I anticipated an easy day today. Thermopolis was an short 18 mile downhill ride through the scenic Wind River Canyon. My plan was to have breakfast, explore the town, visit the hot springs and then camp at the RV park north of town. Good plan except the RV park wanted $45 a night for a piece of dirt, two nights minimum. I figured if I left Thermopolis by 3 I could get to the next town, Worland, before dark and take a cheap(er) motel there.
The Hot Springs State Park is a very large, grassy park with the state bathhouse and a few commercial baths and pools. The state bathhouse is free to use, and has indoor and outdoor pools. It was very relaxing to soak in the steamy water, the smell of sulfur all about. I would love to try the outdoor pool in the depths of winter. Relaxed and mellow I wafted away from the bathhouse and rode my bike over to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center to check out the fossils. The center also offered tours to an ongoing fossil dig not far away, but I declined. Having gotten my fill of the town I headed out towards Worland on schedule, just before 3 pm. It had been sunny and warm but clouded over soon after I left Thermopolis, which I initially welcomed. As the afternoon progressed it got windier and windier. Initially a strong headwind at 15 miles from Worland it turned into a fierce side wind making it very difficult to control the bike. Twice I was very nearly knocked over by a sudden gust. Had there been anything to shelter behind I would have stopped, but there wasn’t so I rode slowly, leaning strong to the left to keep on the road. That worked for a bit but then it started to rain. Big fat drops of water and the wind howling, I was not enjoying myself. I thought of all the pickup trucks going by and wished one of them would notice me and offer a ride. And bang, just like that, I see a truck idling on the shoulder ahead. As I approached the driver jumped out, opened up the bed and I rode up, grateful. Talen is a bulldozer operator at a nearby mine, lives in Worland and drove me to a motel in town. I checked in, took a hot shower and enjoyed watching the wind and listening to the rain on the roof, happy to be dry.
