Day 55 - June 27 - Dubois, WY Layover Day - Two Old Guys Take On A Continent

June 27, 2023

Day 55 - June 27 - Dubois, WY Layover Day

Unnecessary Eviction

Ed’s Story

Once again, I did not save my initial entry, so I am starting again.

Initially woke up at 5 o’clock when the cyclists we were staying with were up and packing their bags and making breakfast. They tend to leave earlier than us. I ended up getting up at 6 o’clock. The four cyclists left shortly thereafter.

About that time John is looking at the waiver form and noticed that the Kiwanis were going to be there in about 25 minutes and we had to leave. We hurriedly packed our bags and threw them on the bike. It was then I noticed that the Kiwanis were meeting up at the Episcopal Church not the Church of Christ.

We opted to leave anyway to eat breakfast, hoping that the cycling tour group at the Episcopal Church would be gone by the time we were done.

Breakfast was pancakes and coffee at the Village Cafe. I gave my bacon to John. He always appreciates getting the meat that comes with my meal to add to his.

There were only 2 to 3 people left at the Episcopal Church when we got there after breakfast. They are a group of fraternity brothers from various universities riding for a cause and have to raise about $6500 to $7500 each.

It turns out one of them, Austin, is going to Mississippi State University. That is cool because I am an alumnus of that university. Austin is majoring in psychology and hopes to get a masters degree when he graduates next year. He is a driver this year and indicated that he rode last year.

The old alumnus with the young student, Austin.

We brought all our bags into the Episcopal Church community room. In the back of the room was a full kitchen, dining area, office area, and lounge. We thought we had scored. A few minutes later Ian, one of the caretakers for the cyclist ministry, came by and told us that extra area was off-limits. We could only use the community room. Oh well, you win some you lose some.

A trap door in the bathroom. I wonder where it leads to. I wonder why it’s there. Did this used to be a getaway house for bandits?

The good thing is that from where we are now we can walk to many other places in town. We will still need to ride to the laundromat and the grocery store but that is OK.

After we were set up, we decided to take a walk and see what is in the town. Lots of interesting stores. Kept walking, looking for freeze dried meals to take with us into Yellowstone.

John saw a large circle walkway made of antlers and wanted a picture of it.

Found some little bee bikes in a honey shop.

We were told the local fly fishing outfitter sold freeze dried backpacking meals but when we got there were told they didn’t, but that Ace Hardware did. When we walked in the fishing store a dog came out from the back barking and snarling. It just wanted its belly rubbed and laid down on the floor.

We found the freeze dried foods at Ace. I got 2 to take with me into the park.

Better eating through science and chemistry.

Short story for the end. Packed, showered, washed clothes, and had a beer. Met up with Randy and Becky who bought all the cyclists staying at the church dinner as it was his 65th birthday.

After that it was back to the hostel for final packing and bed.

Tomorrow is about 65 miles with a major climb and screaming downhill.

Until then, happy biking!

John’s Story

Kiwanis story clarified: When we were diverted from St. Thomas Episcopal Church to the Church of Christ because of the crowd of frat brothers already occupying it, we were told that there would be a registration form to sign when we got there, and that the bikers already at the Church of Christ would clue us in. Well, the clueing didn’t happen until they were leaving at 6:00 this morning. I filled out the form, which had a Church of Christ header. Immediately below it was the notice about the Kiwanis meeting at 6:45 that morning, and the requirement that we vacate by 6:15. Rushed packing ensued. We were about ready to leave at 6:45, but by then no Kiwanis had shown up. After a few more moments we figured that perhaps they didn’t meet every week in the summer. It was then that we noticed that the info about the Kiwanis info was on a sheet with a St. Thomas heading. Why that piece of paper was in the Church of Christ is a mystery, though it did get us up and running early on an off day.

The website says that St. Thomas has a capacity of 8 hiker/bikers. There were at least two dozen frat brothers in here last night with all their gear. They are being followed by sag vehicles, so they each had at least a duffel bag. It must have been cheek to jowl sleeping conditions. I noticed on the bulletin board here in the community room that the maximum capacity is 49 people. Yeah, right. Maybe if everyone slept standing up. 🧐

Ed and Ian finally figured out how to open the shed for storing our bikes overnight. The shed is up several sets of wooden stairs at the top of a small hill. I guess we’ll have to figure out a way to get there rolling our bikes instead of carrying them.

We took a walking tour of the main drag in Dubois. Down one side of the street and up the other. Bought rolls of quarters at the bank. Visited the ATM. Bought some groceries. Found freeze dried backpacker meals at Ace Hardware. We made a few other discoveries along the way.

I was awarded a crown of horns by the city fathers.

That little guy excavates a heck of large burrow for such a small animal.

The bison around here used to be much larger than today.

Haley, I found a unicorn for you! And it’s being ridden by a jackalope!

I then went back to the Cowboy Cafe to sample their homemade corned beef hash (they corn their own beef) and buy a takeout Reuben sandwich for lunch. Both were very tasty.

We have an afternoon excursion by bike planned to go to the laundromat for showers and laundry, go back to the grocery store to buy tonight’s dinners (frozen microwaveable meals and salad), and stop at a tavern for a beer. I will also go to the Wyoming Highway Patrol office to turn in a set car keys and fob I found on the shoulder of the highway between Fort Washakie and Crowheart yesterday.

Tomorrow’s itinerary has us biking over Togwatee Pass at about 9,700’ then down to a Forest Service campground, only 47 miles, but a climb of almost 3,000’ followed by a drop of almost the same amount. Because most of the work will be done in the first 30 miles we’re considering going on past our planned stop to the National Park Service campground at Colter Bay Village. The benefit would include the NPS policy of accommodating hikers and bikers without reservations at their campgrounds, showers, and a slightly more leisurely exploration of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks over the next couple days. We’ll play it by ear when we get to our original target.

Dew-BWAH or Dew-BOYS?

Until we arrived in Wyoming I used the French pronunciation of this town’s name, Dew-BWAH. We were corrected soon after we arrived, that it is pronounced Dew-BOYS. This town and a town by the same name in Idaho we’re named after an Idaho Senator, but the citizens in acts of patriotic fervor rejected the French pronunciation for the one currently used. There is a Dubois, Pennsylvania, but it is pronounced DEW-boys, but of course it was named not after an Idaho senator but a lumber magnate. The towns of Dubois in Illinois and Indiana are pronounced as it is pronounced here in Wyoming. There are communities named Dubois in Alabama, Georgia and Maryland. I’m betting they’re pronounced Dew-BOYS. On the other hand I’m quite certain that Dubois, Quebec uses the French pronunciation. I hope so.

Breaking News

Becky just walked in. She is sagging for her husband Randy who is still out on the road. He is riding border to border from Big Bend National Park to the Canada. Now three more bikers just came in. Eric, Frank and Jake are a day behind us on this part of the route. Noel and Alan are still out there. We’ll have a full house here tonight.

Even Later Breaking News

It’s Randy’s 65th birthday. He gathered all of us staying at the hostel together so he could buy us burgers and a beer to celebrate. He found us in the tavern across the street from the restaurant. He tracked us down because our bikes were parked outside. It was a great dinner. He even shared a small slice of the huge piece of carrot cake the restaurant gave him with everyone.

Don’t tell the church there are 9 people in the hostel tonight. The capacity is 8. Happy Birthday Randy!

Randy has biked in 92 countries! He is a retired professor of Psychology at Mount Vernon. For 42 years he used his summers and sabbaticals to bike all over the world. Thirty-one years ago he and Becky rode the tour he is on now on a tandem.

What a fun group! We will be within a day or so of many of these people all the way to Missoula, Montana. Many are taking a rest day here in Dew-BOYS tomorrow but I think they will catch up.

Lights are out and I’m finishing this journal entry using my headlamp. Time for bed.

Today's ride: 3 miles (5 km)
Total: 1,422 miles (2,288 km)

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Kelly IniguezWhat a nice way to celebrate a 65th birthday.

We rode border to border in 2020. Hands down, we both say that was our best trip.

I’ve experienced the frustration of losing all of my work on CB. It was suggested that happens when you have two devices open at once. Hitting save on one loses the work that is on the other. I enter photos from my phone, but do the text on the computer. Now I am very careful to finish the photos before starting the text.
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