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Wyoming |
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Yellowstone National Park, July 3
Hello everyone! Today we embarked on a scenic 53 mile cycling tour of
Yellowstone National Park, A scenic wonderland of geothermal delights, we
feasted our eyes on boiling cauldrons of sulphuric bliss, grand geysers large
and small, Bison roaming free, elk, chipmunks, ospreys, etc. Ol' Faithful, the
Mecca & Medina of tourist attractions combined, was packed with millions
upon millions of folk waiting to see the most famous geyser of them all do its
thing. It did its thing alright, albeit in meager fashion and 15 minutes past
schedule. Faithful eh? I think not! Anyhow, we departed from Ol' Faithless
area and headed up Craig Pass (at 8,261 feet the highest point on the
trip so far) Traffic was a bitch, which was no surprise considering the Winnebagos, TravelStars, Jaycos, Gulfstreams, GeriatricMobiles and Elderbuses
were out in full force. But we made it to the top and crossed the Continental
Divide once again (for those of you new to this emailing the Continental
Divide is the boundary which determines the direction of water flow. East of
the Continental Divide water flows into the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of
Mexico, west of it the water flows to the Pacific) Then it was up another
unnamed pass at 8,390 feet and another crossing of the Continental Divide.
Then it was smooth sailing down to Grant Village, my current mosquito infested
local I bought some quality deet-free repellant, so I hope it does the trick.
Tomorrow we might or might not take a layover day here to rest. Actually, I'm
hoping no, so I can spend more time in the Teton Range, tomorrows destination.
To all of you, I wish you a fabulous and safe July 4th. What's everyone up to
for the holiday? Whatever it may be, I hope you have a blast (poor pun, I
know) Peace out!
They're dropping like flies! Today Chuck, 67 year old retired engineer from
Columbus, Indiana, left the group and packed his bike up to head back home.
Major strife taking place as what was once 14 folks is now down to 8, which
means more loads to carry, more food shifts, more hassles...Which brings me to
an often asked question to you lazy bums. Who shall join me for the rest of
this shindig? Only 3,000 miles (and change) to go. Don't delay, for the most
scenic and adventurous mountain passes are coming right up. Surely you would
not want to miss them. So drop me a note and we'll make travel arrangements.
If all of you reply with great interest as I surely expect u all to, then we
might have to have a lottery of some sort...but we'll cross that bridge when
we come to it...
-Darren
p.s. if u prefer to talk it over with me in person...(818) 261-2101 from 8-9pt
I carefully chose the type of film for my camera before leaving California in
May. After considerable debate, I settled on Fuji Velvia Slide Film, and I
spent nearly $300 to buy 55 rolls. At ASA 50, Velvia has amazing grain quality
and therefore is the film of choice for National Geographic, Outside Magazine,
etc. Fine grain film like Velvia necessitates a long exposure in order to
allow enough light in to properly catch the shot. Therefore, a tripod is
necessary in many instances. Although I have a suitable tripod with me, I have
not used it once since returning to Missoula and joining the tour group.
Taking several minutes of unpacking and prep per shot, I've avoided it
altogether for fear of falling behind the group by taking too many stops...My
55 rolls of film are collecting dust in my bag in favor of meeting deadlines
and keeping up...
This and similar incidents has caused me no small amount of
stress during the past week, and has prompted me to ask this question to
myself over and over again: What are my motivations for this trip? Is it
merely to push myself to the Atlantic as fast as possible, allowing me to tack
it on my resume that I've ridden coast to coast? Certainly not. For those of
you like me who have ran (and walked) Marathons in the past, this is the way I
used to tackle them. It was torture to run the 26.2 miles and I could not wait
till it was over, but the medal and the end made it worthwhile. However, this
bike tour will take at the very least 3 months, and there ain't no medal! Too
long a time to just whiz by some of the most beautiful lands in the world just
to get to the finish line. This past week, I have found myself doing just
that. Wake up at 6, eat breakfast at 6:30, on the road by 8, ride to the
campsite, shower, eat, sleep, wake up at 6... I cannot discern any of the past
7 days from each other because they are nearly identical. The constant routine and
lack of free time has deprived me of the things I enjoyed most in the first
part of the journey; getting to know the locals in each small town over
breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not knowing where I would sleep each night but
never stressing over it. Meeting kind folks who invited me to spend the night
in the backyard and use their kitchens and showers. Playing the piano for
beers and tips. Taking a rest day whenever I needed one. Shooting pictures
without fear of falling behind. Yet making significant progress East every
day. To me, these are the real merits of my trip, and the complete lack of
them recently has forced me to question my present condition. I've had hours
and hours each day while riding to find a solution to my predicament, and I
found it. Tomorrow, I'll tell the group I'm leaving them, and after a couple
days of relaxing in the beautiful Teton Range, I'm going to complete this trip
on my own. I certainly hope I'll meet other bikers on the road in the next two months, for it's always nice to share our stories of the pain
of mountain passes and the wonderful downhills with others who have
first hand knowledge of what you're talking about. I have no doubt that in the
near future I'll be sharing stories with you of the many fabulous people I
come in contact with, instead of just a daily mileage report.
It's a whole new ballgame when you decide to venture
out on this trip on your own, and I know some of you may disagree with my
choice, but I hope you'll try to understand that I am really left with few
options. When the "Adventure" in Adventure Cycling Tours has been
reduced to what type of raisons I should mix in with the oatmeal for
breakfast, you know something's amiss! Anyhow, I welcome all your thoughts and
suggestions on the matter (if your suggestion is to head home then I don't
welcome it) and I wish you all a great Fourth of July! Love to all
-Darren
Alone or with a group, biking 4000 plus miles can be physically difficult. Yet
from conversations with solo cross-country cyclists, it is the mental aspect
of riding alone that can be especially challenging. In order to prevent myself
from becoming some whacked Kazcynski-type hermit at the conclusion of this
trip, I am asking for your assistance. Although I received a flood of emails
with urgent requests to join my cycling trip, I cannot pick from the masses of
you so I'll have to select none. What you could do however, is this. Prepare
some quality mix tapes for me and mail them to the address that I'll provide
you all in a week (once my route through Wyoming is settled), As many of you
well know, I am especially fond of classic rock, so Beatles tapes, Clapton,
Van Morrison, Doors, Supertramp, etc. is a sure bet. Although Reggae, Rap,
Country, Rock, Polka, Yiddish Favorites, African Rain Dances, Hindu Folk
Tunes, Yodeling Classics, Christian Choir Tunes, Christian Rap, and Christian Heavy Metal Masterpieces will all be GREATLY accepted as well. And if
you happen to have a couple AA batteries lying around, feel free to include
those also. By sending me these tapes, you'll really help me out for the next
two months, for it is always great to pass the time by listening to some
quality music. If you decide to help me out, please get started soon on it,
for once I know the address of the post office, I'll most likely be only a few
days from it, and once I pass it by it would be nearly impossible for me to
get any late mail. If you have any questions, just email me or call me. Thanks
everyone in advance for your generosity and I'll look forward to hearing your
musical compilations!
-Darren
(818) 261-2101
Colter Bay, July 5
Welcome back to the states Ilan & Matt!
Today was an official rest day, so I took the opportunity to sleep till 9.
Damn it felt good not to wake up to below freezing temperatures for a change!
Anyhow, I decided a nice walk would suit me well; getting my sore ass off the
bike seat can't hurt. So I took off towards Heron Pond and hiked a 10 mile
loop; skirting the shores of Jackson Lake. Enjoying magnificent views of Mt.
Moran, Grand & Middle Teton, Nez Perce Mountain, etc. I reveled in finding
the time to take many pictures (with tripod of course) and following the hike
I began to look into possible routes across Wyoming. Oh what a feeling it is
to know that my route options are nearly limitless! I called up the Wyoming Division
of Tourism, and began to get advice on suitable bike routes.
Fortunately, most states keep highly accurate traffic flow information on all
their roads, so the nice folks at the tourism board told me the roads less traveled
by drunken log truckers, mammoth wheat combine tanks, and the ever-present blind RV'er. My Rand-McNally Road Atlas & Trip Planner will be my
bible the next two months, as I will call upon its geographical wisdom to
guide me to the coast. AND, my complete freedom might allow me to visit some
friends and family along the way....(2 hour pause to enjoy a fancy dinner
after rendezvousing with the westbound Adventure Cycling Tour) I'm back, and
I've nothing more to say. So goodnight everyone, and I'll speak with you soon!
-Darren
Colter Bay, July 6
Today was a long, but relaxing day. With a lot of nervous excitement running
through my head last night, I really had a hard time falling asleep. It
wouldn't have mattered much anyhow, because I miraculously was able to wake
myself at 4:30 in the morning to hike the 3 miles to Heron Pond. I had scouted
it out the day before as a great place to take some shots of the Teton Range
at dawn. So I crawled out of the tent to perfectly clear skies, and
sub-freezing temperatures (enjoy the beaches San Diegans!) But once I got
walking, I warmed up a bit. I think I got to Heron Pond about 10 minutes too
late, missing the pinkest of pinks on the mountains, but I snapped some nice
shots anyhow and then headed back to the campsite to meet up with the
Adventure Cycling Group who were just starting breakfast. Over luke-warm
cooked barley with raisons, I told the group that I was leaving them behind;
explaining to them that an organized tour made me feel like I was missing out
on much of the !
experience and adventure of crossing the country. We bid farewell, that is
after a 1000 pound plus beast of a bear decided to lumber through our
campsite. I was hastily snapping photos while the rest of the group was
clanking pots and scrambling to find their bear whistles. The bear didn't seem
to even realize we were there and left shortly thereafter. So after that
little encounter the group took off for Dubois, Wyoming (my destination
tomorrow) and I did some general chores; cleaning my hazardously dirty socks,
organizing maps, looking over the bike, etc. Later on in the day, while
strolling around Jackson Lake, I spotted a bald eagle as it did a little
fishin'. That completes my wildlife goals for the trip, all accomplished
during one stress-free day in the Grand Tetons
-Darren
p.s. If anyone has tried to call me in the past few days, there is
virtually no cell phone coverage in the Teton Park. Most likely it'll be up
again tomorrow.
p.p.s In case anyone thought otherwise, may I remind you that the tapes I'd
like would not be used while actually riding, for obvious reasons.
p.p.p.s Have a pleasant evening!
Dubois, July 7
Ok not the most original title, but for some reason it seems like a while
since I've had a full day of riding. Perhaps because of the lack of necessity,
I awoke at 8 this morning, and by the time I finished packing all my stuff and
getting breakfast, I wasn't on the road until 10:30. But I was fresh from 2
days rest, so I figured the 68 mile ride up and over Togwotee Pass (pronounced
Togahdee) would no problem. It really wasn't a problem, save for these filth
deerflies and black flies that like to gnaw on you flesh and are persistent as
hell! Going up a 6% grade, I was too slow to outrun them, but instinct takes
over and I pedal as fast as I can anyhow. This absurd method tired me out
quickly, and halfway up the pass I had to stop at the first indoor restaurant
I saw just to get some relief from the flying foes. Outside I met Jim &
Mary, a couple traveling to the National Parks (as they have for the past 30
years) from Pennsylvania. Jim, a retired clergyman in his early 80's, has!
climbed many of the Teton Peaks, volunteered with the Sierra Club to
maintain hiking trails in Yosemite, and rode his bicycle from Pennsylvania to
Wyoming and back to Pennsylvania when he was 72. Jim and Mary were extremely
kind and insisted on treating me to lunch. We discussed possible routes across
to the Atlantic, chit-chatted with the bartender Myles (himself a great guy
who left his 12 year engineering job in Washington State to find various jobs
in beautiful National Park lands across the country) and I got my piano fix
thanks to a rickety, out of tune, but beautiful instrument nonetheless. So
feeling physical refreshed after my meal and mentally refreshed after meeting
3 great folks. I headed back up the pass after dousing myself in
"OFF", a mixture of truly hazardous chemicals sold as a bug
repellant. It did a hell of a lot better than my natural repellant, and made
my ride a lot more enjoyable. I arrived at the top of Togwotee Pass at 4, and
said goodbye to my time in the Rocky Mountains. After resting for a while at 9,680 feet (which I believe will be the highest altitude I will reach on
the trip) and
flagging down a car to take my picture, I cruised the remaining 30 miles into
Dubois (pronounced dew-boys) Apparently French Trapper names for the regions
had to be Americanized a bit. Camping in style at the local RV park, I took a
break from laundry enjoy some dinner at the Cowboy Corner restaurant. It's
closing time now, so I must be outa here. Have a great evening Y'all and write
soon!
-Darren
p.s. no phone service again today...let's hope there is tomorrow
Riverton, July 8
One becomes acutely aware of the diversity of the American landscape when it
is crossed on a bicycle. Today, I really left the Rocky Mountain region (I
believe for good barring some major change in route plans) and entered
pristine cowboy country; mile high plain country, sandstone bluffs,
Reservation Land, sagebrush a plenty, and small, small "towns" that
serve to provide some breakup to this seemingly endless landscape. And I'm
only one day into it! But I get the feeling I'll be riding through these lands
for a while. Don't mistake this for complaining, because it is not. I just
want to give you an idea of the stark contrast that central Wyoming is to the
lands west of it.
Today I rode 85 miles from the town of Dubois to the rather
large city of Riverton. Along the way, I had a 40 mile run through the red
rock canyons that make up the Wind River Indian Reservation. Although I passed
up on their fireworks blowout sales, I did stop for a cold drink and
chit-chatted with three westbound cyclists. It was slow going at times, for I
encountered endless rolling hills; 10 minutes up, 1 minute down, 10 minutes
up, 1 minute down. In riding conditions like this, I purposely avoid looking
at my cycling computer (which has speed, average speed, max speed, time of
ride, odometer, trip meter, and the time of day) because the miles seem to
tick by REALLY slowly (watched pot never boils, eh?) I have gotten in the
routine of keeping it on the screen that shows max speed and time of day only.
For some reason however, Wyoming's highway division keeps insanely accurate
mileage markers on the road, which destroys my desire to not know my distance
traveled. For instance, I'll pass mile 42. Then 10 seconds later I'll pass a
sign that says 42.28! For heavens sake, who the fuck needs to know that you've
traveled that .28? Not I!
I'd say it was in the mid 90's today, so I stopped at
nearly every grocery store along the way (that totaled 4 stores) to get some
cold drinks. At the Borderline Bar (bordering mile 53 and 53.14159) I got off
the road only to find it was closed. I spotted a soda machine behind the bar
and got out my 75 cents. Then I spotted a pack of dogs coming my way. One
German Shepherd, one Chowchow, and one collie. Strangely, the pecking order
was reversed, and the collie ked the charge, followed by the chowchow and the
gutless German. I didn't think I'd need to use my dog mace till Kentucky, but
I was determined to get my cold drink, so I inched forward, my DogBeGone
loaded and ready to fire. Although it took me 5 minutes to get to the machine,
fortunately I didn't have to use the mace (I probably would have sprayed
myself in the face, leaving me blind and wounded for Lassie to really inflict
some damage) and the dogs finally gave way. The pit stop after that was La
Cantina Mexican Restaurant, where I had the best chips and salsa ever, and two
huge glasses of iced tea to cool me off. Then it was headwinds all the
remaining 20 miles to Riverton, where I found a nice camping spot at the
Riverton RV Park. Nice and mosquito infested that is, but friendly folks
abound and very clean. On the way to the Trailhead Restaurant for dinner a
kind truck full of kids decided to throw their Dairy Queen drink at me as they
passed by. Fortunately, dem ignorant yokels don't be aimin' they're
DairyDrinks two good. It reminded to avoid spending time in thriving
metropolises such a Riverton (pop. 9,600) and stick to the lil' towns that
treat us cyclists all nice and such.
-Darren
p.s. Phone service still sketchy and sparse. Mom and Dad and Eve I shall call
you as soon as coverage resumes
p.p.s How those mix tapes coming along everyone?
Shoshoni, July 9
Good evening everyone! As many of you know, Wyoming, with little over 450,000
people, is the least populated state in America, but the 9th largest. To the
cyclist that translates to careful route planning, for there are many
stretches of road with absolutely NOTHING for 100's of miles. Sometimes, folks
will tell you of a grocery store "about 27 miles yonder" only to
find that it has been boarded up for what appears to be an eternity. I road a measly
22 miles today after watching Pete Sampras break Roy Emerson's record
of 12 Grand Slam Titles at Wimbledon, from the comfort of the RV Laundromat. I
could have ridden longer, but the sparseness of towns in Wyoming left me with
either a 22 mile ride or 92 mile ride. Central Wyoming is HOT right now, so I
wasn't too in the mood for heat exhaustion today and opted for the 22 miles.
Tomorrow I shall wake up before the sunrise, eat a meal that I will buy
tonight at the opulent Texaco station (live vicariously through me as my
stomach sighs in sadness) and take off towards Casper to beat the mid-day heat. I won't
make it to Casper tomorrow, but I wouldn't want to stay there anyhow. At
45,000 people, Casper is too big and has too many Dairy Queens to boot. So,
that's the story. The phone will be on tonight (its workin' fine here) if
anyone wants to talk (8182612101). Shalom to all y'alls.
-Darren
I am proud to announce that the construction phase of biking4books.com is
complete! Zac Bell, a friend of mine since junior high and a web master of the
highest order, has been extremely generous with his time to do a lot of work
on the site for me. Photographs of my pre Missoula cycling days are online
(with multiple slide show formats). Journal entries from the entire trip are
online and will be updated daily. AND here's the kicker! A DAILY audio report
recorded by myself will be available online for your listening pleasure! The
audio file will be in compressed WAV format. Windows Media Player, WinAmp, and
many other programs out there can download and run the daily file. If you are
having trouble listening to it, email Zac at zacbell@hotmail.com
(u can email him to give him your praise or criticism regarding
biking4books.com as well. Email me with praise as well, but send him all the
criticism). I have been giving out the address of the site to many people I
have met on thi!
s trip, and I have asked Zac to build a guestbook on the opening page so I can
track who has taken interest in my journey. Once the guestbook is online, be
sure to sign it as well. In addition, for those of you fowarding my messages
to other people, I would be happy to spare you the trouble and send them the
reports directly. Email me with their address and I'll get right on it. Take
care everyone and be sure to tell all your friends about www.biking4books.com!
It's was just rated the coolest site on the net! (by myself of course, and I
haven't even seen it. After all, I'm struggling to find towns with electricity
and running water, let alone internet access!)
-Darren
p.s. the fee for use of this phenomenal site is one mix tape of your musical
preference mailed to an address that will be disclosed shortly. Get workin'!
Miles - 100.1
Avg Spd - 12.9
Max Spd - 32.4
Trip Time - 7hrs 45m
Success in long distance cycling, at least in my limited
experience, has a lot to do with getting yourself into a good rhythm. Today I
was able to pedal off a little more than 100 miles (known as a
"Century" in cycling circles) because I got and early start and got
myself into a good cycling rhythm. In a way I had little choice but to ride
that distance, but I welcomed the opportunity to give myself a good test, and
let's face it, plains are plains. The sooner you get out of 'em, the better.
Part of the alure of the Adventure Cycling planned
route across America is that it was laid out very carefully. Therefore, you
won't find a stretch of road with 100 or 150 miles of complete desolation.
When you decide to go on your own and simply head East, it is necessary to do
your homework and know the land you are passing through (especially in the
heat of the summer where water is everything). True enough, I passed 4
thriving metropolises in between Shoshoni & Casper, but let me backtrack a
bit before getting to those.
Shoshoni was a tad strange, for for some reason, everyone
thought I was the Marijuana Messiah last evening. Three locals on separate
occasions asked me if I had that "California Smoke" with me. They
were all rather disappointed when I told them I had none, but I wasn't sure if
they even wanted it or if they were just trying to bait me so they could nab
me for felony possession (Marijuana possession in Wyoming carries a penalty of
jail time) Oh well, I wasn't that concerned but decided it's all the more
reason to get an early start outta there this morning. City Park sprinklers
provided the 5am alarm clock as I was drenched trying to protect my camera
gear. A blessing in disguise; it forced me out of "bed" and I
quickly packed up, changed clothes, and headed to the Texaco station for some
breakfast. I was on the road East by 6:30.
21 miles down the road was Moneta, population 10. I
believe that the Census folks might have over counted the population by about
10, because there wasn't a soul in sight. The next 20 miles to Hiland was a
veritable Noah's Ark of roadside carnage. Two by two they fell victim to the
automobiles; Decapitated Deer, Gutted Grouse, Pulseless Pheasents,
Post-Mortem Mice, Fixed-Eyed Foxes, and the saddest of all, the Rotting
Raccoon:
Rotting Raccoon CLEARLY met his match
For this was one hell of a scratch
But he'll be better, he'll be better, just as soon as he is able...
able to scrape himself off the pavement, that is...
(This utterly distasteful Beatles humor is in honor of my friend Ilan
BenHanan's birthday today and the fact that I was indeed "somewhere near
the black mining hills of South Dakota" today. In case you have
absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, refer to the White Album, track
13.)
Anyhow, I was making great time and arrived in Hiland
shortly (population 10 again, but I spotted 20% of the population in the
grocery store) When I asked if they had any fruit in the store, I was told
that they have "nothing fresh" in the store. So I bought my
Gatorade, and headed to Powder River. Now Powder River was FIVE TIMES the size
of Hiland, but that makes only 50 people and upon taking a tour of the town I
decided I might as well make the push to Casper, 40 miles away, instead of
camping there. 3 hours later and my century ride complete, I rewarded myself
(thanks to some money from my parents. Thanks mom and dad!) with a hotel room
at the Ritz Carleton Casper (just kidding mom and dad!) But I did splurge and
get a motel room, took my first bath of the trip, watched a little TV, and
began planning for tomorrow's ride. Back to Back Centuries? No thanks!
-Darren (818) 261-2101 Phone is on tonight for your info!
p.s. Very happy birthday Ilan! Yom Huledet Sameach Homey!
Distance - 54.0 miles
Avg Speed - 15.5mph
Max Speed - 35.2mph
Trip Time - 3:29:14
Odometer - 1564 miles
Ahh....Hotel Rooms once in a while on a trip like this sure are nice, although
it would be best not to get used to it. I awoke to the sweet smells of curry
in the morning; no doubt Ranju the interim motel manager from Torrance left
his kitchen door open and the odor meandered its way into my room. While
walking to get breakfast this morning, I noticed the wind was blowing briskly
to the east, a good sign since I was heading east as well. So I thought it
would be a good day to do some errands in Casper (pop. 45,000) and let the
wind take care of things later on in the day. So I hit up the hardware store
and got some Bag Balm (used to rub down horses but also used to coat your
cycling shorts in the morning so you don't chafe your ass to a bloody pulp!
Gotta love good ol' Bag Balm! I'm sure you don't need any more details on Bag
Balm and fabulous de-chafing attributes, so I'll tell you that I then went to
the Post Office, and sent 6 pounds of junk back to LA (you should be gettin!
g another package Gabi), and sent a disposable camera to a my cousins Jeff,
Ellen, and Hannah in Georgia (thanks volunteer scanners), which means that
soon pictures of this week's travels will be available online at
biking4books.com. By noon, I was on the road heading to Douglas. The ride to
Dougla....(error in transmission; you are encouraged to go to biking4books.com
and check for today's audio transcript of the journey in order to hear what
was BY FAR thrilling and unique day of cycling I have ever experienced...)
-Darren
Distance Traveled - 54.8 miles
Average Speed - 12.4mph
Max Speed - 30.2mph
Trip Time - 4:25:45
Total Miles - 1624 miles
Although today's ride was only 54 miles, I believe that I've witnessed the
essence of the American heartland on the way to Lusk, Wyoming from the town of
Douglas (rated one of the top 100 small towns in America) It began on
Interstate 25, which I reluctantly had to ride on for 9 miles. However, since
it's one of America's longest and most heavily traveled roads, it is kept in
good condition, and shoulders are wide and well-paved. Once I exited I-25 at
Orin Junction and took the SR20 towards Lusk, I was treated to rolling cattle
country with the occasional ranch house that looked like it came straight out
of a Wyeth painting (for you American Art lovers). Cattle and sheep were
busy eatin' their grass, although I've noticed throughout this trip that the
young calfs seem to take a break from their routine to watch me as I pass by.
Several Harley bike tour groups passed me by today, and motorcycles always
acknowledge me with waves and shouts of encouragement, which is motivating !
especially when there's endless rolling hills and high temperatures that
characterize eastern Wyoming.
The lands between Douglas & Lusk is owned largely by
Union Pacific Railways, whose rail lines run parallel to SR20. Today I got a
huge thrill as I was able to ride fast enough (actually, its more like the
train was moving slow enough) to keep pace with one of the UP locomotives for
a few miles. Every time I'd wave to the conductor, he would blast the horn in
response. These little gestures have wonderful effects on my riding, for I
never seem to tire when I encounter strangers on the route who seem to approve
of me cycling throught their land. I think the response I've received since
leaving the set TransAmerica Route has been even more positive. Approximately
500 people ride the TransAm route yearly. On the route I'm taking (which is
completely of my own invention) I've spoken with some folks who have never
seen a bike tourer before. In towns with populations of 4 (Lost Springs, WY),
10 (Hiland, WY), and other miniscule numbers, I think many residents consider
it a compli!
ment when a stranger passes by and stops to eat in their diners and chat about
the weather, the roads, etc. One trucker I met today while riding through
Shawnee, who had passed me 15 miles earlier at Orin Junction, was kind enough
to warn me that I best be pedaling faster to the New York coast, "before
the snowflakes start bitin' you in the ass." I thanked him for the advice
and headed on. I arrived in the town of Lusk (pop 1,500) at about 3, riding
past the old drive-in, the stagecoach museum/chamber of commerce, and a
beautiful Carnegie Library fittingly on the corner of Main St. Not a foreign
car or truck in sight, but plenty of denim jeans, cowboy hats, cigarettes, and
Budweiser. Tomorrow I head due north, up SR85 to Newcastle, WY and into the
Black Hills country, It should be approximately an 85 mile ride with one
grocery store at the 40 mile mark. I hope to be on the road by 6 to get a head
start on the heat. Have a great night everyone!
-Darren
p.s. Phone is on all night tonight.
8182612101
p.p.s. The guestbook at biking4books.com is online now, so when u visit the
site please sign it. Thanks!
p.p.p.s. Address for tapes, etc. will be coming in the next few days. So if
you are planning on sending me something, its time to get it ready for shippin'!
p.p.p.p.s Its actually kinda nice when a big 18-wheeler passes you going
really fast. The vacuum of air they create behind them gives you a nice boost
of speed once they pass you by. BUT, when one 18-wheeler passes another
18-wheeler on a two lane road when I'm riding on the shoulder, it's time to
hold on for dear life!
The alarm did its thing at 4:30am this morning, but I couldn't muster up
the strength to ride today. I hadn't taken a day off since the Tetons, so I
figured that today would be a fine day to catch up on some sleep and stock up
on supplies for the 85 mile ride to Newcastle tomorrow. After waking up at 9
this mornin', I pretty mcuh spent the whole day eatin' & readin'. French
toast & eggs for breakfast, foot long chicken sub for lunch, chocolate
shake and a pound and a half of bing cherries for a afternoon snack while the
thunderstorms rolled in, and beef fajitas at El Jarro Mexican Restaurant
(where I sit and write this note) for din din. Plus a trip to the market to
get some grub for tomorrow's ride; sandwich meat, tortillas, peaches, twinkies,
and some powdered Kool-Aid. You must be thinking, "Damn! That's a shit
load of food for a scrawny cycler like me. But with the heat of the Wyoming
Praries and the rigors of the Black Hills coming up tomorrow, I figure that I
must fill u!
p the tank till my stomach can take no more. Anyhow, no doubt I'll sleep well
tonight after I do my packin' and take a nice bath to sooth the muscles.
Tomorrow I will respond to the alarm (like I should have today) and hit the
road by five. Tomorrow I shall give all of you the address to send the mix
tapes or whatever u have in store for me. I believe it will be a post office
in Pierre, South Dakota, but tomorrow I'll know for sure. Have a great night
everyone, and be sure to write!
-Darren
(818) 261-2101