Day – 35 No Words

Well…I will try to describe the beauty we experienced today but mostly the feelings I had.

The plan is to get to Atlantic City population 57 in two days. It is just too much to do in a day for me and even if I did there was the Great Basin waiting after AC. There was no way I was taking on that “Boss” depleted from a big day and landing in a dinky town for the night.

The path today is the Lander Cutoff. A portion of the Oregon trail that proved to be a celebrated shortcut. I read on an informative plaque it was also the first federally funded road project on the Oregon Trail.

To say this road is remote would be like calling it beautiful. Neither words begin to describe either attribute. Skirting around the southern terminus of the Wind River Mountains, high and barren, this road should be on every person’s vacation list. The vistas are intense and the road is rather tame. But be loaded for bear as there is nothing out here but Mountains, Sky, and sage brush. Well cows, cows seem to be everywhere.

I rode alone as I prefer. And alone I was. Maybe 12 cars passed me and another 12 blew by the other direction all day. And it was a big day. Well 54 miles and 2800 vert but I took my time and found places to just stop and gawk.

My plan was to disperse camp at a location marked on the Route map. This was also my French pals plan. By the time I got there they were set up and Gille was on top of a rock pinnacle waving at me to take his picture.

Again no adequate words on how beautiful this site was. But it is Wyoming which means there is always the possibility you will be subject to a gale force breeze. I arrived with storm clouds chasing me. I pitched my tent immediately and thankfully was done before a quick squall blew through. We all hunkered down in our tents and I got a nap. I slept terrible in the motel last night. I am now fully a wild animal and my best nights are camping out these days.

The weather cooperated for us all to cook some dinner. We ate almost silently as we shoveled calories in so fast we could not have spoken. Another storm front was threatening to crash the party.

It did. So more time in the tent. Then a marvelous sunset that I cannot imagine will be topped on this trip.

The French were as blow away by the scenery as I was and asked if I had been here before. I have not. I never knew this existed. They were perplexed and the only way I could explain myself was asking if they had seen all of Poland. America is big y’all and the fact that this gem exists less than a days drive from my front door is proof.

I realize I have been hyperbolic in this post and some of you are thinking that I am making this all up to brag about my trip. This is not instagram and I am not trolling for likes. All I can say is today I was moved. Maybe it is the physicality, lack of calories, or psychosis brought on by endless hours riding alone but today I was dumbfounded by beauty and humbled by the opportunity to experience it in such a way.

All day I imagined those people headed west in wagons over a century ago. There is commonality to link us. I imagine they knew only enough about the route to believe it was possible, they only had what they carried and were excited about what laid ahead. Just like me. I know enough about the route to believe I am prepared but there are surprises around every corner. Luckily today that surprise was another “Best Day of the Trip”!