Never is heard a discouraging word

We made it to Wyoming yesterday. From Rapid City to Sundance is 80+ miles and it was a refreshing ride, being that the wind just so happened to be headed that way to work, so we caught a ride. Nothing spectacular, but anything to our backs is well appreciated. There were two incidents, though; in Sturgis they were doing roadwork and one of our riders slipped on chemicals that were being sprayed, and later on the ride another had a catastrophic tire failure while speeding downhill that gave her road rash, and the rest of the day off. I personally had to narrowly escape being run over by a gravel truck that failed to stop before crossing my downhill path.


Sundance WY is where Harry Alonzo Longabaugh picked up the infamous

moniker "Sundance Kid". It is a small, but generous community of under 4,000. The parishioners of St. Paul's Catholic church couldn't imagine us sleeping on floors of their church or local school, so insisted upon taking us into their homes. Larry and Barbara were my group's hosts. They took us to their home where we enjoyed showers (after a couple days without convenient bathing facilities) and then Larry took us around town to see the sights. We all then assembled for a pot-luck dinner provided by all of our hosts, and we feasted. It is wonderful when the food provided exceeds our voracious appetites- sometimes that isn't so, for most people can't imagine we'd eat so much. I know I burned over 3,500 calories cycling, so added to the normal 2,500 to simply sustain normal activity, then multiplied by 31 people...you'd better cook for around 70, and then add some for church members attending. They did, for there were leftovers and additional food they provided us for the road.

After dinner Larry took us our touring the countryside, up to the highest point in the area where there is a fire watch tower at over 6,600. I was just exhausted, and couldn't understand why for I had enough sleep the night before and it wasn't a particularly taxing ride. Then I realized it was the elevation; I start feeling the effects at 4,000 feet (as experienced last year). This subsides with acclimation, and on bicycles will give us time to get somewhat used to it before the Rockies. So we climbed the tower, and I wasn't the only one feeling the effects of the day's ride, elevation, and stair climbing. The wind whistled through the structure and we were able to survey the country to the horizon with binoculars Larry provided.

It is unseasonably cool for this time of year. While we were on the tower and the sun was setting the temperature dropped into the high 50's. We returned to Larry and Barbara's home where we retired to real beds, something you take for granted daily at home, but truly appreciate after these conditions. I didn't want to get out of it when morning came too soon.

We returned to the church, loaded our gear and had breakfast provided and attended by our hosts. We sang Happy Birthday to Flo, who was almost to tears. We are treated well everywhere we go, but there is always one visit that stands out in particular when we reminisce of our Adventure. This will be the one, I am sure. We assembled outside for our daily devotional, posed for pictures with our hosts, and said goodbye. Now we didn't experience even 24 hours with these folks, but I know from experience our lives are forever changed and perhaps, God willing, we will meet again.

To Gillette was a "short" day. We average 75 miles per day on this ride, but from the time I started it none has been under 80 to this point. This was just 61. Yeah, just 61- I don't do 61 miles on a training day back home. It wasn't particularly easy, for though buffalo roam, deer and antelope play- this day was cloudy, and so it rained. It was moderate from the 10 to 30 mile points in our ride, and the temperature stayed below 70 degrees. In the western states riding on the Interstate is legal, so much of our mileage today was on I-90. Lots of that was construction, and the crews let us ride on the closed part of the road, but miles of it were stripped of smooth pavement, ground away in preparation for re-paving. That's a bumpy ride, but pretty safe. Later in the ride the weather cleared, we were off the interstate, and passing cars offered encouraging shouts, smiles, and thumbs-up.

Tonight we are the guests of St. Matthew's Catholic Church here in Gillette. As I write the church ladies are bringing in tonight's dinner and won't accept any help lugging it in. I'm thankful things are going well regarding hosts, for this is the week I've been arranging since last October. That is part of the preparation involved that the FCBA asks volunteers to do. It has given me another perspective on the trip, for it requires extensive research on the communities, and correspondence with members of them.

Tomorrow is Sheridan, 108 miles snaking through NW Wyoming with a net loss of elevation. I'll need the richer air, though we do have 30 miles uphill from 62 to 92 miles where we have a 5% grade to 4778 feet. The finish is downhill from there. I hope the skies are not cloudy all day.