Wow, so the last time I wrote anything on this blog was almost 1000 miles ago, whoops, sorry mum! I can’t help but chuckle as I read about formerly being proud of sleeping at 6000 feet. I’m currently in my tent at 10000 feet, in the town of Fairplay, Co. From the Big Hole Valley I started the gradual climb up to the Yellowstone National Park area, each day ascending around 1000 feet more than I descended. The highlight of this section of the ride, other than the beautiful scenery and increasingly severe sun burn, was my riding buddy, Scott, who I rode with from the day of my last blog post, to entering Yellowstone National Park. He even let me, out of pure pity, sleep in his room at a motel. I did fix a few flats for him though…
Whilst riding through Yellowstone was unbelievable, the roads were too busy for my liking, and again, it was the people I met that made my time there so special. For three nights I camped out with two New Yorkers who were travelling around the US in a car, Melanie and Christian. We got on amazingly well and by the end of those three days had basically talked about every subject imaginable, usually with a beer in hand sitting next to a campfire. We drove to Jackson Hole for beer, whisky and burgers. Saying goodbye to these guys was really hard, and it rained too.
Leaving Yellowstone I rode through the Wind River range. I had only heard of the Wind River Indian Reserve from the movie Wind River. After watching the film I relaxed in the safe knowledge that I would never have to go there, until I saw that my route transected the area at its widest point. It was beautiful, and I had no trouble whatsoever.I continued my ride to the town of Saratoga, and had a rest day in a beautiful Church. I went to the free hot springs after my ride of 108 miles to soak my muscles. As one chap put it, the host springs were ‘the best in the world for the price’ (free!).
Leaving the beautiful church in Saratoga, I rode 70 miles to the most bizarre town I have ever been to, Jeffrey City. I had to stop there, it was the only town in a 150 mile stretch of riding. I stayed in a church; an incredibly spooky one that is never used. There were rooms but I slept in the kitchen, lol. However, I did score three three pointers in a row, first try, on their basket ball hoop. No one to witness it but it did happen, I promise. I got up at 5 the next morning, mainly to get out of that Church, and met a man from South Carolina who was riding on two mules across the country.
Entering Colorado was tough; a huge headwind was hindering my progress and had been for a few days – why am I riding south all the time and not east? I called up a local town sheriff and asked if I could stay in his city park, and he agreed. When I arrived, there were 50 other cyclists there already camping, huh. There was a bikepacking group ride on, and I had an awesome evening chatting away and drinking beer with them all. A few of them were amazed that I was doing their 4 day off road mountain bike ride on a road bike with panniers – yeah pretty amazing!
The next morning was -4 and my water bottles froze! Coffee and porridge with nuts and dried fruit was enough to get me out of my warm sleeping bag. I rode around 70 miles to the town of Hot Sulphur Springs, where I indulged in another hot springs. This time i had to pay (thanks mum). I met a lovely couple from California who were spending their retirement living in a camper. They fed me chilli and pie and we sat around my camp fire. They had driven the length of the Mississippi from source to sea, and when I cross the river in Missouri I will be thinking of them! Really, a lovely evening chatting, and also in the morning they invited me into their warm camper for coffee before I hit the road. Awesome.
