Thank you SO much Jen.

STATS:

Jeffrey City, WY to Lander, WY

57.5 miles
After the beat down we received yesterday, we had absolutely no issue with leaving at 4 AM again. My legs were pretty sore, but not as bad as I thought. I guess I refueled properly. We packed up and we’re off into a light, gentle rain in complete darkness. I chuckled when a pottery shop still had their OPEN neon sign on at 4:30 AM. The wind had died down overnight, so into the darkness we went with only a gentle breeze. We weren’t moving fast though because we wanted to take it easy after yesterday’s grind. The neat part of morning rides are easily the sun slowly lighting the sky. The silhouette of massive mountains offered views only those up before sunrise would see. We rolled easy through the Wyoming land, admiring the clouds in all their shapes, sizes, and colors. It’s absolutely amazing seeing rain fall from the sky miles away from you. Wyoming is such an underrated state along the TransAm trail. The hills are definitely a factor of Wyoming, but they’re steady. The clouds are always incredible. The rocks around here are just fascinating, and it makes me wish I knew more about geology.

After only a few breaks, we made a nice push into Lander, WY. Before noon, we had done 60 miles. We weren’t in town for 10 minutes before we saw a sign for a Farmers Market. We walked around to each vendor to taste test and purchase some sweets. A young girl was selling cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting for only $1.00. I’ll take two for myself and my friend, please. Best cinnamon roll I’ve had on the trip, easily. We moved along to a microbrewery the locals kept recommended, and were not disappointed with the seasonal selections they brewed. A woman walked up to us and mentioned how she loved the Grateful Dead jersey Tim was wearing. We introduced ourselves, and she did the same. Jen actually saw us a day ago, and honked at us then. We remembered the van, and made the connection about seeing her!

After some conversation, she informed us of a wonderful canyon we must see while in Lander. She offered to drive us to the state park, and we absolutely took her invitation. The hike was stunning, wild flowers everywhere to be seen. The canyon itself was extraordinary, I can’t even put into words how beautiful this hike was. Jen is also an unbelievable human being. One of the most kind and generous people we’ve met on the trip, hands down. Sometime along the hike, she offered for us to stay in her home. Wow, I couldn’t believe my ears.

Once we we’re finished up with the trip, Jen took us back to her home and allowed us to shower, do some laundry, prepare meals, and sleep on her very comfortable furniture. We cannot have asked for a better ending to a fantastic day with Jen. Tim and I wrapped up the night by watching a movie on the big screen downstairs, and smiled towards each other one last time reflecting on how fortunate we were to have met Jen, and not be sleeping in the city park. Tomorrow will be a 75 mile day to Dubois, WY. Let’s do this.

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