Day 55 - Long days & zero days - Rollin' ocean to ocean

June 25, 2024

Day 55 - Long days & zero days

Long days

Three different factors go into what I consider a long day of biking

Distance
Elevation
Wind

I did 77 miles on Day 41 since I had little choice. After Scott City, KS the next place I could sleep was Sheridan Lake, CO a distance off 77 miles, a long day. Back on Day 48 I only rode 32 miles but did over 5,600 feet of ascent, a long day. Today I did 68 miles with the last 20 miles being directly into a stiff headwind, a long day

Zero days

I figured in my schedule a zero day every two weeks or when circumstances demand it. I have been on the road for 40 days and have taken 3 zero days. One due to fatigue (Day 30), one due to excessive heat (Day 43), and one to visit family in Denver (Day 46)

Crossed the continental divide two more times today

Coming off the continental divide, road stretches out

Met Neil on the road, he is heading east

Saw a lot of these since it is common to close roads due to snow. Gates like railroad crossings also come down

Split rock which was a visual indicator you were on the Oregon trail. Pony Express also ran this route

Gotta preserve the Poopoo Agie. Inside family joke

I stayed in Jeffrey City which was a very prosperous town back in the 60s and 70s due to the boom in nuclear power. The town had a huge uranium mine and processing facility. Population back then was 6,000, it is now 50

I stayed in a hostel hosted by the local church which is 1/4 mile down a dirt road

The hostel walls were covered with graffiti from hundreds of previous riders

I had dinner at the Split Rock Cafe. Everyone in this establishment were very nice but characters. When I arrived the 4 people sitting at the bar were all smoking, perfectly legal in this community. The bar tender was Dusty and he was chewing tobacco, stopping to spit in a coffee can from time to time. A group of cowboys came in and started carting out cases of beer. I talked with them briefly and Saturday they were having a big branding party complete with 28 cases of beer. There is one episode of the television show, Yellowstone where they had a big branding party

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Today's ride: 68 miles (109 km)
Total: 2,632 miles (4,236 km)

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