Day 17--Riverton WY to Casper WY--July 8th
Miles Ridden 120.0
Avg. Speed 17.1
Climbing 2660 ft.
Total Miles Ridden 1316
Miles To Go 2313
Today was a riding day, the longest of the trip, not a scenery and picture taking day. We'll have many more these over the next 10 days. The 120 miles of two lane Highway 26 from Riverton to Casper goes through one small town and the rest is mainly rolling grassland with a few cattle and the occasional mule deer visible to us from the road.
We rode into a light headwind most of the day but it was not difficult riding other than the aches and pains that go with over 7 hours on a bicycle seat. To put our cycling in perspective, today's Tour De France stage was 116 miles and they completed it in 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Our only stop for picture taking was at Hell's Half Acre. This strange looking place is a deeply eroded ravine about half a mile across with numerous caves and rock formations which actually covers over 300 acres. Native Americans stampeded buffalo over the cliffs during their hunts. I never saw Starship Troopers but Hell's Half Acre was used as the location for an alien planet in the movie.
We got into Casper about 2:30 and finished the last few miles of the ride on a series of bike paths along the North Platte river. I know they don't belong in Wyoming but I believe I saw a pelican in the river (although all pelicans I've seen are brown). See picture below and correct me if I am wrong.
Tomorrow is our second rest day. This group really needs at least a day off as riding through the mountains has really taken a toll and caused a number of overuse related injuries.
This picture gives an idea of the terrain between Riverton and Casper and explains why there aren't more pictures. It also shows me on the right dealing with my 4th flat tire.
Sign at Hell's Half Acre
Looking down into Hell's Half Acre
Pelican? in the North Platte River in Casper
How do you identify a cyclist when they're not wearing their silly clothes?
Avg. Speed 17.1
Climbing 2660 ft.
Total Miles Ridden 1316
Miles To Go 2313
Today was a riding day, the longest of the trip, not a scenery and picture taking day. We'll have many more these over the next 10 days. The 120 miles of two lane Highway 26 from Riverton to Casper goes through one small town and the rest is mainly rolling grassland with a few cattle and the occasional mule deer visible to us from the road.
We rode into a light headwind most of the day but it was not difficult riding other than the aches and pains that go with over 7 hours on a bicycle seat. To put our cycling in perspective, today's Tour De France stage was 116 miles and they completed it in 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Our only stop for picture taking was at Hell's Half Acre. This strange looking place is a deeply eroded ravine about half a mile across with numerous caves and rock formations which actually covers over 300 acres. Native Americans stampeded buffalo over the cliffs during their hunts. I never saw Starship Troopers but Hell's Half Acre was used as the location for an alien planet in the movie.
We got into Casper about 2:30 and finished the last few miles of the ride on a series of bike paths along the North Platte river. I know they don't belong in Wyoming but I believe I saw a pelican in the river (although all pelicans I've seen are brown). See picture below and correct me if I am wrong.
Tomorrow is our second rest day. This group really needs at least a day off as riding through the mountains has really taken a toll and caused a number of overuse related injuries.
This picture gives an idea of the terrain between Riverton and Casper and explains why there aren't more pictures. It also shows me on the right dealing with my 4th flat tire.
Sign at Hell's Half Acre
Looking down into Hell's Half Acre
Pelican? in the North Platte River in Casper
How do you identify a cyclist when they're not wearing their silly clothes?Look at the hands.
that is a pelican. i hate birds.
ReplyDeletethat is an american white pelican:
ReplyDeleteAmerican White Pelicans nest in colonies of several hundred pairs on islands in remote brackish and freshwater lakes of inland North America. The most northerly nesting colony can be found on islands in the rapids of the Slave River between Fort Fitzgerald, Alberta and Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. About 10-20% of the population uses Gunnison Island in the Great Basin's Great Salt Lake as a nesting ground. The southernmost colonies are in southwestern Ontario and northeastern California.
They winter on the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts from central California and Florida south to Panama, and along the Mississippi river at least as far north as St. Louis, Missouri. In winter quarters, they are rarely found on the open seashore, preferring brackish estuaries and lagoons. They cross deserts and mountains but avoid the open ocean on migration. But stray birds, often blown off course by hurricanes, have been seen in the Caribbean.
Wild American White Pelicans may live for more than 16 years. In captivity, the record lifespan stands at over 34 years.