Day 28 Population Ten

Our priority for the day in Cody, WY was to seek out the local bike shop. We first stopped at the visitor’s center to get Wyoming maps and inquire about the state’s cycling laws. They answered our myriad questions and gave us directions to Absaroka Bicycles.

Eric and Bryce working their magic at Absaroka Bicycles

Bryce went over our bikes with a fine toothed comb and adjusted our spokes with a finesse that deserves admiration. If you ever find yourself in Cody, WY and in need of anything bicycle related, check out Absaroka.

Population 10?

We were quite a distance away but I was still in awe of these beautiful wild horses. This population is watched over by FOAL (Friends of a Legacy) a non-profit organization which aids in the management of wild horses between Cody and Greybull, WY.

www.friendsofalegacy.org

Oh the joys of Bentonite

Just on the outskirts of Greybull, WY we ran into a section of road construction. Now at this point in our  journey we have been through a lot of construction. We’ve cycled through loose dusty gravel with cars whizzing past during which we had to cover our faces with bandannas just to breathe. We’ve cycled through dirt, on fresh tar and had to keep pace with a zippy pilot car. When we came across this stretch of dirt and rock we thought nothing of it and began cycling through the uneven turf.

We were having few issues with the freshly watered dirt (aka mud) until we pulled over to let a few cars pass us. When we started to pedal again Jess’ back tire would not spin and her front tire was scraping. We looked for at the back tire, imaging a dangling piece of gear was the culprit. But no the real culprit was the mud itself, plastered between Jess’ fenders and cementing her back tire in place. We found the nearest possible hose and began washing and prying away the mud and dirt. The local motel owner who allowed us to use his hose informed us that is was “bentonite” or in layman’s terms “clay” that had stopped Jess’ bike in her tracks. I was glad for once that my bike did not possess fenders.

Wyoming Sunset

We rolled into Shell, WY just after dark and settled into a small RV Park. We had a large pass to cross the following day and needed a good night’s sleep. We filled our bellies with canned ravioli that we cooked in the fire and faded off into sleep.