fact, improve the taste of everything. The lab has been contacted by the American Medical Association. They're wanting to glom onto our research and make some specific recommendations as to the MDOI (Minimum Daily Oreo Intake).
Back out on the open road, there was this. It may be difficult to discern from a distance, but it looks like this entire section of the Earth's surface was uplifted on one end. The "pasture" just takes off at an upward angle. I can't imagine the forces necessary to make this happen, but there were several examples of it as we neared Rawlins.
And just to illustrate the sameness of the scenery (for 67 miles) today I proffer the following two pics...
I stopped...somewhere...to take this pic of where Sig and are going.
I then rotated 180 degrees and took this pic of from whence we had just come. This is like that game you played with two photos as a kid. How many things different can the reader find. Clouds don't count.
Susan found this marker on the route today. It tells the story of mines that formerly dotted the hills near Rawlins and provided a mineral used to make red paint, well...red. They were quite proud of it. Used by permission of Susan Schoen Photography, LLC.
The scenery finally changed today on the run-up to continental divide #2. Note the road snaking up the hill in the distance. Once again, not particularly challenging. The first mile ran 6-7%, but thereafter no more than 4% with much of it in the 2-3% range. But it did run on for 6 miles.
Six miles later, we found the obligatory sign. Number two for the day. After this, it was a (mostly) downhill jaunt of 9ish miles to our overnight stop - the Wal-Mart in Rawlins. When Susan got there, a semi had just taken the spot where she wanted to park. She sent me over to inquire as to whether the trucker was going to overnight there or be leaving shortly. I caught her giving him some sort of hand signals as I pedaled over and when I got there he told me he'd be leaving shortly. As he pulled out about 20 minutes later he drove right past The Rig and gave Susan a thumbs up. I'm tellin ya - marry a Teamster.
But speaking of the trucker, he seemed to be a good guy. As I was just getting there to talk with him, what can only be described as an aged, homeless cowboy got to him first. Lest the reader doubt my description, this is him in the pic below...
Ya had to see the inside of the back of the van. The guy was homeless.
As it turns out, he wanted to tell the trucker that when they do...whatever is is they do with their air brakes that makes them screech...the screech sounded just like a female puma in heat. How he came by this observation I've no idea, but he seemed particularly intent that the trucker should understand this fact. I left them conversing about this unusual, but interesting, oddity involving air brakes and returned to The Rig. Shortly, the trucker broke away and headed into Wally-World. When he came out, he loaded his purchases in His Rig, and shortly returned to the Cowboy's van and gave him a plate of food. Like I said, good guy.
And finally, this...
And finally, this...
Having reached Rawlins, WY we have now completed map section 5.
And while I know that I've provided the day's destinations in the title of each post, I thought the reader might like an overview of section 5. Click on the pic to enlarge.
Till next time.
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