Day 25: Pinedale to Big Sandy River - 42 miles

Another cold night with a very frosty tent. However, I'm learning to dress appropriately so it wasn't too bad. I just wear a couple of layers to bed and it's bearable. Good preparation for Colorado.

Since we were going to get our bikes fixed we had a slow start to the morning. It was a beautiful sunny day which was great; my tent and other gear could use some drying out.

At 8:30 it was over to the bicycle shop but the mechanic was out. Sean didn't want to ride his bike so I cycled off into town to find a place for breakfast while he walked. I found a restaurant, which was the same one the bike shop recommended to Sean, and even found a seat with a nearby power point so I could recharge my computer and work on my journal.

The waitress was not overly friendly, in fact compared to Montana we have found the people in Wyoming much less friendly, but the pancakes were good and filled a hole. I even had a hot chocolate to warm me up so I was feeling quite good about things. Sean joined me and I left before he finished his meal to get my bike to the shop.

Dale was great. He repacked my rear bearings and gave my bike a general tune up. There was nothing major wrong (except the bearings) but a lot of small niggly things that needed adjustments. He was impressed that my wheels didn't need much work done on them. A testament to the bike shop in Richmond NZ which built them. They've had 1000 very hard miles and except for a couple of slightly loose spokes on the rear have performed flawlessly.

I was pleased to find that he had some inner tubes with a presta valve and 'slime' in them. This is a great concoction which seals small holes in tyres. Since you can't put it in with presta valves (the diameter is too small) I've missed having it and have seriously considered cutting a tube and adding it manually. I bought out all three he had in stock and replaced two of the tubes while he worked on other parts of the bike. It's great stuff and it will be interesting to see what happens on the rest of the trip with regard to punctures.

When he finished I went back to the campground and collected the laundry that I had done while getting the bike fixed. I then packed up my gear while talking to Mark. He was 50 years old and doing the trip solo, but at a much lower pace than us -- he has more time up his sleeve. He had a bob trailer and the photo below shows him with his camping gear. The trailer is to the left with the flag. It seems to be more popular than panniers with N. Americans. With a dead weight of 8 kg I don't know why.

 

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Mark was very interesting to talk with and I shared with him some of my observations on America, in the hope that he could answer a few questions. One of them was 'what happens to all the used cars?' During our travels we have seen few, if any, old cars. They must go somewhere. Mark indicated that they go to a 'shredder' which converts the plastics to 'automotive fluff' while the metal is recycled. He was quite critical of the American auto industry for the way in which they have created a perceived need for new cars among the populace. Even worse, they are the environmentally unfriendly pickup trucks of sports utility vehicles (SUVs), which few people need but many seem to prefer. I will say that in a place like Montana/Wyoming I can see a need for these types of vehicles (where you have 6 months of winters or ardent hunters) but not in the big cities. It was a pleasure to chat with Mark and I was able to fill in a few more pieces of the jigsaw puzzle when it comes to understanding America.

Sean's bike proved more problematic since they couldn't find anyone in town who would weld aluminium. They instead decided to epoxy it which I thought was a bit dodgey. While waiting for it to dry we went back to the campground. There were two more arrivals -- Christie and Mark from Vancouver. They have just completed their studies at UBC and were celebrating with the continental divide bike ride. They had heard about us from Laruen who we met in Yellowstone. It's a small world when you are all cycling the same trail.

The day was getting on and to save time I went and got lunch while Sean attended to his bike. I wanted another pizza so it was back to the same place as last night. The pizza wasn't as good this time (different cook) but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I read my Lewis and Clark book until Sean arrived to eat his half.

We then visited the local market to get some more supplies since it is at least four days to the next grocery store. After Sean filled his water bottles at the petrol station we headed east towards Boulder. It was 16:00 and we had quite a few miles to cover before dark.

Fortunately, we were given a strong tailwind, a paved road with a good shoulder, and a slight downgrade. We motored along at 20 mph or more in places and so made excellent time to Boulder. We got drinks at the petrol station and then turned onto the side road that would take us towards the Jim Bridger wilderness. It too was paved and the terrain was quite gentle so, except when the wind was against us, we made good time.

Eventually the paved road ended and we found ourselves on a very difficult corrugatged road with loose surface material. Definitely not recommended for bicycles. The surface was like a washboard and I felt that my fillings were going to jar loose. Except when the surface changed to soft sand which made for smoother driving, but at the cost of a lot of effort.

Sean had problems with his panniers and the epoxy also broke around this point. Out came my cable ties again and I did a field repair. We continued on at a slower speed. Poor Sean had continued problems with his panniers coming off. I have special clips which keep mine firm but his front panniers are held on by bungee straps, which are not very effective when travelling on badly corrugated surfaces.

As sunset approached we were in very desolate terrain with nowhere to camp. However, it was beautiful in a rugged way, and the sunset cast a red/pink hue over the mountains and even the clouds. I found it lovely but Sean was a bit out of sorts so I don't think he could appreciate it in the same way.

We pushed on and eventually found a good campsite by the 'Big Sandy River' at 'Buckskin Crossing'. This was an important point on the Oregon Trail where thousands of pilgrims heading west crossed the river. Or didn't. There were pioneer graves scattered through the area.

Our tents were pitched in a wadi leading down to the river so it was a good thing that there was little chance of rain. When I removed my panniers I found that my pannier holder had broken, this time in a different place to where the previous weld was done. Dale was right ... when I asked him if I needed a new rack he said that the weld would hold. And it did. Pity we didn't look closely at the rest of the rack. Obviously we are approaching catastrophic failure of my rack.

It was a warm and pleasant evening with a half moon in the sky. As darkness enveloped us we heard a coyote in the distance. With the sound of the river it is a wild yet tranquil place we are in. It was a good effort to get this far with such a late start and it puts us in good stead for tomorrow when we are heading to Atlantic City. No, not the one with all the casinos but the one in Wyoming with a population of about 57 people. That will mark our jump off point to two days of hard cycling through desert where there is no water. If nothing else, this trip is a series of challenges!

On to the next day ...

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