To Yellowstone!

Yesterday we awoke in Dubois and were sent off with well wishes from our neighbor campers who were driving cross country, Marisa and Evan. They were so sweet and gave us fruit bars and their info in case of emergency.
We rode 60-some miles from Dubois to Colter bay Campground in Grand Teton National Park.
THE RIDE WAS PHENOMENAL. The climb was fine, the downhill was the fastest I've gone in a while due to recent inhibiting winds, and the TETONS ARE STUNNING. The most beautiful mountains I've seen. They look like where the grinch lives above Whoville to me, and then I started wanting Christmas.
But we camped and ate ramen; roughed it, ya know. We've spoiled ourselves mostly this trip by eating out primarily. But the parks are just too expensive.
We met Susan, she started in Colorado and had Yellowstone as her destination, but she might keep going.
We took our time this morning because we didn't want to start in the freezing cold, so we weren't on the road til around 1030. And we stopped a lot on our ride. To take in the views and check out the sites and beautiful vistas the park provides. It was a beautiful day, and for all the complaints about traffic and bad drivers in the park, Thomas and I both found the ride pleasant, and the motorists friendly. (though many don't respond to my wave)
We were gonna do 73 miles to Madison, but since we were initially gonna take a rest day in Yellowstone, we decided not to rush it, so here we are, at Grand village, camping only 40 miles from where we started this morning.
No grizzlies yet:(! Hopefully tomorrow I can hitch a ride on one's back or something.
Can't believe I'm in Yellowstone. In Wyoming. And almost to Montana. Ah!

Early Risers

Bhomas and I decided to take a rest day in the lovely town of Lander yesterday after our tiring Monday. It was perfect. We rocked that town. They'll never forget us.

Then. We woke at 4:30 this morn to beat the wind, which did help. We got 40 miles under our belts without too much interference, but the last 35 were pretty windy. We're now in Dubois (DOO-boys). I bought bear spray today, as suggested by the game warden we talked to, and I intend to use it. Bring it on grizzlies!
Boo for early mornings, but yay for yogi-ing nice pregnant couples burgers.

WyBlowming

Today we rode 91 miles, from Lamont to Lander. And the vast majority of those miles were fighting a ferocious headwind. I'm talking, this headwind was threatening to stop me going down a 6% grade.
Nevertheless, I've decided Wyoming is a very under-appreciated state and it deserves some more good attention. Beautiful scenery, cool people and towns, and good riding, aside from the gale-force winds.
One of my favorite people met on the trip thus far resides in Jeffrey City, our lunch stop. He's the bartender/waiter/whatever, and also a potter who lets cyclists camp in a trailer he has. Super cool and funny slash seems real young but rocks the gray hair and beard. Only leaves his home in Jeffrey city, that has a population of around 50, to go to town like once a month when he needs groceries or something.
Anyways, my third day in Wyoming was long and tiresome, however I learned some cool facts. For instance, their state motto is actually just a wave. An unspoken/unwritten motto; this is why on the first day I waved at every car that passed and though I meant to keep it up for the whole state, I failed and let it fade. Also, the state tree is a rock, and the state flower is a wildflower that Thomas and I have seen a lot along the shoulders we've been riding on; it's called Shattered Brown Glass, of the Genus Beer Bottle.

Tomorrow we climb.

This is why, this is why, this is Wyoming

It's hot and it's flat,
But i'm on my little ring?
This is why this is why this is Wyoming.

That's a jingle Thomas and I co-wrote this morning.
Anyways, yesterday we rode 68 miles from Walden to Saratoga and we seriously killed the last 18 miles, with a tailwind for the first ten, and then I was just pumped so I charged the last 8 even with a crosswind. Our campground was disgustingly buggy but luckily we had a chance to take a dip in the pool and shower and do laundry and eat really yummy pizza before we went there.
We got an early start this morning and again crushed twenty miles like they were nothing, and then 22 more to Rawlins where we went to St Joseph's for mass at 1130. 33 miles later and we have found ourselves in teepees in Lamont, Wyoming with free juice and ice cream. What. A. Hit.

As tradition sets it, I shall look back on the last state, now that a new one has commenced.
Top ten things I loved about Colorado:
1. The mountains
2. The wildlife
3. The views
4. Guffey
5. Seeing Zach and Ash in Denver
6. Eating bison for the first time
7. Guffey
8. The views
9. The bike path we got to ride on
10. The active people

And now for the current news:
While I ride, I think, and usually about ridiculous things. But today, it was not so; today was a day to cast aside all foolish ponderings and focus upon the existential truths, on what really matters, to think deeper and explore the meaningful reality that is materialized all around me.
What do these mind workings consist of, you ask? This is what I mean to share with you. I was riding and thinking about the fact that I was riding on the TransAmerica trail with a certain Thomas Hash. Thomas and Abi, riding the TransAm, I thought. T&A riding the TA. It was meant to be. But I continued spinning these consequential initials around in my head. Thomas and Abi, Abi and Thomas, A&T. A&T. AT. The Appalachian trail---ABI AND THOMAS HIKE THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL! A&T on the AT. HOW PERFECT. (We've already discussed our mutual desire to take on this epic hike). BUT THIS ISN'T ALL! As my mind was being blown by destiny spelling itself out. I pushed it even further as I threw the letters at each other. A&T, T&A. Initials meant for grand adventures; we were meant to be--The Adventurers! Awesome Travelers! Actual Turtles! Team Amazing!
It all laid itself out in front of me. How had I not seen this written in the stars from the beginning? All that was hidden, has been made clear, all that was darkness, has been revealed. Thomas and Abi. On the TransAm.. Boom.

Also, Wyoming is beautiful so far, too, though the shoulders have been treacherous and a few potholes almost brought me to my end.

Colorado Rocks

And there are a lot of rocks. We climbed some of those rocks today.
78 mile day from Kremmling to Walden, the moose viewing capital of Colorado. We didn't decide where we were going until breakfast at the coffee shop; that's how we roll.
It was a beeeeautiful ride though. Colorado and Virginia have got to be my favorite states for riding so far. There are just awesome views in every direction in the rockies. The climbs are gradual, and the descents are fun.
So we arrived in Walden to the last night of the Bike Tour of Colorado camping in the same place we were planning to camp. Meaning Thomas and I had to search through the city park for a patch of free grass among the thousand tents. It's pretty funny; we used their "mobile showers" and when we step away from our bikes we are just like all the rest of them, but when we arrived we got some good reactions. One guy was seriously blown away about us going cross country self-supported. Probably our most impressed reaction thus far. And he was a shaved-leg cyclist. So thats saying something....

Butttt tomorrow---we get into Wyoming! Crazy.

My biggest regret of the trip: that I didn't pick up the "oversize load" sign from the side of the road way back in Kansas.

Also. NO ICE CREAM AGAIN TODAY.

Hoosier Daddy

So today we awoke in Fairplay and began our ride at about 9. The climb to Hoosier pass, the highest point on the transamerica trail at around 11,500 feet, was gradual and not too bad, but my sea level lungs were struggling a little bit. The descent rocked though. For about 10 straight miles we cruised down switchbacks and mountain roads.
We then took a lunch break in the nice ski resort town of Breckenridge. From there we got to take a bike path, which was cool except its a lot more vague than specific streets. That being said, we took a sweet detour, four miles uphill, probably gaining about 1,000 unnecessary feet, BUT on this detour we saw a mountain goat, and a bunch of guys longboarding down the hill, some luging at mach 5 and others just crouching but still flying. When we realized we missed our turn it was four miles back down the hill, so all things considered, i would say the detour was worth it.
We had more trouble with the bike path in Frisco, due to poor directions on the map and numerous bike paths to follow. We finally made it to Silverthorne where we got chipotle and ended our bike path time. We got onto 9 and rode 40 miles in under 3 hours, even with a headwind and a few short stops, bringing us to our stopping point at Kremmling.

No ice cream today:(

Rocky loves Emily! Rocky loves Emily!

Three ninjas anyone?
That title is completely irrelevant except that we are climbing mountains by the name of Rocky.
So three days in one:
Met Thomas in Pueblo after out rest day and we got a late start after he finished getting ready and we wandered around the bike store for a little bit. We rode 50 some miles from Pueblo to Canon city and camped at an RV park.
Yesterday we started in Canon city with intent to make it to Hartsel, but after a 3000 ft gain in elevation we stopped for lunch in Guffey and we were convinced by many factors to stay there having only ridden about 33 miles. It was maybe the best decision of the trip though, and definitely the best place we've stayed.
To try to put the wonderful town of Guffey into words: rough and tumble, time-warped, antique-y, hospitable, small, greasy, full of dead things, and well kept to seem unkempt. All of those in the best way possible.
Our little room was a log cabin with drop down bunks. The STARS WERE AWESOME. And we hung out with the GGG (Guffey Garage Gang) for a while. A bunch of old greasy long-haired men who spend their days working on old engines, makin hot rods, and watching swamp people on the little tv in their garage, drinking milwaukee's best out of tin can coozies. It rocked. Thomas was initiated into the gang, and Bill, the leader, gave me two free post cards and a great hug and shoulder kiss when he said goodbye;)
We were gonna wake up early and get a good start, but we are who we are, so we slept in and got breakfast at the restaurant in town. Third meal there.
We rode almost 50 miles to Fairplay, because we decided it would be better to have Breckenridge as a nice long lunch stop rather than a tired, useless night. Also the head wind was killer and we decided we would rather not climb Hoosier pass while it was berating us so.
The Roadkill count has itself become roadkill. I was beginning to resent keeping count of all the dead things I saw. The second half of this trip will be focused on LIFE!

And oh yeah, I'm in Colorado, climbing the Rockies. NBD.