Wyoming afire

Jul 4, 2012 | Week 3 | 8 comments

Last night in Riverton as we went to bed,
we looked at the sky and saw nothing but red.
The sun was afire as were many trees
Causing evacuation of tiny communities.
Wyoming is burning as is Colorado.
We hope all are safe, but we don’t really know.

Sorry, I couldn’t stop myself. It is a very dry summer here.
Fires are all around, though none dangerously near.

  • Riverton to Worland, WY
  • 93.5 miles/1290 total
  • 14.6 average
  • Hot and smokey
  • Winds of all kinds
  • A marriage of rivers
But the smoke and the haze are quite evident. We could smell the blazes all morning long. You couldn’t even see the horizon most of the day.

It was a challenging day in many ways even though we generally lost elevation for the second day in a row. The winds were swirling, sometimes at our backs, sometimes at our side, sometimes in our faces. We had to just abide. Our New York friend Christian was our model. He said it was all just practice for tomorrow’s 20 mile climb. We can do this. So we didn’t whine.

The scenery changed from dry, dusty desert-like areas to a 10 mile long river canyon with exposed cliffs dating back 250 million years to irrigated croplands to bunchgrass-covered fields. And through it all, wind. Our picnic today was at the end of the Wind River Canyon, the river we’d been following the last day and a half. At that point it changed names to The Big Horn River, this spot is called The Marriage of the Rivers. We kept all our stops short so we could get in before the temperature broke the 90s. I don’t know if we made it, but we were happily in at 3.

Now for a short, whole-cyclist report. We are both in very good spirits and feeling quite confident about our expedition. The sore butts don’t bother us now until we get around 75-80 miles, and it is bearable. Healthwise I’m fine but Sheila has had a few minor problems. We took a slow-motion tumble while turning around on the bike trail in Idaho the first week. She didn’t get any scrapes but has a couple of big bruises in places a reporter wouldn’t name. And of course she’s been plagued by the bug bites. For about the last week or more she’s been fighting off a cold of some sort, mostly a sore throat. It may have peaked last night when she was feverish at bedtime. She “crashed” really early. You can see our gym-floor accommodations. I’d say she isn’t up to snuff, except that’s about all her nose can manage.

Wyoming winds
Our biggest climb ever

8 Comments

  1. Gracie
    Gracie on Jul 4, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    Greetings Riders,
    There is a lot going on…hope Sheila is fighting everything off with success. Rest is a great antidote.

    Really sorry to hear about those fires, I haven’t seen them in the news. That smokey smell can seem scarey. Interesting that you are experiencing so much wind because it has been windy here for 4 weeks now. Everyday, about 20mph, not normal weather for this time of year.

    You 2 look great! This is a wonderful education, thanks for that.
    xo

  2. Gracie
    Gracie on Jul 4, 2012 at 5:05 pm

    Hey,
    I just looked at your achedule, you are going through some beautiful country this week and next. And spending your rest day at Devil’s Tower – way cool! You are going to have so much fun!
    xo

  3. Debra Darkow
    Debra Darkow on Jul 4, 2012 at 5:49 pm

    Stay safe!
    Kevin’s family lives in Denver and they can see the smoke from Wyoming from their house. The Colorado fires are 1 hour from them. We went to the Bristol Parade today. It was a good day. Hope you had a great 4th. Our thoughts and prayers are with you both. Travel safe.
    Love,
    Debra

  4. Debra Darkow
    Debra Darkow on Jul 4, 2012 at 5:57 pm

    in 2005 we went white water rafting down the Wind River. We stayed in Thermopolis. Kevin loved the heated pools and the sweat caves. best Mexican food ever.

  5. bonnie tarses
    bonnie tarses on Jul 4, 2012 at 6:46 pm

    What an adventure! What a tale! Hang in there Sheila! What a team!

  6. Tanya
    Tanya on Jul 4, 2012 at 9:11 pm

    Am so enthralled by your adventure! Am following from Turkey and showing off your accomplishments to teens who dare whine about a two hour hike. “Old” people kick butt. A speedy recovery to you Sheila and safe travels to you both.

  7. Paul
    Paul on Jul 5, 2012 at 7:30 am

    Feel Better Shelia!! We all read your daily blog while on the edge of our seats.

    Much love and encouragement.

    • S2Cycle
      S2Cycle on Jul 5, 2012 at 3:28 pm

      Thanks for all your kind healing wishes. I continue to feel better each day and it’s not keeping me from pedaling. Glad you’re enjoying the blog. Wait to you read about TODAY’s ride!