TODAY'S TALES:  Today was about as tough as I've seen out here in a long time.  We were expecting a long day because of the mileage, but when we left the motel, the wind was in our face and pretty brisk by 20 miles out...it was a day that made you look deep inside your soul just to even imagine you could possibly finish.  Finish they did, but we had some tired puppies by days end.  As I was riding today, I had periods where my mind would recall things from my youth I'd forgotten for years...things like a teacher finding that I'd not turned in my math assignment in the 5th grade, a double play I missed at shortstop in high school, a spanking I got for not feeding a calf properly when I was in 8th grade, or missing my brother's wedding...geeze.  The ride all day was simply mind-numbing...stark terrain, relentless head wind, and unending roadway disappearing in the distance every time you crested a rise.  The good news, we got through the day and are resting in Casper...one day closer to Portsmouth.

As I implied above, the terrain today was desolate to say the least.  I didn't see one dwelling after we left town through the first 40 miles except for the small town of Shoshoni...barely a spot on the road. The landscape is so wide open that it's hard to describe it to anyone. The term 'vast' comes to mind, but it's not nearly descriptive enough to give one an accurate picture of the area. It reminds me of Arizona or New Mexico...high desert covered with sage with not much life to be seen anywhere aside from desert critters.  I haven't seen any wildlife or domestic animals for quite some time.  As desolate as it is, there were still a few spots that had interesting formations. As we neared Casper, we began to see cattle and antelope scattered across the landscape...tough land for us city slickers. About 26 miles out of Riverton, I happened to catch a few riders as they passed these rock sculptures that have been carved by the wind over thousands of years.  These were about the only interesting formations we passed all day.

Today started out clear but a balmy 52 degrees at 5:00 a.m.  After breakfast we quickly loaded the luggage and everyone hustled to get on the road to enjoy the few hours of cool temperatures they expected today.  The first 70 miles of today's route rose steadily 1200 feet to about 6200 feet. Not all of it was climb; there were several nice downhill sections that gave everyone a bit of a rest, but overall we were going up all morning.  Even though we were going up, the terrain wasn't the challenge...the wind was unmerciful and relentless.

To say we are out in the middle of nowhere is not stretching it in the least.  We pass through 3 or 4 'towns' on our way to Casper but none of them are more than 1 or 2 buildings.  Barb set up the second SAG in Hiland where the sign post said population 10. Ten!!!  Where? I'm not sure there was anyone within the boundaries of the 'city limits'...at least I didn't see anyone.  The only shade she had was under a billboard where the shade kept shifting and getting narrower as the sun moved higher in the sky.  There's a mini gas station and store in Hiland, run by a middle-aged couple.  Since they're the only thing for miles, they get a fair amount of business, and our riders and some motorcyclists increased that even more today.

About 15 miles before the last SAG we came upon a small dot called Hell's Half Acre. In the past, this has been a fabulous sight...an oasis in the desert...food and shade.  But alas, it's closed now and we were denied our only chance for food between Shishoni and Casper.  To allow for this, the riders bought a sac lunch in Riverton that we hauled to allow them a lunch on the road.  The old, closed restaurant sits right on the edge of a scenic gorge that Indians used to slaughter buffalo years ago.  They must have faced budget issues even in those days as they would stampede a herd over the cliffs to get meat for the winter...probably to save the cost of expensive arrows.  Today the gorge is a beautiful, peaceful sight that belies its intended use. 

SAG 3 was set up in the dirt in front of an abandoned building, a rusting out 70s automobile, and a house trailer that obviously housed a family who were not home.  The metal swing set blew noisily in the wind.  Between riders we pondered the lives of this little family so isolated from others.  What on earth caused them to live out here?  What did the adults do to earn money?  Where did they buy their groceries?  Where did the children go to school?  Who did they play with?  Not for the first time, I counted the blessings of my birth. 

From the last SAG it was only about 30 miles to Casper.  The terrain was a little more gentle, but the wind seemed to pick up again just to put an exclamation mark on the day.  The final riders didn't get in until after 6:30 and we didn't close down operations until after 9:00 when we finished mechanics and dinner...a long day.  Luckily, we have a day off on Friday...they've earned it for sure.

At RAP we said good bye to 2 riders...Mo and Patricia.  We'll miss them and hope they will come and ride with us again.  We'll say hello to 4 new riders tomorrow...new blood and fresh legs.  Plus, Nick returned today and will finish the ride.  His injury wasn't as serious as first thought...glad to see him back.  Tomorrow will be a busy day, but we don't have to get up early and load the luggage...nice change of pace.  There won't be a post for tomorrow so tune in again on Saturday for our trip to Lusk...Friday we rest.   

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