blog update: July 7, 2008

July 7, 2008  Jack writing from Keystone, CO.  Bet  you all have been wondering where we have been. 

 

It is time to do some serious updating at the web site.  Between not having access to the internet in some of the remote regions we have traveled through, the July 4th holiday on Friday, and  the library in Walden being closed on the weekend, this is the first I have been able to update. 

 

July 2, 2008

 

We traveled from very comfortable Lander, WO to Jeffrey City WY.   The landscape was dramatic but desolute with no intersting towns along the way.  However, there were several fellow Trans Am cyclist traveling west so we always stop to compare notes and learn what is coming up.   There is a sort of kindred spirit that links us together as a "Road Family".   One fellow, Tjoan Liang, was riding a recumbent and we had a nice visit.  He had stayed the night before in Jeffrey City which he said some refer to as "Jeffrey Dalmer City".  Once we got there I understood.   JC was city founded about 1955 as a camp for the Uranium mine.  At one point the population was 5000.   When the mine closed in the late 1970's the population quickly vanished and today is maybe 50 on a good day.   There was a diner where we stopped to eat since it was the only good stop in the 65 mile ride that day.   The cook/waitress was a really sweet lady who cooked a GREAT double pattie hamburger and home made french fries.   I think this was Hamberger #30 for the trip so far.  It is one of the food items that appeals most to me after a day's ride.   The best burger I have had on the trip is always the last burger.  There was a motel in Jeffrey City but it reminded be a lot of the motel in Psycho so Philip scouted out a primitive camp site about 4 miles out of town and over 3 cattle guard crossing on the rode.  We wanted to stock up on powerbars or fruit but the cafe was the only store in town and the grocery part of the store was a 5 foot shelf with, maybe 13 items on it.  The snack counter had a box with one Tootsie Pop in it which I did not have the nerve to take.   The good news about primitive camping now, according the a lady at the cafe, is the we are out of Grizzley territory.   So I stupidly asked what creatures roamed the hillsides.   "Oh there are some rattlesnakes and some cats."   I did not pursue what was meant by "cats" but was pretty sure it was not Tabby and Felix.  We did not purchase the $40 can of Bear Be-Gone Spray back in Yellowstone,  but now I was wishing that I had, thinking that it might be useful on the Rattlers.   This primitive site included some scattered dried cowpies which we scrapped away to have nice site of the tent.  A thunderstorn came through at sunset.  The tent does NOT leak and the "cats" did not make and appearance. 

 

July 3, 2008

 

Rode from Jeffrey City to Rawlings, WY,  56 miles.   There was a store in Muddy Gap,  the first stop of the day where I could get coffee, a real treat.   Crossed the Continental Divide twice with a couple of long slow climbs.  I've lost track of how many times I have crossed the divide now.   Rawlings has a population of 8538 so we thought it would be a good place to have rest day and spend the 4th of July.   It turned out that the only campground was a KOA for $35 or a terrible Psycy-type looking motel for $75.   So we decided to go to the Lutheran Church in town and ask if we could camp on the church lawn.  Pastor Wiley greeted us at the door and with a rather bewildered look, wondered what we two rather scruffy guys could want.  He quickly agreed that of course we could camp in the lawn but perhaps we would rather use the basement which was cool and had a beautiful kitchen.   It was perfect.   Thank  you,  Thank you,  Christ Lutheran Church, Rawlings, WY.   Pastor Wiley also directed us to the BEST Mexican Resturant of the trip, I think it was Rose's Larriete or something like that if you ever find yourself in Rawlings needing a great meal. 

 

July 4, 2008

 

Decided to ride on to Riverside/Encampment, WY, a 65 mile ride

 

Leaving Rawlings took us through Sinclare, WY, a small village of about 500.   Outside of the town was a huge oil Sinclare Oil refinery.   Oh, I see now where the name for the town came from.  Duh!!    The ride took me on the shoulder along Interstate 80 for 13 miles.  There has been every possible riding situation on this ride, including a wide shoulder to ride on, no shoulder, and carrying the bike down a steep stairway early on.  Mid-day found us in Saratoga, WY.  The 4th of July ceremony and parade were just about to begin.   The mayor read an impressive proclaimation declaring the day a holiday, we sang the National Anthem and then the parade began which included a 1931 Model A Ford that the owner had completely restored.   Outside of this town, population 1728, was an impressive airport with many small corporate jets parked all about the field.   The Sheriff directing traffic told me that Saratoga is a destination place for the rich who have huge vacation estates along the North Platt River running through the town.  Who would have thought that this little village attracted the rich and famous.  One person who owns a rubber company has a huge party on Labor Day that attracts so many that there is barely enough parking places for all of the jets. 

 

Arrived in Riverside, population 59 which is one mile away from Encampment, population 25.  There was a great place to eat, the Mangy Moose Saloon.   That was where we had our 4th of July burger and the best Heineken ever.   That night this little town put on a pretty spectacular fireworks display that kept us up way past our usual bed time of 8:00 PM.