Sam I Am

June 15, 2025

Started a bit early today to try and beat the heat. Before we headed out from Colorado, Mrs G checked the temperatures and precipitation for each state across the whole trip. So how is it that every day has been warmer than average, with today being 15 degrees above average at the end of the ride? Either Mrs G was messing with me or Mother Nature is, and on Father’s Day! Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and that includes guys with human children and furry ones too.

I wish I could introduce you to all the people I met today but today was not a good day for meeting or even talking to people. The towns were tiny e.g., Otto has a population of 50 (and no that isn’t a typo) and of course it is Sunday. About 20 miles in was the first chance I had to speak with anyone other than Mrs G, and that was the clerk at the gas station. The next person I had a chance to talk with was at about the 70-mile mark. It was a local cyclist who was finishing his ride. That conversation lasted about 2 minutes, and we didn’t even exchange names.

As for the ride, it was ~72 miles with ~2k of climbing. At the start of the ride, it was still sorta brown like yesterday, but it quickly turned green as I rode on the county road versus the highway. And that’s where I almost met Sam and his friends. Farm dog Sam decided to make a b-line for me, but fortunately the woman of the farm, sternly called him back. That was my first dog experience on this trip, and I can say with full confidence that only one of us came away happy. Mrs G did get to meet Sam and his two friends as she was driving by…no humans or dogs were injured.

Warm until it was hot, flat until it wasn’t, brown fields until there were green fields until the painted mountains appeared, and I just kept crossing rivers; the Grey Bull then the Big Horn and then the Nowood (about 10 times) Rivers. All in all, a good day with one complaint.

When I rode the TransAmerica route I thought Kansas was challenging from the perspective of available services. Well compared to Wyoming today, Kansas is one big booming metropolis with a place to get water, food, and shelter all along the route. For many reasons, I am lucky to have Mrs G along for this part of the ride. Now if she would just switch places and let me drive and her pedal for a while. Tomorrow would be a great day for that as there is a huge climb right at the start, but I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow after it’s over.

I have some nice pictures to share, including a sign of the day. Spoiler alert, tomorrow’s scenery pictures are going to be stunning, but they will be mostly Mrs G pictures, unless she agrees to pedal while I drive…doubtful ;-)

Until tomorrow,

Sunrise at Kate's Ranch from the Guest House porch

Figured I should change my jersey every now and again. Brings back memories as this is the jersey I wore most days when I did the TransAmerica route

Seriously, put on your glasses...that's a car not a blue cow

Now that's one way to spend Father's Day, another is riding 72 miles on a hot Wyoming day

Hopefully you've kept your glasses on because I am that tiny little dot riding up the road on the way to Manderson, WY (population 91, a much bigger town than Otto)

Those cows have the right idea, hanging out under the sprinklers is way more comfortable than riding a bike

First view of the painted mountains. These came up just a handful of miles from the end of the ride

Ten Sleep is where the ride ended today. Consider this today's history lesson

Today's ride: 72 miles (116 km)
Total: 230 miles (370 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	2
Comment on this entry	Comment	0