We were so excited this morning because we knew this would be the end of Wyoming for us, the end of the nothingness and the end of the wind.
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| Breakfast at the Bear Trap |
We were so excited, but we still couldn't get motivated to start riding early to beat the wind.
A. Because a hearty breakfast and copious amounts of coffee at the Bear Trap Cafe was more important.
B. Because I really had no desire to sit on my butt boil again on that saddle all day long and
C. Because we have decided that the wind can never be beaten, it will come and find you and punch you in the face and the guts wherever you are.
So it wasn't until 10am that we rolled out of Walden, tempted to stay under the shady trees another day and just be lazy at Lazy Acres.
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| Bye-Bye Wyoming |
The start of the ride began pleasantly enough...considering. It takes me about 2 miles to stop whimpering from the major discomfort of getting on that saddle, 2 miles before the agony subsides into a dull, numbing ache that won't go away and keeps me company the whole day.
Steve has named the butt boil Egg. "How's Egg doing?" he'd ask throughout the day. In return he'd just get a filthy glare.
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| Another short climb |
He was also given more filthy glares when we crossed into Colorado and the winds did not magically abate like he'd promised. Even though the mountains had re-appeared suddenly all around us, it still felt like we were in Wyoming. One thing we did lose as soon as we entered Colorado was our nice, wide shoulder on the road.
We were slowly gaining elevation again today on rolling terrain, passing only the small town of Cowdrey, which had a Post Office and nothing else.
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| The way we're headed |
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| Surrounded by mountains again |
As we got to the outskirts of Walden we found John and Grane waiting by the roadside for us. They'd left Riverside a lot earlier than us and we'd just caught them. Thanks to Katie and Tiffany, Steve and I are two of the cyclists on the road carrying the least amount of gear, so we have a much easier journey than most of the other cycle tourers out there and cover distances in a shorter amount of time.
All of us were ready to be done for the day, tired of pushing uphill into the wind. After stopping at the ice cream shop in Walden for a fudge ripple root beer float as my reward for another days cycling in agony, we checked in with the sheriff's office and set up camp in the city park for free, showering at the local pool around the corner for a $6 fee.
CRANKING ODYSSEY STATS
Total Odyssey miles: 1,831
Overall Fastest Speed: Steve (46 miles per hour) Mandy (36.3 miles per hour)
Bludge Days: 2
Bonks: nil
Dog chases: 3
Dummy Spits: Steve (3 - Day 10 because it rained; Day 16 - because the rocks in the river were slippery; Day 29 because it takes me so long to get ready in the morning)
Mandy (2.5 - 0.5 Day 14 those freakin' wreckless Idaho drivers!; Day 26 because my bike computer had a meltdown; Day 28 because Steve wouldn't help hold my bike up in the wind after watching it nearly fall over 3 times whilst I tried to put my clothes away in the panniers because it looked like rain ahead)
Flats: Katie (4)
Wrong turns: 6
Beer of the day: Breckenridge Brewery Avalanche Ale
Lesson of the day: You can't believe anything Steve tells you ("The wind will stop in Colorado"; "It's all downhill to Utah")
No. of days with no shower: 12
No. of days in a hotel: 8
Starting weight: Steve (90kg) Mandy (51.5kg)
Day 30 Rawlins weigh in: Steve (183 pds / 83kg). Mandy (110 pds / 50kg)
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