Day 10: Bridger to Columbus

July 18, 2024

Yesterday the gas station convenience store was already closed when I learned that it doesn't open until 8 AM. I could have bought breakfast supplies before they closed yesterday.

I got up at 7:40 and went to the store at 8 to buy a Jimmy Dean breakfast bowl to heat in my microwave. When I was finished I reused the bowl to make oatmeal in the microwave. The cheap motel had no cups, no coffee maker, nobody at the office. I forgot to mention that yesterday I checked in by picking up a note for Wayne Estes on the closed office door. The note said to put $85 cash in a drawer in my room. I never saw the manager and she had no idea if I actually paid until after I was gone.

On the road at 9 AM. The temperature was 74F. No worries because today is a short easy day.

Traffic was heavy going north from Bridger. Many double gravel trailers. And the shoulder was thoroughly covered with gravel. That slows me down and forces me to wander to avoid the biggest rocks. The shoulder was rideable, but narrower than the norm in Wyoming. And the rumble strip is 8-10 inches to the right of the fog line. Wyoming rumble strips were adjacent to the fog line, per highway design standards.

Here the shoulder is wide enough that the improperly placed rumble strip isn't a problem.

I stopped to look around the little town of Fromberg. It looks like a time capsule that hasn't changed in the last 60 years.

Fromberg is a relatively shady town. I'm noticing more trees in the countryside now. Scattered trees in the hills in addition to the rare trees along rivers. The barren desert hills near Riverton and Thermopolis are a distant memory now.

1908 Methodist-Episcopal church in Fromberg.

I was amused to see a strange art car. A 1970's Chrysler Cordoba with a Continental-style rear spare and horns attached to the hood. The spare tire would obviously cause the trunk to get wet when it rains or snows.

I was surprised to see an old log cabin in the downtown area. I usually see structures like this out in the countryside.

North of Fromberg I had my final view of Clarks Fork Yellowstone river. I won't follow the river all the way to where it flows into the Yellowstone river. Instead I will make a short cut to connect to the Yellowstone river farther upstream in the town of Columbus.

I stopped for lunch in the little town of Joliet. It's not quite as charming as Fromberg, but still worth seeing.

After Joliet I turned onto MT 78 which crosses big hills to get to the Yellowstone river. Fortunately, the grade was 4% or less and the 90F afternoon heat wasn't too oppressive. Unfortunately, shade is always behind a fence. The hill climb follows a ridge that has excellent views of the farm valley below to the south.

Hilltop view when climbing towards Yellowstone river.

The descent to the Yellowstone river included several big rolling hills. It was work. The final 2 miles to Columbus are alongside the Yellowstone river. High Desert River #4. It has a much higher flow than the Clarks Fork Yellowstone river. About 4000 cubic feet per second right now. I will follow the Yellowstone river upstream for 2 days, to Livingston.

Today had fewer insects than previous days. During this tour I have been surprised that insects are such a nuisance considering the arid climate.

I arrived in Columbus at 4:20 PM. Peak heat, but I wasn't suffering. The high clouds and gentle headwind helped keep me cool.

Columbus is an interesting town mainly because of the large number of limestone buildings. There was obviously a limestone quarry nearby.

Columbus has a cheap downtown motel, but I didn't stay there because I was concerned about railroad noise. It turned out that the tracks have very few trains. I stayed at the Super 8 motel a mile north of downtown, next to I-90 and a truck stop. It's triple the price of the cheap downtown motel.

It looks like Columbus had a limestone quarry.

Columbus is a small railroad town with a one-sided downtown strip. The other side is the railroad tracks.

I took a 2 hour nap, then walked across the street to have dinner at the Pilot Truck Stop restaurant. The only other restaurant open in the area was McDonalds. A freeway exit is not my favorite place to stay, but it does have the services I need.

Today was a relatively easy day. It helps that the high temperature is now a normal 90F instead of way above normal. The weather forecast calls for highs of 85-90F. The remainder of the tour should have pleasant weather.

Distance: 45.2 miles
Average Speed: 8.2 mph
Ascent/Descent: +1224/-1175 feet

Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km)
Total: 426 miles (686 km)

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