Major Joy

Excess energy
Roy and Danelle's House last night
The camping the night before
Neil coming up South Pass
Dear All

Neil and I have conquered South Pass and the Continental Divide. I am elated.

But to begin where I left off:

From the Cafe we headed west dropping 1100 ft after SweetWater Junction which has ceased to exist. The descent is 6 miles of scary fast and then the wind swung to the west - rats. We arrived in Landers around dinner and did the motel, shower, groceries, patch kit for the air mattress which leaks, dinner (veggie burger for me, 1 lb of beef for Neil) shuffle to retire replete. Another day, another 60 miles. We can see snow on the mountains in the west. Weather is clear and sunny.

Saturday I woke up excited. Today is South Pass - we cross the Continental Divide today after climbing from 5200 to 7600 ft over 25 miles. I saw this as a defining test of endurance. The first 9 miles flew by and then we started to climb and climb and descend and climb and descend and climb until Red Butte Canyon where we just pedalled ceaselessly (or at least I did) for a very long time but eventually in the afternoon we came to the turn for Altantic City where we realized we were at 8300 ft. The trekkers went to 7600 but the modern road is higher.

Atlantic City is cute -- pop about 76 and a place to get water and stuff for dinner. We were planning on stopping about 6 miles past South Pass at a picnic area where Hwy 28 crosses the Sweetwater but Shorty at the bar told us it was closed - no water, no toilets - so poor Neil had to pack our water up 700 ft. out of Atlantic City and then to the campsite. The hills out of town were so steep I had to walk my bike sometimes. But we got there and set up a nice camp just at sunset with instant potatoes with peas, dirty rice with fresh tomato, onion and pepper, and candy for dessert as we watched the last rays slip behind the hills. Pretty satisfying (oh and Neil carried a six pack and ice also). During the night the patch failed on my matress and I was back to being old bones on cold hard ground.

Sunday we thought we would do our first century (100 miles in 1 day) and we were right on track (63 miles) until late afternoon at the Mormon Crossing of the Green River when the wind became unbelievably fierce. I expect in the order of 40 mph - clearly too dangerous to bike in. I made Neil stop and we stuck out our thumbs about 36 miles from Kemmerer.

Enter Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (actually Roy and Danelle Christensen) who don't pass by people who need help - they stop. We threw our bikes in the back of their Dodge pick-up and they took us to where the road bent to a better angle on the wind - and then they invited us home for dinner and a shower. Roy said he'd bring us back from their home in Big Piney to Kemmerer in the morning. We couldn't agree fast enough. Beautiful log home tastefully decorated western style. Green Chiles, stir-fry, and wine and great company - what fun. They can be my neighbours anytime.

Today, Monday, we went 45 miles before the rain hit just as we entered Cokeville. We were into the wind the first 15 miles (using middle ring with Neil breaking lead like a Canadian duck in a flight of two) until we turned north and the wind was behind us. Then it was "big ring and hammer". We started late from Kemmerer by the time Roy drove us there, and rather than get wet trying for the 30 miles to Montpelier we quit. So here we are, content with the day's progress.

Neil has made flight arrangements home for Sunday from Salt Lake City as our time together draws to an close. We have tomorrow to Soda Springs and the next day where ever and then he'll head south. I'm going to miss him, he is such great company as well as a practical source of advice.

Love from Cokeville (10 miles to Idaho)

ps Mario and Joan - next year the Tour de France
ps Michelle and Obama - don't be depressed, but people here don't like you
ps Dave V - good to hear your voice after all this time
ps John - thank you for your wishes - I haven't the cable for your podcast so have that to look forward to later.
ps Lee - Roy had a whole quilt he made of beaver pelts
ps Laura - you must be rocking at the bookstore
ps Colleen - I bike just like you walked the pilgrimage - one step at a time
ps Carmine - man St. Anthony's sounds good
ps Kevin - after the Rattlesnake range we're in a great high range arid plateau of sage and antelope ( they call them goats here). Great biking except for the wind oh but it can howl.