June 3, Day 28, Lander Wyoming- 75 miles

A large sign on the outskirts of Dubois calls themselves, "The town of warm winds," which is entirely understandable considering the wind has not stopped blowing since I got into town the day before and it is warm here. I have entered a new climate zone. Everything in Dubois seems to have the word "wind' in it's name. The Wind River runs through town and meanders right into the Wind River Indian Reservation. Wind is big here in Wyoming.

After the usual widow maker breakfast plate and three cups of coffee at the Winds Cafe, I eased my way out of town. A movie crew is in the area making a film called, "Cardinal Matter." I know this because at the Outlaw Saloon where I had satisfied my daily two beer allowance last night, that's all the locals could think to talk about; and they were none too happy that the actors and crews were not hanging out with them in town. I rode past some of the crew members loading up a bus and some utility vehicles just outside of town at the entrance to a big ranch.

The winds of Wyoming were blowing at 7:30 AM when I left and never let up. Fortunately for me the wind was primarily at my back and I rode surfed for nearly 60 miles. I knew though that these winds were fickle and could turn on at any time without warning or any apparent reason so I just relaxed and enjoyed it while it lasted. It lasted until lunch.

Seventy five miles of this

The scenery in this part of Wyoming is beautiful but barren and almost completely uninhabited. I would go for an hour at a time without seeing a car coming or going. I was on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The view was endless and uninterrupted for a hundred miles in every direction. The Adventure Cycling Association strongly advised carrying extra water during this part of Wyoming so I stowed away  64 extra ounces of fluid in my panniers, in addition to the 60 I carry in my bottles. The weather was warmer here and I was able to ride with just my normal bib and shirt for the first time in a while.

I climbed a moderate bluff and descended down into another valley floor nearing the town of Fort Washake. My direction of travel changed just a few degrees but it had a dramatic effect on the wind direction. Now all of a sudden I was cycling into a 30 mph crosswind. I got spoiled for most of the morning and didn't care for this change one bit!. My body was telling me it was time for some hay and
I located a tiny Mexican cantina hiding behind a church in Fort Washake. It was open and I was hungry.

The burrito I ate was huge and cheap. It was surprisingly busy and with the exception of one other person, I was the only pale face in the place. Nobody was particularly cordial or polite to me and I wondered if there were some "issues" going on I was not aware of. I didn't ask, but when I left the tip on the table and started walking out of the restaurant, two older Indian woman who were seated closest to me barked out in a disinterested, mildy annoyed tone "the tip doesn't go on the table, it goes in the tip jar up by the counter."

And this

Now about the other person in the restaurant. PC warning here!!!! Alert ! Alert!  The other person sitting in the restaurant was a black male. I say this for one reason and only one reason. As an observation that I think needs to be made. This young man, who came into the restaurant with an Indian woman, was the first black person I have seen since I was in Eugene Oregon. I have not seen a black since May 10th. Not in eastern Oregon, not in the state of Idaho, Not in the state of Montana, and not in Wyoming up until today. No opinion, no comment, just an observation. Phew....

Things went screwy after lunch. The winds churned up to ludicrous speed and for the first 7 miles I could hardly keep my bike under control. The winds were coming at me from the right with brutal velocity and I was forced to lean into the wind in order not to get thrown into the highway. Several severe gusts actually caused my rear wheel to chirp off the pavement an inch or so which caused certain circular muscles in my body to tighten right up ! I looked down to my rear wheel and noticed my tire was losing air. I pulled off the road and discovered that part of my tire was actually peeling off and I could see the cords under the tire in one area. I had about half the air left in the tire and manually put about 25% of it back with a pump. I was about 8 miles outside of Landers. I knew there was a bike shop there because I had already planned to take Silver in for a check up.

I rode for about three more miles riding at a 5 degree tilt to the right when the wind just up and decided to change direction again and fortunately for me it was a tailwind again. I wasted no time getting my rumpus into lander and over to the bike shop. The bike guys asked me to sign their TransAm log and they took my picture. The techie looking over Silver glanced over at me with a look of amazement and commented that my rear tire should have detonated on me miles ago.

Chalk one up to luck. Fenders are a must riding long distance but they also tend to hide the majority of your tire surface from view and if you don't take the time to check regularly, which I didn't, then a surprise could be waiting. Another lesson learned.

Spending a day in Lander.