Day 19--Casper WY to Lusk WY--July 10th
Miles Ridden 107
Avg Speed 18.7 MPH
Climbing 2550 Ft.
Total Miles Ridden 1422
Miles To Go 2207
Back to riding today after a much needed rest day. For most of the riders, Casper was a place to sleep in, maybe go to the local bike shop or do a few chores. I received a much different view of Casper thanks to the graciousness of Agnes and Jerry Hand, Casper residents who spend the winter in the same building as my parents in Florida.
I received a VIP tour of Casper starting with the National Trails Museum which is dedicated to the five major westward trails (and the people who took part) which converged in Casper at the crossing of the North Platte River. It is a great place and I highly recommend it if you have an interest in the history of the country. One display that struck me with disbelief described how many using the Mormon Trail pulled their own wooden handcarts with all their earthly possessions over dirt trails from Independence Missouri well over 1000 miles to Salt Lake City. That feat makes bicycling that distance sound very insignificant.
Casper Mountain is a long ridge of over 8,000 foot elevation overlooking the city. Coming from the eastern part of the country, it is hard to imagine getting from the city to veritable wilderness in about 10 minutes but Agnes and Jerry took me to their cottage on the mountain that, based on the wildlife present, certainly qualifies. I got to see mule deer, many types of birds and got a lesson in wildflower identification but missed out on the bear, elk and many other animals that are common around their property.
The ride today was long with a lot of short but steep hills but we did it quickly as a major storm threatened us from the back for about half the ride and we raced to beat it to Lusk. We rode the first hundred miles in less than 5 and a half hours which is the best time I've recorded for that distance, The terrain was again rolling grazing land with very little of interest outside of the two small towns we passed through in 107 miles.
Lusk is a town of about 1400 people and we arrived on the town's biggest event of the year, Rawhide Weekend. This a celebration including parades and a performance reenacting Lusk's most famous event.
If I have the story correct, a wagon train was passing through Lusk when an Indian party approached in peace. A member of the wagon train panicked and shot one of the Indians who turned out to be the chief's daughter. The chief vowed revenge and gathered enough braves to destroy the wagon train. The shooter then volunteered to give himself up to the Indians if they let the wagon train pass. They agreed and then in full view of the wagon train, skinned him alive thus creating (I guess) Rawhide. This description, given to me enthusiastically by one of the locals, did not convince me to attend the play.
The parade was definitely the wildest I have ever seen. Beyond bands and fire trucks, the centerpiece was a number of replica wagons pulled by horses with families in period costumes. A band of at least 40 local youths on horses portrayed the Indians and were stripped to the waist with very politically incorrect body paint and long black wigs and raced (and I mean raced) up and down Main Street whooping and threatening the wagon train and spectators with scalping and skinning.
Tomorrow we finish our stay in Wyoming and enter South Dakota where we will stay in Hot Springs. It is another pretty long ride of 92 miles and we are facing a threat of rain and storms.
Agnes and Jerry Hand with Casper in the background
A mule deer about 20 feet from their door
One of the towns we passed through on the way to Lusk
Part of the wagon train
"Indians" getting ready to attack the wagon train and townspeople
Avg Speed 18.7 MPH
Climbing 2550 Ft.
Total Miles Ridden 1422
Miles To Go 2207
Back to riding today after a much needed rest day. For most of the riders, Casper was a place to sleep in, maybe go to the local bike shop or do a few chores. I received a much different view of Casper thanks to the graciousness of Agnes and Jerry Hand, Casper residents who spend the winter in the same building as my parents in Florida.
I received a VIP tour of Casper starting with the National Trails Museum which is dedicated to the five major westward trails (and the people who took part) which converged in Casper at the crossing of the North Platte River. It is a great place and I highly recommend it if you have an interest in the history of the country. One display that struck me with disbelief described how many using the Mormon Trail pulled their own wooden handcarts with all their earthly possessions over dirt trails from Independence Missouri well over 1000 miles to Salt Lake City. That feat makes bicycling that distance sound very insignificant.
Casper Mountain is a long ridge of over 8,000 foot elevation overlooking the city. Coming from the eastern part of the country, it is hard to imagine getting from the city to veritable wilderness in about 10 minutes but Agnes and Jerry took me to their cottage on the mountain that, based on the wildlife present, certainly qualifies. I got to see mule deer, many types of birds and got a lesson in wildflower identification but missed out on the bear, elk and many other animals that are common around their property.
The ride today was long with a lot of short but steep hills but we did it quickly as a major storm threatened us from the back for about half the ride and we raced to beat it to Lusk. We rode the first hundred miles in less than 5 and a half hours which is the best time I've recorded for that distance, The terrain was again rolling grazing land with very little of interest outside of the two small towns we passed through in 107 miles.
Lusk is a town of about 1400 people and we arrived on the town's biggest event of the year, Rawhide Weekend. This a celebration including parades and a performance reenacting Lusk's most famous event.
If I have the story correct, a wagon train was passing through Lusk when an Indian party approached in peace. A member of the wagon train panicked and shot one of the Indians who turned out to be the chief's daughter. The chief vowed revenge and gathered enough braves to destroy the wagon train. The shooter then volunteered to give himself up to the Indians if they let the wagon train pass. They agreed and then in full view of the wagon train, skinned him alive thus creating (I guess) Rawhide. This description, given to me enthusiastically by one of the locals, did not convince me to attend the play.
The parade was definitely the wildest I have ever seen. Beyond bands and fire trucks, the centerpiece was a number of replica wagons pulled by horses with families in period costumes. A band of at least 40 local youths on horses portrayed the Indians and were stripped to the waist with very politically incorrect body paint and long black wigs and raced (and I mean raced) up and down Main Street whooping and threatening the wagon train and spectators with scalping and skinning.
Tomorrow we finish our stay in Wyoming and enter South Dakota where we will stay in Hot Springs. It is another pretty long ride of 92 miles and we are facing a threat of rain and storms.
Agnes and Jerry Hand with Casper in the background
A mule deer about 20 feet from their door
One of the towns we passed through on the way to Lusk
Part of the wagon train
"Indians" getting ready to attack the wagon train and townspeople
I love the parade. Some of my friends are reading your blog and they say they are really enjoying it. Just thought I'd pass along the word.
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