Back up speed...oh wait, nevemind

After taking a second day of rest due to sickness, we started the morning some what slow. Savoring every comfortable thing about our hotel room before we left again on the road. Pressure was on because we had already lost time against our goal of being done by June 20, and the various mechanical, weather and health issues had pushed us back. Unfortunately, fate had at least one more bump in our road.

When we pulled into casper, we had got the bikes checked out by a local bike shop, I had been hearing a few noises that sounded off, but was not sure exactly what it's was. Like always, the noise was not present around the mechanic, my bike was sent back with a clean bill of health. The noise persisted when we were about to leave casper, so I felt determined to find the issue. I found that a spoke had come loose. However, after tightening it, the noise was still there . Seeing that casper was the last big city until we reach Boise, we visited the shop a second time. Long story short, my rear wheel was shot. I had taken a risk bringing them seeing that they are racing wheels. Not meant to endure extended and harsh terrain over long periods of time as well has a hefty rider with luggage. So, a brand new wheel later, a wheel suited more toward touring, we finally left casper. Between casper and the next significant town ( a town with a gas station and toilet, there seems to be a void, endless grass land, fences and mountains in the distance which never seen to change.

The distance began to test is, while we had only ridden 30 miles, our water reserves were running low. Thirst is dangerous on a bicycle, physically and mentally. Dehydration makes a easy pace feel like cycling in mud, a small hill like a mountain. It destroys your joy about cycling and every one of your stray thoughts focuses on water. Luckily, before things to bad, we saw a town in the distance. Pulling up, it was disappointing to see the gas station, bar and restaurant closed and board. However, I was my leaving this town without water. I saw a man grilling behind his trailer with his soon. Pulling up, he barely acknowledged us. I asked  if we could bother him for some water and he did not answer until he had shuffled something in his grill. With barely a whisper, he said water? Walked to a spigot and hose and set it hanging by he fence. Although he opened up a little with conversation, it was quick and a lot take awkward, at least we had water... 

Soon we started to climb a long and gradual slope, we were already at 5300 feet, how high can we go I thought. At the top if this climb, a outlook beckoned us. This place is called Hells half acre, a small  canyon which is interesting but not jaw dropping. We all were feeling tired, hungry and week, so we decided to set up camp. We are excited Drews dad is in he area is is going to visit with us tomorrow. Well, I must rest, and I need both hands to swat away these mosquitos 

When porta potties are placed in your path, use them.

Hells half acre 

Our campsite for tonight.

Sick in Casper

Once again, a wrench has been thrown into our plans, or more like our bowels. After a quite enjoyable rest day, we thought it would be smart to end the day with a quite enjoyable order of pizza from dominoes. At the moment, the pizza was amazing. But little did we know what would hit us when we woke up. In the morning, both Andrews began to feel unwell. One had already made many trips to the bathroom during the night and looked pale and haggard, the other was beginning to break out into fever soon after breakfast. It soon became obvious by the shrinking roll of toilet paper that  any hope of riding today was not to be had. We booked the hotel for another nights stay and tried to get better. Surprisingly, none of the sickness plaguing the Andrews affected me. My stomach did feel funny early on, but a good burp changed that. The Andrews ended up sleeping through most of our second rest day while I kept myself entertained with my iphone (aka my pacifier).  Although I was able to get some fresh air going to the super market in search of light and easily digestible foods and copious amounts of Pepto-bismol. The sickness began to lessen toward evening, although the Andrews did seem tired and weak. We are hoping a long and good nights sleep in soft beds will help end the sickness so we can ride tomorrow.

Rest Day

Waking up this morning knowing that we did not have to pack up and ride into the wild was feeling which we had not experienced in over 600 miles. Instead of waking up in a tight sleeping bag we awoke in large and soft beds. Unfortunately however, some sort of critter had found itself in power substation which subsequently knocked out power to most of the city of Casper. Because of this, the hotel breakfast we were looking forward too consisted of cold bagels and dry cereal. Most of our morning consisted of simply lounging around our room, allowing our muscles to rest and repair themselves. One of the things we had to accomplish at least was to visit a bike shop. After noon, we headed out into the city. Casper is a surprisingly bustling city for its relative size and isolation. Although it is quite small when compared to other cities, it has just about everything you need in the state of Wyoming, from cow boy boots to bike shops. After filling meal of bacon burgers at Hardees, we struggled the four miles to the bike shop with our full bellies. After thousands of miles, bikes can start to make funny noises. Like infants or toddlers, these noises never tell you exactly what is wrong if anything. A squeak here and creak there can translate in my mind as either a severe mechanical catastrophe or simple fix with WD40 or duct tape.  The bike shop was gracious enough to do a quick run down on our bikes, inspecting for any major problems and making minor adjustments that might be helpful, all at free of charge. After this errand was completed, we lounged away the rest of the hours at a local Cold Stone Creamery. Thus, our day complete, we now must sleep, awaiting the journey tomorrow which will take us into some quite uninhabited territory. Morale has been boosted because of our rest and and soon we will be finding ourselves climbing the Rockies.

On to Casper

              First off, some earlier posts were not able to be published for some reason so feel free to look back again. Last night we decided to stay out in the Wyoming country, in a grassy field near but off highway 20 toward Douglas. While we were prepared for a night in the wild, we did not have enough forethought to make our sleeping  quarters away from a highly used train track. All day long our route had been following the tracks, coal trains with many cars filled with coal headed east while trains with empty cars headed west. Once our camp was set up, it was apparent that that trains ran past every 15 minutes or so.  Trains are loud by themselves, they are even louder when they blow their horns. Unfortunately, our campsite was also near a small intersection which crossed the tracks. From what I can gather, trains must blow their horns twice before crossing any intersection, even out in the middle of no where, at anytime at night, without regard who is sleeping nearby. Thus, it was a long and noisy night. Somehow, we got some sleep.

                After a breakfast of pastries and bear claw pastries we bought the day before we set out toward our half way goal of Douglas. The first 20 miles were surprisingly easy. A slight tail wind gave us a morale boost and the terrain turned into a long and gradual descent allowing us to get many miles in a short amount of time. We stopped for long break at a gas station, the only place miles around. It was not intended to be a long stop, but there was only one toilet and many men waiting to use it. Because the station was so isolated, they gouged the prices immensely, never again will I buy a chocolate at such insane prices. The last half of the ride was hardest yet most beautiful. The route to Casper consisted of long rolling hills, the beginnings of the Rocky Mountains visible in the distance. Seeing the mountains standing as if they are the guardians of the west formed feelings of both excitement and dread, excitement at the experience, anxious because of the physical pain and effort that will go into it. After biking 84 miles, we saw a golden corral was ahead, a sight too good to pass up when biking that far. I think we ate them out of business.

                We realized that we have been on the road for 7 straight days, no wonder we are feeling a little be worn and fatigued, that along with being at over 5000 feet in altitude. We also saw that the temperatures are going to drop into the 30’s tonight, much to cold for any form of comfortable camping. We decided stop being frugal and buy ourselves a hotel.  That was our day, now it is time to enjoy a warm shower and soft bed, if only for one night. 

Drew cooking some little smokies for breakfast

The most heartbreaking road kill i've come across

So many miles requires so many calories. Right place, right situation

The road to Casper

Almost Out of Nebraska (Repost)

( PS. Forgot to publish this a few days ago, so its old) We woke up this morning to bright blue sky and the sun beginning to evaporate the heavy layer of dew which formed over night. After packing up camp we found a local diner. Once again, we got the, "out of town" stare. After a filling breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs, we set off toward our mid day goal of Chadron, Nebraska. With a cross wind from the south we made pretty good progress, stopping every 10 miles or for calls of nature. Our the road on our route shifted to a more northerly orientation, allowing the wind to be at our backs. It's incredible how much ground one can cover on a bike when the wind is at your back. At this time also, the terrain changed rapidly. For the past few days the land has been rolling sand hills, perfect for cattle ranching, but as we rounded a bend, we saw pine forests coming closer. We also were descending in altitude, reaching speeds up to 30 mph due to going down hill along with tail winds. before we knew it, we were in Chadron. I am typing this from the only McDonald's around. We are not sure where we will end up tonight, maybe in the wild. We are going to the only Walmart we have seen in 6 days to stock on some supplies before we hopefully entire Wyoming tonight.

Downhill to Chadron

Into The West

Last night we stayed at Fort Robinson State Park. We had our first warm shower in five days. It’s amazing how much can become caked on human skin after that many days and that many hours. The past week, we have been stuck in Nebraska, due to mechanical issues and severe weather, so today we were excited to be entering Wyoming. The first 6 miles, we got a taste of what will be awaiting for us in Wyoming, a long and steep climb. What at first glance looked like long yet gradual hill, turned into a hour long climb up a mountain. Around each turn we expected it to level out but it did not. What also did not help was seeing a sign that proclaimed, “scenic overlook, 2 miles”, which ultimately meant two miles more of climbing. Once we reached the top, we again expected by intuition, a steep and amazing descent. What comes up must come down right? This was not so, while the view to the valley we had just come out of was spectacular, seeing the fruits of our aching legs and burn legs turn into a plateau of rolling plain was disappointing.

Also, for the previous days, the winds had been from the South and Southwest, today they were from the north, right when our route, (highway 20) , heads north. While it was not debilitating like the storms a few days prior, it was annoying. After miles of steep mountain climbing and conquering countless rolling hills, we entered the town of Harrison, 10 miles from the Wyoming border. The grocery store there was straight out of the 1920’s, antique shelves and cupboards, however it was stocked with every manner of modern snacks, foods, and drink. Buying meat and bread, we ate ourselves full and took a long nap in the park. However, at this point we were only at 25 miles, our goal being 75.  Crossing into Wyoming was an exciting experience, we had a long descent which took some thunder from the head wind. Our primary goal was the small city of Lusk, the county seat of the least populate county in the least populated state. Pulling into this town we were doggedly tired, hungry and just sick of sitting in the saddle, however, our mileage was only 55. Eating at subway, taking time to stock up on extra water, we pressed into the wild. The next biggest city is 50 miles away, we met our goal and now we are stopped in Wyoming field, camp set up and ready to rest. Our primary goal tomorrow is Casper, but we might not make it. So that was the adventure today!

Slow In Nebraska

The past few days have been some of the hardest of this whole ride, somewhat physically but mostly mentally. So I will update on the past few days. Leaving Ainsworth, we wanted to end our day in a little town called Cody.  The wind was mild from the west, but allowed us to get to Valentine, about 50 miles away, within 5 hours. After an extended lunch, we again pressed on toward Cody. However, the weather had changed. Temperatures had dropped from the 70's to the fifties, and worse, the wind had picked up much more than it had previous. Headwinds, a cyclists arch-nemesis, not only impede progress and require much more psychosocial effort for speed, but also, its mentally draining. The noise is deafening, blocking out any attempt at positive concentration and serving as a constant reminder that your progress is under its control. We found ourselves creeping along at 5mph, a jogging pace. Looking at the map, we saw a little town ahead called crookston. We decided to wait there until night, hoping the wind would die down enough for us to ride at reasonable pace. Pulling into crookston was disappointing, a few houses and church scattered on the side of a hill, large grain elevators being the center of activity. The church yard looked like the best place to take shelter from the wind. We must have looked quite odd to the people driving by in this small town.

     We found out that the pastor lived next to the church, getting permission from his wife to set up camp in the yard. It was depressing looking at the weather, a system which would bring cold air and strong winds would stay in the area for the next two days. The church yard would be our camp tonight. 

    The pastor, a small yet gentle looking man, white hair in his mid to late 70s, pulled up just as we began to shiver from the cold. He invited us in for hit chocolate. After a long and depressing day, it was exactly what we needed. This couple, who ministered this church of only 10'people blessed us more than we could ask. After an invitation for breakfast was accepted, we crawled into out sleeping bags and tried to sleep. The wind, which from the inside of our tents sounded more formidable did not diminish after dusk, not even when we awoke in the morning. 

   The hot breakfast of biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs, served by the pastor and his wife was enough to make is forget about the hard wind outside. With our bellies full and spirits livened for even a short while, we headed west. It was apparent in the first hour that progress would only come at a great and strenuous cost. Nebraska is relatively flat, making biking theoretically easy. However, the force of this winds, 30mph sustained with 45mph gusts, snuffed out whatever confidence we had about making good mileage. Never before had I had to struggle in my lowest gear going down hill. Gravity even lost to the wind on some declines. The real loser was our spirits. We had to stop every mile just to mentally and physically recoup. One way which I tired to deal with the searing noise was to try and form a ear muff using a littered McDonald's cup and tape. It did not work.  We even, for amusement, found that we could walk our bike as fast. After 3 hours, we had only gone 10 miles, the days goal would have to be yesterday's goal. Making the town of Cody and its campground our destination. 

     We pulled into Cody wet, cold and hungry. Stopping attend only grocery store in 60 miles to buy ingredients for our supper. The park was not shielded from the wind at all, making supper difficult to make with shivering hands. As our quesidillas were cooking, a car pulled up near to our campsite. The driver had said that they had seen us from their window and used to bike so they understood that we were probably not looking forward to sleeping cold and wet. They offered us their garage to sleep in which would be warmer and dryer than the park. Repacking our stuff we headed to the garage. It was indeed warmer and dryer, but for that benefit we sacrificed the soft ground for hard concrete. Because we did such a short distance, we had some time to kill before hitting the sack. Although Cody is a small town, around 100 people, it still serves as the hub for the townspeople and the surrounding ranchers. The center of this was the "Husker Hub" a small bar and grill and the only building other than the bank that did not look old and unoccupied. Sauder, Drew and I made our way, hoping to get some food and drink and warm place to kill some time.
      We are getting used to the stares we get when we waltz into these small towns. We are not only "out of towners" but we are strangely dressed "out of towners", brightly colored neon yellow jackets, cycling shorts, dirty oily hair, and what we assume, bad smelling. We stayed at the bar for a few hours, trying to squeeze out as much cell phone reception to call and text our wives and girlfriends, enjoying the warmth. Soon however, it began to fill up. We figured we better get going. The night spend in the garage on the concrete floor went well. We awoke once again to a strong westerly wind and rain creating a racket on the metal roof. We had bought a dozen eggs and frozen sausage the night before and had gotten permission to use an electric grill in the garage. After cooking breakfast, which was much more complicated than usual, we hesitantly set out into the cold hard wind. Like the two days previous, the going was slow. The clouds above us billowed violently to their unknown destination. However, some blue sky began to become visible. A sight we have not seen in days. As entered the famous sand hills region of Nebraska, it began to warm. The wind died down and even shifted slightly to our side, a crosswind is much more favorable than one to the front. Soon the sun was out, and the wind was to our backs. I now found myself enjoying the seemingly endless miles of ranch land; the cattle which dotted surround hills far away and watering holes near the road provided a change in scenery. We had a leasiourly lunch at small town gas station, bread, salami and hot sauce, nacho chips smashed in between. Because Northern Nebraska is so isolated, we have to plan our stops in accordance with towns with adequate supplies ( gas stations, grocery stores, camping), we decided to stop at around 55 miles in the town of Gordan, much better than the previous day's 25 miles. Sitting in the gas station which doubled as a subway, I wondered if I should call the sheriff and inquire if we could camp in a park. Right then,  I saw the sheriff walk out of the door. I made my way to him before he got into his patrol car. How does one address a police officer? Mr. Cop? Mr. Officer? Hey man?? I picked a safe, "Hey, Um yea,"! The quick awkwardness was over when I began to explain our situation. He said we were welcome to stay in the park and that he would notify the night patrol to check in on us. The park we are staying in has bathrooms with hot water and soft green grass, the weather is mild with no rain in sight. A situation which makes this adventure much more pleasant. We have taken much needed sponge baths, and have done some laundry using the sinks. now, time to relax to prepare for the next day of riding. Hopefully, we can make it to the Wyoming border tomorrow.

    

Rolling Ranch Land

Drew attempting to communicate with the natives

Sauder enjoying the gift of hydration

Our Campsite in the Park. Gordan Nebraska

Too windy, tried walking

Recycling litter and  conquering headwinds through innovation

Downtown Cody, Husker Hub