Tuesday, July 12th
The night was cold. I slept in my thermal gear and my sleeping bag liner, and woke up with a puddle of cold drool connecting my face to the down jacket I was also wearing. It was crisp and clear, and if you looked hard enough into the distance you could see the snowpack on the peaks of the Bighorns.
There was just 51 miles to cover today. I decided to stick with the guys i’d been cycling with for one more day and they had a Warm Showers host lined up in Ranchester, a small town north of Sheridan which would provide a gateway to the mountains the following day via the Route 14A.
We all relaxed a little more knowing it would be an easier ride, enjoying the relative comfort of the campsite compared with the fire station carpark from the night before. The other three were much better at sleeping past sunrise. I always woke up with the sun.
Eventually we finish syncing podcasts and packing panniers and leave the campsite sometime after 10, long after most of the other campers in tents have departed. The route is simple: back on the I90.
We pull into McDonalds just before leaving the city – at my request. I run in and pick up an ice coffee. Back outside there is an old guy holding a mug saying something about how global warming is a hoax, but he also seems strangely knowledgeable on bikes. He comes to McDonalds for the free wifi. We politely move on and start the day. Its amazing how many seemingly nice people you meet who reveal very confused world views.
It’s 37 miles to Sheridan. There’s a few climbs, but otherwise it passes with ease. The mountains are constant backdrop now, and the interstate feels familiar and comfortable. We have a little tailwind at times, which helps propel us, and the weather is warm, but not too hot. Perfect conditions.
There’s an overlook about 10 miles from Sheridan where we all gather, before setting off again and splitting apart. Interstate riding, especially through winds, isn’t conducive to conversation or frequent stops, it’s very much a case of moving forward without too much thinking about navigation or exploration.
Taking the exit at Sheridan we pull in to Walmart. I buy what I think will be enough to see my through the next few days where large stores like this, for better or worse, will not be part of the landscape.
The next stop is Back Country Bicycles. I need a spoke replaced on my rear wheel, and, as it turns out, a new tyre too. My rear tyre takes a lot of abuse since most of the weight I carry is on the back of the bike – this will be the second time it’s been replaced since New York.
It’s a well stocked shop. And it makes me think I need to buy more stuff, but I try to remind myself that i’ve come this far without really missing anything. Wheel fixed and tyre replaced, we head to a nearby park. The guys cook up soup, I eat some bread and cheese again and drink iced coffee in the shade. People wander the park playing Pokemon Go.
Moving from the bench and back on to the bikes is hard. There’s only 15 miles left to cover, but I know how these short days can actually turn out to be the bigger challenge. One last call in town is the Back Tooth Brewing – one of Wyoming’s bigger craft beer breweries. We enjoy a pint each at the bar and free pretzels and popcorn.
There’s a lot of interest in our bikes outside. It’s always interesting to see people’s reaction, though i’d be lying if I I said it wasn’t a little repetitive answering the same questions over and over again with the same level of enthusiasm. But now at leas that task is shared, and for the last couple of days i’ve just let myself become lumped in with the story of Dakota, Jesse and Gio.
The beer makes the last part of the ride a little sluggish at first. It’s more of the same, interstate and a reasonably scenic backdrop. I pick up a little more momentum and soon enough we exit into Ranchester which my autocorrect keeps telling me is Manchester as I write notes, but in actual fact is nothing like the North of England at all.
It’s a small, pretty town with a quiet suburban feel. Nothing too remarkable about it other than perhaps the setting of it so close to the mountains here. After picking up some dinner items from the gas station we reach the house. Our host is Jason, with his wife Dawn. They have a large area in their basement set aside for us. Their two dogs seem either happy or angry to see us. It’s hard to tell with small dogs.
I let the others cook whilst I prepare for the next few days. Charging everything. Some laundry, some emails. The mountains are looming.
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