Day 31 100 Mile Day! (LeAnn+Ben)

another popped tire

Our longest ride from Shoshoni to just outside of Dubois. We stopped in Shoshoni to pick up some food to keep us going on the long ride ahead, sadly all they had was donuts which we used to motivate ourselfves every 0 on the mile marker signs.

Everything went well except for a 6 mile detour on a gravel road, due to some major flooding that closed off the main highway to Dubois. This was not a small feat considering we had to walk most of it uphill over the dam.

At a rest stop we ran into a couple of older guys touring and our mouths watered at the sight of their trail mix. It mostly consisted of m&ms and sweet goodness, while our trail mix was a much healthy, but less appetizing option of mostly nuts and seeds. We wished we hadn't skimped on chocolate just because it wasn't on sale. But fortunately, if you wish hard enough for something you are bound to find it. As we left the rest stop, we found two perfectly good, melted mini herseys chocolate bars lying on the side of the highway. When you are on the road long enough and hungry, just about anything tastes good, but nothing can quite compare to a bite sized morsel that's been cooking in the hot sun for an unknown span of time.

6/30/11 No water, but fruit will do (LeAnn+Ben)

We biked all day to make it to a town with water. Luckily a nice hippy lady with a long flowing white skirt pulled over on the side of the road and offered us a bag of organic fruits: pears, oranges and nectarines. After we made to Powder River and couldn't find any sign of water (just another ghost town), the fruit tasted so good and kept us going another 20 miles until the next rest stop.

Triple rainbow....that is all that must be said. 

That night we found a good spot to camp along the side of the road. Behind a big bush

6/28/11-6/29/11 Casper (LeAnn)

The lady from Glenrock let us take showers in the morning and then brought us out to eat for breakfast at the restaurant in town. All one really needs is some good food and a little soap and water every once in a while to keep the spirits soaring. We said our goodbys and headed toward Casper. We took care of a few loose odds and ends: bike shop, library, natural foods coop, etc. That night we slept comfortably in an rv in the backyard of the daughter of the lady from Glenrock.

Next day: very hot, crazy wind, storm. Spent more time at library, practiced some martial arts in the park. Left the town late. One last goodbye wave from the lady we stayed with the night before as she drove the school bus across the last intersection as we left Casper. Crazy random happenstance

6/27/11 Off to Douglas (LeAnn)

After a state patrol officer came to warn us about sleeping on the side of the road in ditches, we rode along the highway a few miles until we reached a tiny town with a population of 101 called Manville. Ben loved it of course! We stopped to use the restroom at the little truckside diner and were amused to find a little sign posted on the front class door of the Mower Man. There was a picture of a larger man riding a lawn mower at the bottom of the page and the ad stated that the man would mow lawns for reasonable prices ranging from $5-$15.

After Manville, we passed through Lost Springs, which had a population of only 4 people and finally made it to Douglas. We stopped at the library and a few young boys talked to us and told us where all of the good places in town were. Then we went to the used book shop in town, bought a couple of books to keep us entertained on the rainy days and finally went to the Maverick gas station for $1 yogurt ice cream cones which we piled higher than one could imagine was possible. Mine completely fell over and covered my hand with sticky goodness, but it was well worth it.

We continued on the rolling highway toward Glenrock and enjoyed some of the most amazing downhill stretches ever. We must have hit 40 mph as we sped down some of the hills.

Finally, as the sun was setting, we pulled off the side of the road for a quick dinner. Then, out of nowhere two older woman pulled over on the side of the road and asked us where we were planning on sleeping for the night. As usual, we always played it by ear and the lady from Glenrock graciously offered us a place to pitch our tent in her backyard in Glenrock alongside a little lamb that she was caring for. It was so nice to have a spot on the soft flat ground and a safe place to sleep for the night.