Day 67, Lander to Dubios, Wyoming.

The Wind river with the painted hill in the back ground.



Tucked away at the foot of the hills you can see these really neat dwellings. Must be nice being out in nature, away from the busy cities.

The Grand Tetons across the plains.

Meet Sergei from Russia. He moved to Chicago about 10 years ago, and is an avid cycle tourist. Just loves America. Good luck Sergei.

These small crag's are a great place for mountain lions. At least that's what I thought. I looked, but never saw any.

The Wind River wound it's was though the valley. We crossed it a number of times today.

Cool rock formations. Upon closer inspection. I found these rocks to actually be more like hard dirt.
Occationally they crumble and fall. Like that one piece over there.

The Painted hills are a sight to behold. Fore a minute there, I thought I was in Arizona or something.

The sun makes the colors change depending of the angle. Very cool.

We had cloud cover parts of the day, so the colors of the rocks didn't turn out that good in this shot, but believe me, it was worth looking at.

I wanted to run over there and climb up on that thing. But was too tired, and would have probably gotten arrested.

Wyoming is full of surprises. The land scape changes dramatically through out the day. One moment it looks like you're in a desert, the next you are in alpine wilderness. I'm beginning to like this place.

I wish our route took us closer to that thing there. It looked huge.

Leaving Lander.

This iron buffalo was in front of this store in Lander. Great art work.

These geese are huge. A lot larger than the ones that come to Molokai for the winter, and about three times the size of the Nene geese.

We passed through Fort Washakie, located on an Indian Reservation. Didn't stop except to take a couple of pictures. Too early for lunch.

Descending over the pass toward Duois. you just have to be there to see the awesome beauty of this place. So dynamic.

This deer spooked when i stopped to take her picture. She is actually running full tilt trying to get away.

More Lander art. Some of these must have cost a small fortune.

The Wind river again. Makes you just want to jump right in.

I saw this bear laying in the bushes on this small island in the middle of the river. I wasn't really sure what it was till i examined the picture on the computer.


Day 67, Lander to Dubios, Wyoming. "red Rocks". 75.2 miles. Total=3,042.22 miles.

Friday, July 17, 2009.

Today we broke the 3,000 mile mark. Looking back at what we've accomplished so far, it's hard to imagine that soon our journey will be over. I've learned that people are nice if you take the time to meet them, and that if you put your heart into something, it can come true................

As we left Lander this morning, we didn't know for sure if we would be able to make it all the way to Dubois. 75 miles in questionable head wind conditions at O-zone altitude might be a little too much to ask for a couple of sea level dwellers from Hawaii. We decided to give it a try any way, and had a back up plan in case things didn't work out. We had our usual breakfast, and was on the road by a little after eight. On the way out of town, we stumbled across a family of deer that was grazing right off the highway at the edge of town. When we stopped, they took off. I guess they know they are safe there, but only if people keep moving. my guess is that they were probably shot at before. And when ever people stop, that means, "Take Cover!"

The morning was perfect for riding. Cool, no wind, relatively flat terrain, and little traffic. We made good time early on. There were no services for 45 miles, so we packed plenty of water, and had some snacks on hand for when we got hungry. We stopped occasionally to take in the sights, and take pictures. It was a picture perfect day........................... We climbed over a low pass, and was again greeted by one of natures grandest sights. In the distance, we could see more snow capped peaks. These looked more rugged that thee one we were greeted by yesterday. Below lay a combination of red rock out cropping, high plains, and a small stream winding it's way to who knows where. Something I've never seen back home. I could have stayed there an hour just taking it all in............................ We ran into Matt and Barbara at a rest stop about half way to Dubois. it was good seeing them again. just as they were getting ready to leave, Barbara had a flat. Lisa and I pressed on, figuring we would see them again later on in the day. a few miles down the road, we stopped at a gas station to have lunch. There we met another west bounder who we had seen earlier that morning. we didn't get his name, but he was traveling solo, credit carding it all the way. A short time later, Matt and Barbara showed up. They too was in need of some fuel. After a short chat, we pushed on. It was only 15 more miles to go. At that time, the wind had picked up. Quite strong too. We battled those last few miles averaging a measly 6 miles an hour. It took us two and a half hours to reach Dubois. All together, we rode for approximately 10 hours.

Tonight we are at The Stagecoach Motor Inn. Good night, Ted.

Day 66, Jeffery City to Lander, Wyoming

The scenery changes dramatically from time to time.

You can barely see the grand Tetons in the distance.

And there she is. The jewel of Wyoming.

Check out my new hair dew. I'm thinking about patenting it.

Sun rise at Jeffery City.

Meet Steve, operator of Twin Pines RV camp ground.

Some interesting rock formations.

Red rocks, it was really nicer than pictures can depict.

Anybody out there know what this is?

I just had to stop and get this shot. Too bad those markers were in the way. It would have been a great shot if wasn't for that.

Steve told us that there is a whole valley of the red rocks just a couple of mile off our route. Too bad, not going there.

Pretty cool huh? I like the way it contrasts from everything else.

This is where we first saw the red stuff. Awesome!

The pond at twin Pines.

This is the miniature town of Po Po Aggie.

Jeffery City skyline. It's actually a ghost town.

How's this for a view?

The frontier Lodge. Our home for the night.

Down town Lander. This is Main street.

Meet Bree she lives in this miniature town.

This is a big boy, he didn't even care to move.

The Baptist Church where we stayed in Jeffery City.

This little fella was so tame, he stuck his head out so I could pet him.


Day 66, Jeffery City to Lander, Wyoming. “A Day Of Blessing”. 60.79 miles.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

This morning I woke up early, 4:00Am to be exact. I lay in my tent that I had set up inside the hall the night before. The mosquitoes were bothering me, and I didn’t want to have to deal with them all night. I turned on my I-touch to keep myself entertained, but after fifteen minutes, I couldn’t take it any more, and got up. Lisa also was up. I guess it was because we had an early night.

On our way out of Jeffery City, we stopped by the Split rock Cafe for breakfast. We knew we had a long day ahead of us, and no services for the next 50 miles, so we wanted an early start in case we ran into difficulty later on in the day. It was cold, I was almost tempted to put on my full finger winter gloves, because my fingers were getting numb. I knew it would heat up soon enough so I decided to ride it out. It was calm and quiet. The traffic had not started yet, and the air was still. As we rode out of town, I turned to see the sun just above the mountains, and took a shot. This was great. We had clear skies, little to no wind, excellent forecast for the next few days, and we were riding our bikes again. I put the camera away, and followed Lisa as we cruised along at a good rate.

A few miles down the road, I spotted a hawk sitting on a fence post. These creatures are extremely difficult to photograph. I have tried on a number of occasions on this trip, and they always spook before I can get off a shot. This was no exception. As I watched it fly off, I thought about the bald eagle in Virginia that I came so close to photographing. I could have blamed the missed shot on a number of things. But the one thing I’ve learned, is that some scenes are just not meant to be photographed………………… We rode along on fairly flat and straight roads. You can see for miles across the plains. It’s hard to judge how far it rally is across. It could be 10 miles, it could be 100. You just can’t tell. We rode passed a few narrow valleys formed by rocky ridges that looked like they were forced up from beneath the earth. It looks so different from what I am used to seeing back home.

As we crested our biggest climb of the day, I was awed by the majestic view I saw. It was like the whole world opened up before my eyes. I pulled over onto a paved overlook to check it out. “Wow! How cool is that!” There in the distance, was The Grand Teton mountain range. Snow capped and standing proud. Below, lay a wide expanse of flat plains, narrow gulches, and foot hills. I took a few shots, and walked around a bit. By this time, Lisa was long gone, on her way down the hill. This was a four mile decent, so who knows when I was going to see her again. I got back on my bike after a few minutes, and started the decent myself. To my surprise, Lisa had stopped about a mile and a half down the hill to check out on what she described as: “Green Sand“. It didn’t look that green to me, although if I imagined hard enough I could convince myself it was green…………………… We then came to the conclusion that her dark glasses must have made it appear greener than it actually was. The rest of the decent was a blast. Not having to pedal, but still making mileage…………………. We were blessed in a special way today. You see? Every morning before our ride, I pray for a number of things. Our safety, good weather, protection for those around us, and also the well being of family and friends not only back home, but where ever their paths happen to take them. Today, the head wind was a concern, not so much for myself, but for Lisa as well. In a place where strong wind is an everyday occurrence, one would expect strong wind at the usual time regardless of the situation. Well, today, the wind never developed. We were expecting it, we felt it yesterday, the day before, and we heard stories from other riders ahead of us. But today was different. We actually arrived at our destination a couple of hours ahead of schedule. I don’t know about you, but I call that a Blessing.

10 miles before reaching Lander, I was getting really hungry. The map showed an eating establishment in the area, so I told Lisa we should have lunch. We pulled into what we thought was a town. It was actually a miniature western town. Kind of like an spectacle more than anything else. There was no food, but we did get to meet some nice folks, and see a lot of neat animals, and cute little buildings. We left that place still hungry, but by chance, I saw a 7-up vending machine at an RV park. “Twin Pines” the sign read. We pulled in to find Steve who ran the place. He had snacks, cold drinks, and even ice cream. I had all of the above. This would hold me over till dinner for sure. We talked with Steve, and learned that they had been in business for three years now. And was interested in getting his establishment known to cyclists. A place where they could camp, including a shower room, and a host of activities including nature tours. I told him I would take some pictures and put the word out to those who stumble across this blog. Good luck Steve. You have a very nice place.

From here it was a short 8 mile ride into Lander where we are currently spending the night at the Frontier Lodge. Thanks again for all your support. Mahalo, Ted.

Day 65, Rawlins to Jeffery City, Wyoming.

Wyoming has real cowboys. We saw this one rounding up cattle with his trusty dog leading the way.

Lone wind mill. There is a herd of antelope in front of that tank.

What the? There were several large over sized loads that blew past us. One of them was this huge round tank that took up the whole road. I was so scared, I forgot to take a shot.

This is part of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail. I was tempted, but my street tires wouldn't let me.

Continental Divide crossing number three, we cross the darn thing eleven times.

Stream on the high plains. Lisa wanted to go skinny dipping. I think. She didn't actually say that, but that's what I think.

Split rock. This famous land mark was used by the early settlers to let them know that they were on the right trail. Even if they had GPS's with them, the satellites weren't in place yet, so this rock was all they had.

There are hundreds and hundreds of miles of these fences all along the highway. They stand about 15 feet or more tall. I thought they were to prevent the antelope from jumping on to the road. WRONG!!! These as snow drift fences. They help keep the snow at bay.

I could see the other side of the ridge through that opening. Cool shot if I may say so myself.

Another salt pond. This one is pretty big. It just seemed out of place way out here. There's no ocean for miles.

I climbed up on those rocks to have a better look. I could see all around. Took way too many pictures so i decided not to post any.

Somebody out there must know what these are. They grow wild here in Wyoming.

Desolate beauty. That's the best I can describe the high plains. Hostile, yet alluring.

Here's another shot of that little meadow with the opening in the ridge.

The Split Rock Monster. This little creature and his buddies lived under the rocks at Slit Rock Look Out.

Little house on the prairie, They out to make a television series like that.

Strange rock formation. Those cracks are all natural. I looked at them closer, and found that they are huge slabs of rock that had separated for some reason.

Imagine being left out here stranded with no food or water. Now, riding a bike across here doesn't sound that bad, does it?

I like these old log and wooden structures. Just think the stories it would tell if it could.

This is Gramma's Cafe where we had lunch. The map said town of Lamont, but this is all we found. By the way, the food was pretty good. French dip, Mmmmmmm..........

This doe thought I couldn't see her. She was in a small ravine just off the high way, and stood so still, at first I though she was a dummy.

Lisa and I thought this young antelope was hurt, because she just lay there next to the fence and wouldn't get up even when we stopped. Once we got rolling again, she stood up and started to follow us, that's when I shot her.

This is the inside of the Baptist Church in Jeffery City where we spent the night. For a moment there, i thought the place was haunted. Late in the night, I heard the faint sound of a woman moaning softly. I thought,"Oh,oh!", but then realized it was actually Lisa. She must have had a Bad, I mean, "GOOD" dream.


Day 65, Rawlins to Jeffery City, Wyoming. “The Great Divide Basin” 70.72 miles.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Rawlins is one of the windiest places I have ever been. We were in the older section of town which is up hire, and more exposed to the wind, maybe that’s why it seemed that way.

We left our motel shortly before 7:00AM. We wanted to get an early start, and since the restaurants weren’t open yet, we decided to just eat what we had on our way. I got an e-mail from Fabian last night about a geocache he left for us to find. He gave me the coordinates, but when I went to enter it, my GPS said my way points memory was full, so I had to use the pointer to locate the exact location that way. As we were on our way out of town, we saw two deer feeding on the center strip of the highway. They did not even seem to notice us until we stopped.

It was cold this early in the morning, especially at this altitude, so taking pictures was more of a chore than it normally would be. We saw antelope, deer, and a host of little critters through out the day, but nothing to get really excited about. The terrain changed from being very flat and wide open, to mountains surrounded by more plains and desert. Some of these extended for maybe 60 or 70 miles I would guess. The expanse out here is incredible. About 30 miles into our ride, we came across Gramma’s Cafe. It was out there by itself with nothing else around except the residence. We had lunch there, and met Gramma herself. The wind had not quite gotten that bad yet. So we thought maybe we got lucky, and had a calm day. All that was to change later in the afternoon when we had head winds of proportional value. We stopped at Split Rock National Monument. A famous land mark used by early settlers to see if they were on the right path west. It is also one of the stops of the Pony Express.

From there, it was only about 15 mile to Jeffery City. But the longest 15 miles because of the wind I mentioned earlier. When we got thee, we found a ghost town. No motels open, a park that was unkept with no running water or restroom. We did find a cafe and were able to have dinner, but no place to stay. Lisa remembered reading a blog from last years crossing of a couple who had spent the night at the Baptist Church., so we made our way to the old Baptist Church. The sign read: Welcome. There was no one there, and the front door was locked. Now what? We thought. We went around back, and found the back door opened and went inside. There we found a large hall with a mattress, rest rooms (But no running water), and a kitchen. We decided it was here we would spend the night. Thank You again Lord for providing us with shelter.

Aloha and good night for now. Ted.