Gillette, Wyoming to Buffalo, Wyoming

Brian’s Ride Miles Biked: 74.6 Average Speed: 13.5 mph Max Speed: 31 mph Time Pedaling: 5 hours 30 minutes Total Feet Climbed: 3750 Start/Stop Time: 7:30 am to 2:30 p.m. Wind: Variable. Weather: Overcast and cool (60’s) changing to mostly sunny and warm in the afternoon(mid 90’s).

Comments: We changed itinerary to today by traveling to Buffalo instead of Sheridan, Wyoming. This was done to shorten today’s ride from 100+ to 75 miles and to take US 16 through the Big Horn Mountains instead of US 14. I talked to several people along the way about which mountain pass to take and it sounds like US 16 is the way to go. We’ll find out tomorrow. The 75 miles today was all on I90. The shoulders were smooth the entire way and a nice rest stop half way provided water. Joan also met up with me to feed me an early lunch. A flat tire greeted me in downtown Buffalo. I tried pumping it up without fixing the flat because I only had 3 miles to go but I didn’t make it. This time I replaced the tube with a self-sealing type that I bought in town. Hopefully it will reduce the frequency of flats which up to now is about 1 every 3 days.

Joan’s Version

Seeing the huge rolling ranches as we left Crazy Woman Camp deepened my appreciation of the cowgirls’ skills. The enormity and "severity" of the ranches allowed ample room for honing their talents and I spent miles envisioning the Wrangler clad, rope-toting cowgirls perched atop their horses, canvassing the hundreds of acres of ranch land. I wondered which little missy now wears the rhinestone-encrusted Rodeo-Queen tiara and if she wears it as she gallops through the beautiful countryside.

Thoughts floated back to my own cowboy, perched on his saddle, conquering the hills we so effortlessly drove. We soon saw him shortly after a beautiful mountain range appeared before us…beautiful from the drivers seat in the RV and quite looming and ominous from the saddle of the bike.

This was the infamous Big Horn Mountain, still snowcapped from the altitude. It seemed bigger than I had imagined, and I knew Brian would worry about his ability to climb it’s steep 7% grades. When we met him, though, the only thing he really wanted was food. Immediate needs first.