Once out of Arco the route turned East and into some serious headwinds. Headwinds are nothing more than long climbs if you get your mind set up right (embrace the headwind . . . be one with the headwind) EXCEPT in this case I was going to be heading into these winds for the next 80 miles. . . . groan . . .
Once I entered the little town of Howe I encountered a gang of Old Men On Bikes (OMOBs) headed West. This species is characterized by sometimes questionable fitness and sweet, expensive racing bikes tricked out with the newest gear. These OMOBs (about 20-strong) were converging on two white Econoline vans characteristic of most fully-supported OMOB bike tours for an intermediate stop. Really nice guys. Glad I spoke with them as I learned that one of the major routes I intended to ride in Wyoming was under serious construction - some sections requiring a mandatory car shuttle for cyclists.
Destination: Across the Nation does not do car shuttles and must traverse every inch of the country under pedal power. . . . so some advanced new route-finding will be required over the next few days.
Once out of Howe the route reached new extremes in the desolation category - far exceeding the previous record set on the ride into Vale, OR. Flat - headwind - no trees - and just plain empty was the rule of the day. Thankfully the temps remained moderate and the slog to Rexburg proceeded without incident.
| Nothin' . . . followed by nothin . . . and then more nothin, ad naus for 80 miles. |
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| "If I tuck in and draft behind the camper and get out of these headwinds, I think we could be in Rexburg in 3 hours instead of five . . . would that be cheating?" |
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| The best use of this land is apparently to house thousands of prairie dogs (they're fun to watch!) and be the headquarters of lots of nuclear experimentation . . . maybe the reason nothing grows around here? Am I glowing? |
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