Across the desert and up the pass!

Greybull-Powder River Pass...well almost

We started the day with a trip to the post office- many thanks to the wonderful care package senders. We were headed toward the Big Horns, but had to pass through about 55 miles of hot desert first. I think it's safe to say that this was our first very uncomfortably hot day. Without a spot of shade in site we ate lunch on the scorching pavement with our last bits of hot water to wash it down. A few miles before rolling into the town of tensleep we crammed into a small shadow of a tree for a rest. Tensleep came just in time. We immediately dropped our bikes and busted into Dirty Sally's ice cream shop. Some were a little dizzy, some a bit nauseous. We drank cold lemonade and rootbeer and ate some ice cream. It wasn't until about 4:30 until we headed out. We got about 9 different stories from 7 different locals about what to expect when heading up Powder River Pass... The first camp ground is 10 miles away, no 12, maybe 15, could be about 20. You'll see tons of them! There are only a couple... It turns out there were only a couple and the one we wanted was about 15 miles up the pass. We didn't arrive until after 9pm. There was a tail wind and plenty of shade but the deceptively flat grade and previous 55 miles made 15 miles seem like 30. Anyway, we got to camp, ate ramen bombs, and hit the hay. Another day, another ride.

A poem for the morning ride through the desert:
The blue sky is endless,
and the heat is relentless.
A few glasses of water would satisfy my needs,
but all that's around us is sagebrush and weeds.
Occasionally we see a field, perfectly green.
The fields are hogging all the water! It's just mean.
So we bike on through the red rock formations,
and mirages form in our imaginations.