Sunday September 6, 2009

WYOMING – STILL THE REAL WEST

I spent Monday 8/31 getting my bike ready for the puncture weeds in the west, catching up the blog and eating as much food as I could stuff in. It seems that I cannot eat enough to supply energy for the ride. Monday evening Tim and Sylvia Burmeister invited me to stay at their home in Scottsbluff Nebraska. They have a great family of energetic teenagers. We had family prayer Monday evening and scripture reading and family prayer on Tuesday morning. They do everything right in their family and it is working.

I saw some awesome wagon ruts on Wednesday 9/2 and went to the free Western Pioneer Museum on the State Fair Grounds in Douglas Wyoming on Friday 9/4. Again this is an indication that the State of Wyoming has plenty of funds. The museum is fantastic and very well staffed. Someone is paying a lot for support and maintenance but it is not the museum patrons. You might think that going to a museum is kind of wimpy but let me explain. In one convenient location you can see a lot of authentic, old, historical items and learn a lot of historical facts and stories. It is just that you do not see the items in their authentic location but the re-created displays do a good job of showing you “how it was”. You could spend years running around seeing all the right things in all the right places instead of one day seeing and learning it all in a museum. I will attach pictures following this post.

This week was a more relaxed week. I only rode about 220 miles to get to Casper Wyoming on Friday evening 9/4/2009. I relaxed and purchased new equipment and supplies on Saturday to prepare for the “Big week”. Casper is the last place I can attend Church for the next 360 miles. It is also the jumping off point for the “Wilderness Ride”.

Wyoming is the real west. The ranges are mostly grass not corn or other crops. Trees are scarce. You see cattle and wildlife but not farm houses. I have seen deer and antelope and lots dead rattlesnakes (road kill). The ride is up and down over rolling hills but with a gradual constant climb up. The people seem to be friendly, quiet, strong and healthy (in good shape) but the small towns are widely spaced apart. The highways are great and have wide shoulders to ride a bike on. The State of Wyoming must have quite a bit of money coming in from gas, oil, iron ore, coal and other mineral taxes. I do not think there is a personal income tax here. They have many of the very best ”rest stops” that I have ever seen. I have camped in 3 so far and may camp in more. The ride this week has been against headwinds almost every day. Climbing gradually against a headwind has tested my resolve and patience but as I noted last week I have received compensating help with both strength and attitude.

I do not know what it is about me and headwinds but if I change direction so does the wind -- to stay in my face. I have an Iphone with the “WeatherBug” application that does a great job keeping me informed about all aspects of the weather. I follow it closely and am just amazed at how consistently the wind blows right at me usually at 10 – 20 mph but it is sometimes 20 - 30 mph. To be honest and truthful I have had some days with no headwind. I only remember 1 full day of riding with a tail wind. Usually I note the wind direction in my personal notebook so it would be possible for me to count the “headwind” days.

Lately however, I have noticed a weakening of my body and a drop in energy. I ran out of supplemental protein (“Designer Whey” brand chocolate drink) a week or so ago and I think that my body does not have the fuel that it needs now. I did buy supplemental protein in Casper Wyoming so I think I will be good for the “Wilderness Ride”. I did not believe that the supplemental protein would have that much effect but apparently it does.

Let me define the “Wilderness Ride”: For the next approximately 300 miles there will be only a couple of small towns along the route. I will be following the Oregon / California / Pony Express / Mormon Trail (they are all largely combined at this point). As far as I can tell water re-supply points may be 50 – 75 miles apart and food re-supply points may be as far as 150 miles apart. There will be quite a few important “Mormon Pioneer Historical” sites and lots of mountain passes. I will go over the South Pass Continental Divide at around 7700 feet elevation.

Here is a synopsis of the route: a) Leave Casper heading south west on State Route 220. b) Junction with state route 789 / US 287 and head north west to Lander Wy. c) Leave Lander heading south east on state route 789 / US 287 and junction with state route 28. d) travel south west on SR28 over South Pass (continental divide) and through Farson Wy to the junction with SR 372. e) Travel south east on SR372 to the junction with I-80 in Green River Wy. f) Travel west on I-80 to Lyman Wy and Fort Bridger Wy.

I am hoping to intersect I-80 at Green River and ride into Lyman Wyoming by Saturday Evening 9/12/2009. That will be approximate 350 – 400 miles for the week counting side trips to historical sites. For the last 50 miles I will have all services available including food, water and cell phone service along the I-80 corridor. With the predicted thunderstorms, the predicted headwinds and the known high mountain passes this schedule may be a bit too aggressive for an old guy but we shall see.

That would leave an approximate 110 mile ride down the canyon into Salt Lake City. I am planning to terminate the ride at “This is the Place” Monument on the east bench of Immigration Canyon.