Day 36 - Dubois to Lander: It's All Down Hill with A Tailwind.... - Off To See the Wizard

July 4, 2014

Day 36 - Dubois to Lander: It's All Down Hill with A Tailwind....

That's the last thing I remember a certain someone saying as we headed out today. Let's just say he was right the first 15 miles....after that it was a mix of up, down, headwind, crosswind, flat and tailwind. We had no choice but to make it here as the Wind River Reservation covered 75 miles of the ride today. The Shoshone, Arapaho and a few Cheeokee live on this beautiful land. More of the painted hills from yesterday with land that is green, purple, salmon and red. Truly beautiful.

This is just a quick check-in as it is the 4th of July. Know you all have been having Bar-B-Q all day, we just arrived. The good news is we called ahead a couple of days ago and got the last tent space in town. We checked a few hotels coming in just in case and "sold out" everywhere. One of our neighbors gave me a couple of beers so I am going to enjoy. Know that after that and a 78 mile day....I will be done.

There really isn't to much to talk about today other than the shoulder......which was awful! Would have rather have had none. Here are a few reasons why cyclists do NOT ride in the shoulder for you non riding folks who wonder why are we not there. BTW it was a wide one....to bad.

1 - Glass and debris in the shoulder. Today the most glass we have seen on the trip. And the number one dread.....blown out retreads. They have tiny thin wire in them that can go right through our bike tire!!

2 - Rumble strips - on the left, in the middle and once two down the middle. Nightmare.

3 - Cracks...huge three to four inches wide. Not filled in when you went over them the whole bike would shake loose spokes and racks.

4 - Cracks..that were filled with asphalt and when warm you would sink. I would skid and then felt like a flat.

Hope you all had a great 4th......

And yes....we raced the rain in again! So far we are 4-us beating the rain! and 0.........rain beating us! I forgot the two times we rode in the rain.....So it's 4 and 2.

Janet, out running the rain today! It was a race! Actually it went all around us ...but never on us. It would have cooled us off. In the mid 80's.

This is our neighbor..Jack says we could tow it!! They pull it with a motor cycle.

Today's ride: 78 miles (126 km)
Total: 1,352 miles (2,176 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	3
Comment on this entry	Comment	0