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There is a light at the end of the tunnel... September 14, 2008Leave a comment ;)
...and it is not a train. If it were, than I am on the wrong side of the canyon! Just as I was nearing the end of the Wind River Canyon, I approached three tunnels in rapid succession. So, since the shoulder of the road pretty much disappeared into the wall of the tunnel, I could either get off the bike and walk it along the curb or pedal like a maniac to get to the other side before a truck came barreling though. Given that there was only about two feet between the tunnel wall and the edge of the curb, either the bike or I would have been hanging out into traffic. So, I decided to put my legs into motion and waited for just the right moment. I had a fairly decent view of the road behind me, so I had enough time to scope out an opening in the traffic flow and make my break. No problemo! I had the camera hanging on the aero bar, so I snapped a photo as I exited the final tunnel. Nice light! I left the RV park after saying goodbye to my brother and Margo. My folks headed off down the canyon and would meet me in Riverton where I have a talk on Monday on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Even though I celebrated my birthday the day before I actually turned 50, it was great to see everyone and to be surprised as I was. Dropping out of Thermopolis, the road winds into the Wind River Canyon. Beautiful sandstone bluffs line the entrance from Thermopolis, where the Wind River exits the canyon. The grade up the highway was mild, following the river by hugging the east side of the canyon. The formations within the canyon changed as I headed south toward Shoshoni. The amazing geologic history of the canyon is documented by the state of Wyoming using signs to identify the name and the time period of each formation. Once again, I failed to get a single picture of one of these signs. My apologies. The canyon was about 13 miles long and I climbed a 5% grade as I hit the south end. Boysen Reservoir is fed by the Wind River as it flows across central Wyoming from the Wind River Mountain range and empties into the canyon as the river flows to the north. I caught my first walleye pike in this lake back in 1970. That fish had some nasty sharp teeth. Not like catching a trout! Like my exit from Shell Canyon a couple of days before, the landscape changed dramatically as I exited the canyon. Long open prairie with buttes dotting the horizon. The road undulated alongside the reservoir as I headed into Shoshoni. A couple of folks stopped and asked where I was headed. Both of them had ridden across the country a few years earlier and it is always fun to chat and compare experiences. I had the wind at my back most of the day. Not so much through the canyon, but from Shoshoni to Riverton it was a pleasurable ride. I stopped once to take a break, eat an energy bar and drink some water. I heard voices across the road and saw three young ladies walking across the top of a large collection of hay bales. They just sat there chatting away so I snapped their picture. I think they were oblivious to my presence. I rolled into Riverton after about 54 miles on the road. I made a point of pedaling by the house I lived in back in the early 1970's. In the yard I found a guy digging in the flower garden beneath my old bedroom window. I called out, told him that I used to live there years before and asked if he would mind taking my picture. His name is Alan and has lived in the house since 1995. He is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service and we chatted at length about the prevailing winds in Wyoming, the curious nature of Hurricane Ike and why it didn't build into a much larger hurricane. I thanked him for his time and headed a few blocks farther to meet my folks at the RV park. Another day done and whole bunch more to go! Which is just fine with me! For today's problem, let's talk about the weather! Since I have been battling the winds off and on during my ride, I would like to determine how the winds may impact my ride from Riverton to the Colorado border. If a low pressure system was centered right over the center of the state, say right smack over Riverton and the center was moving due east, what direction might I expect the winds to come from over the next couple of days? To answer this, you need to know which direction the circulation is around a low pressure system. Since a hurricane is an extreme example of a low pressure system, which way does it circulate? Which direction would the winds be from on the western side of the storm? More Images: ;)
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8 Comments
Sep 15, 2008 11:35 am - Bob Williams wrote : Be careful out there. This is in the news: MISSOULA, Mont. - A middle school teacher suffered some bruising and a big scratch on his back after he struck a bear while riding his bicycle to school. Jim Litz said he was traveling about 25 mph Monday morning when he came upon a rise and spotted a black bear about 10 feet in front of him. He didn't have time to stop and T-boned the bruin. He tumbled over the handlebars, his helmet hit the bear's back and the two went cartwheeling down the road. The bear rolled over Litz's head, cracking his helmet, and scratched his back before scampering up a hill above the road. Litz's wife drove by shortly after the crash and took her husband to the hospital. He hoped to be able to return to teaching science at Target Range Middle School on Friday
Sep 15, 2008 9:27 am - Feri wrote : Hi John, I am happy very to see you madethrough the tunnels. That would have gotten my heart racing trying not to collide with anything other than air! This trip sounds like so much fun.
Sep 15, 2008 9:11 am - Don wrote : John, Great pictures of the route here today, it remindes me of when I rode through there pulling my 13 month old daughter in her trailer on a 1 month long bike tour. We crossed the Big Horns from Buffalo to Ten Sleep. It took 2 days to get over the mountains also. We rode route 16 the Cloud Peak Skyway and camped at CrazyWoman campground. Wonderful memories, I'll have to find some pictures and send them to you. Good Luck with the winds. Say hello to Muddy Gap for me, stayed there on the my crosscountry tour in 1984. Also either between Riverton and Muddy Gap or Muddy Gap and Rawlins the wind was so strong from the side that we rode the bikes with a lead to the east. Let me know if its still blowing like that now. Don
Sep 14, 2008 11:35 pm - Penny Kipp wrote : Wow almost missed the Big day! Wow to bad about all the rain we are basking in the sun here on the Flathead Reservation. You are still the talk of the Rez, We will figure out how to get you back here again. John, hope your day was great, 50 looks good on you! Safe journey, friend.
Sep 14, 2008 10:32 pm - Miguel Acevedo wrote : Hi John! Nice Website you got going here. I got here because of my counter part BJ from CAP. I think is awesome what you are doing. Good luck and and have a safe trip to Bevard Co.
Sep 14, 2008 9:45 pm - Joe Oswald wrote : Beautiful country John!! I do believe you handled the tunnels very well. Just wondering what your top speed was getting through the tunnels? If the tunnel was 500 yards long and your average speed was 28 mph how long would it take you to reach the end of the tunnel? Calculate again if an 18 wheeler was closing on you and your average speed was 42 mph!!!!! Stay safe my friend. Joe
Sep 14, 2008 9:44 pm - BJ Carlson wrote : John, It was interesting meeting you today at the gas station in Shoshone. I have sent your website address to my fellow Civil Air Patrol Commanders to let them use your site as part of our aerospace program. I have also encouraged the cadets and senior members in my squadron to check out your site. Good luck in your travels. Major BJ Carlson, Commander Civil Air Patrol, Cody Cadet Squadron, Cody WY. Add a comment: |
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And here is one from Boulder's news today: BOULDER — A cyclist in Boulder County was injured after a run-in, literally, with a bear. Tim Egan, 53, was riding on Old Stage Road Tuesday afternoon when suddenly a bear appeared in front of him. Egan hit the bear and ended up skidding across the road. "This bear looked at me with a look of terror on his face and sort of made a noise," said Egan. "I looked at him with a look of terror and we went, 'aaaahhhhh.'" He cracked some ribs, suffered cuts on his head and had road rash. Egan said he and the bike flipped and flew over the bear, hitting the pavement hard. The bear ran away after the accident when a deer appeared. Egan's nephew ran to help the injured cyclist. "When I tell people, they say 'Right, are you kidding me, who hits a bear?'" Egan estimated he was going about 45 miles per hour at impact. He said the bear was about 6 feet tall and probably weighed 500 pounds. His bike was OK so he got back on it and pedaled to the hospital. Egan said he was relieved his kidneys weren't damaged because he plans to donate one to his sister later this year. The accident was the second involving a bear and cyclist in Left Hand Canyon in the past two years. A woman in the Boulder Triathlon ran into a bear in the same area last year.