Woke up at 5. Had camp breakfast (instant oatmeal, make-shift coffee press coffee, bagels with peanut butter and/or cream cheese, bananas). Loaded the truck.
I decided to take my time leaving this morning, to ensure that I wouldn't precede waterstops. Riders taking off first-thing, or going at a 15+mph pace stand the chance of reaching stops before the crew. In those cases, Riders are on their own to carry or procure water as needed. The distance between the Riders at the back of the string and those in front is sometimes 30 miles. Too far for the crew to be able to cover. Those in back take priority.
Temps and wind today were conducive to a 17 mph pace for many of the Riders. Given my late start and those conditions, water was not a problem. Rosie and I rode the entire route together - sharing stories about work, friends and family. It all started with "what is it that you do - when you're not riding?"
We passed rolling green hills, with hints of desert-like conditions. Came across the Welcome to Wyoming sign and had to take several photos. It's located at the base of someone's driveway. Imagine having people stop in front of your house on a regular basis to take photos of such a sign.
At one point on the route, there was a marking on the road from the crew: Dogs. Hmmm. But where?
The cautionary clue was on the pavement, on one side of some railroad tracks. A train (an increasingly common part of our landscape) was passing by. Once it had gone, we hopped over the tracks, warily, wondering where the dogs were in wait. We closely ascended a short, gently climb, took a few more turns, and rode through a small commercial area. Time to take a right. Dogs. Out in the road. Looking warily at us. One starting barking, which of course alerted other dogs. As they came out of their yards, the avenue took on the appearance of a challenge course. And sounded like a kennel at feeding time. There were about 5 or 6 of us, and as many of them. We proceeded slowly with some deliberation, and spaced ourselves out. I picked up one of my water bottles and had its spout open in case I needed to try the ol' water deterrent. The canines continued to bark, and we continued our careful course through their neighborhood. All parted ways peacefully without incident. Whew. Happy to have had the warning.
Reached our destination of a KOA campground on the outskirts of Sheridan, by early afternoon. Wow, what a de-luxe camping spot. Nice bathrooms and showers, laundry facilities, a little camp store, and an ice cream social at 7pm - $1 for a bowl. Let's sign up for more KOA's.
After setting up our tents, Rosie and I rode into town to find the library. We had to dodge a bit of construction work, but found the building facing a serene park. Went inside to find the public computers. The hour limit was a bit restricting but gave us a chance to make some blog and photo headway. It's hard to keep things current when computers are a sometimes kind of thing.
As there was still time before dinner to fit in a free-form meal, we returned to Main Street and asked about sandwich places or cafes. Had a very reviving late, late, lunch at Java Moon Cafe. Returned to camp in time for a pizza delivery dinner. Took advantage of the opportunity to wash some riding clothes, and had to sample some of the ice cream while my shorts were tossing in the dryer.
We had a group meeting to discuss timing for tomorrow's ride: our longest distance so far - 112 miles. With some hesitation, we agreed to rise at 4:30am and leave the campsite by 6. Time to turn in.
I decided to take my time leaving this morning, to ensure that I wouldn't precede waterstops. Riders taking off first-thing, or going at a 15+mph pace stand the chance of reaching stops before the crew. In those cases, Riders are on their own to carry or procure water as needed. The distance between the Riders at the back of the string and those in front is sometimes 30 miles. Too far for the crew to be able to cover. Those in back take priority.
Temps and wind today were conducive to a 17 mph pace for many of the Riders. Given my late start and those conditions, water was not a problem. Rosie and I rode the entire route together - sharing stories about work, friends and family. It all started with "what is it that you do - when you're not riding?"
We passed rolling green hills, with hints of desert-like conditions. Came across the Welcome to Wyoming sign and had to take several photos. It's located at the base of someone's driveway. Imagine having people stop in front of your house on a regular basis to take photos of such a sign.
At one point on the route, there was a marking on the road from the crew: Dogs. Hmmm. But where?
The cautionary clue was on the pavement, on one side of some railroad tracks. A train (an increasingly common part of our landscape) was passing by. Once it had gone, we hopped over the tracks, warily, wondering where the dogs were in wait. We closely ascended a short, gently climb, took a few more turns, and rode through a small commercial area. Time to take a right. Dogs. Out in the road. Looking warily at us. One starting barking, which of course alerted other dogs. As they came out of their yards, the avenue took on the appearance of a challenge course. And sounded like a kennel at feeding time. There were about 5 or 6 of us, and as many of them. We proceeded slowly with some deliberation, and spaced ourselves out. I picked up one of my water bottles and had its spout open in case I needed to try the ol' water deterrent. The canines continued to bark, and we continued our careful course through their neighborhood. All parted ways peacefully without incident. Whew. Happy to have had the warning.
Reached our destination of a KOA campground on the outskirts of Sheridan, by early afternoon. Wow, what a de-luxe camping spot. Nice bathrooms and showers, laundry facilities, a little camp store, and an ice cream social at 7pm - $1 for a bowl. Let's sign up for more KOA's.
After setting up our tents, Rosie and I rode into town to find the library. We had to dodge a bit of construction work, but found the building facing a serene park. Went inside to find the public computers. The hour limit was a bit restricting but gave us a chance to make some blog and photo headway. It's hard to keep things current when computers are a sometimes kind of thing.
As there was still time before dinner to fit in a free-form meal, we returned to Main Street and asked about sandwich places or cafes. Had a very reviving late, late, lunch at Java Moon Cafe. Returned to camp in time for a pizza delivery dinner. Took advantage of the opportunity to wash some riding clothes, and had to sample some of the ice cream while my shorts were tossing in the dryer.
We had a group meeting to discuss timing for tomorrow's ride: our longest distance so far - 112 miles. With some hesitation, we agreed to rise at 4:30am and leave the campsite by 6. Time to turn in.
1 comment:
Ice cream at the end of a hot riding day sounds great! Let's book more KOA camp sites for next year. I really envy all the fun you have. Can't wait to do it next year. I am back in the gym daily and will ride part of the STP round tomorrow just for fun.
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