Day 48: Pony Express and Promontories: Lamont, WY to Lander, WY

92 miles (148 km) – Total so far: 2,646 miles (4,258 km)

92 miles to the next real town. Headwind blowing like all get out. Best not to think of it and just start pedaling. Paul, Terry, Jonathan, Jerry, and myself got going pretty early together, but Jerry and Jonathan split off just about right away since the Brits and I tend to lollygag about a little bit more. Different styles, but we usually end up in the same place. A few miles of headwind turned into a mysterious tailwind. As discussed earlier, tailwinds are awesome except for the fact that they help mosquitos too. Most of the morning was taken up with trying to maintain enough speed to outrun the buggers. We failed. Badly.

Just ouside of Lamont, Wy the clouds are bound up by the mountains like they are inside some kind of gigantic cloud bowl. There are probably very large lucky charm oats at the bottom, and floating on top are humongous green clovers, blue diamonds, etc.

The gas station was closed, but Terry hopped to action cleaning Persephone's wind shield. --Muddy Gap, WY — The gas station was closed, but Terry hopped to action cleaning Persephone’s wind shield. –Muddy Gap, WY

Speaking of hashtag fail, breakfast was miserable. The town of Jeffery City was once a boom town for uranium mining. Eventually, the mine was shut. The miners, soldiers, and business associated with such a mining operation left. All that was left was a surly group of folks and a bar that was open on Sunday morning. In said bar, we endured glares and not-quiet-enough disparaging comments while eating through a breakfast with glacially slow service. They were happy to see us go, and the feeling was reciprocal. (I hesitate to include such a negative event, but if the experience is bad enough, I think it would be disingenuous to exclude… the whole trip would sound like a continuously positive joy ride… it almost is in fact just that, but not quite)

We made good time after breakfast and found a really cool historical site at Split Rock. This very recognizable formation was a waypoint on the Oregon trail, so it has a special significance for us tourers, who are loosely following in their wagon ruts. It was also a station on the Pony Express. The express employed 80 “wiry young fellowes, willing to risk death daily, preferably orphans.” These fellowes each made short runs on horses between posts and handed off the mail to the next rider. This enabled them to get mail from St Joseph, Missouri to the end of the line in just 10 days. A feat that will take us tourers almost 60 days ourselves. Amazing.

In the background is Split Rock. --Wyoming. — In the background is Split Rock. –Wyoming.

Split Rock. --Wyoming. — Split Rock. –Wyoming.

During the latter half of the day, the sky was dominated up ahead my ominous anvil shaped thunder clouds. By sheer luck and coincidence, we arrived at a rest station minutes before the storm broke. No cover exists 30 miles in either direction, and we didn’t even get a drop of rain on us, let alone any of the hail the clouds spat out while we relaxed inside the rest area.

We're headed North, and the clouds overhead are headed East. We set out just after the storm had passed us by and zipped along the tail end of the front. Didn't get wet at all. --Sweetwater Station, WY — We’re headed North, and the clouds overhead are headed East. We set out just after the storm had passed us by and zipped along the tail end of the front. Didn’t get wet at all. –Sweetwater Station, WY

Looking at the West-end of an Eastbound thunderstorm. (Much better than looking at the West-end of an Eastbound goat!) --Sweetwater Station, WY (Persephone has her flag pole back, now improved with two flags) — Looking at the West-end of an Eastbound thunderstorm. (Much better than looking at the West-end of an Eastbound goat!) –Sweetwater Station, WY (Persephone has her flag pole back, now improved with two flags)

A few miles down the road I split off from the Brits to enjoy some solitude. The views were one hit after another as I emerged from the desert climate of South Central Wyoming (South Central! Represent!). Various stratified cliff faces, ochre outcrops, sandstone promontories, and snowy peaks greeted me as I swiftly cruised the next 30 miles and gradually lost 1,500 vertical feet.