Day 14: Columbus to Lovell

We headed out of Columbus at the crack-of-dawn crossing a bridge over the Yellowstone River and then followed the river for several miles as we headed south on Highway 421 for about 20 miles.  This was a beautiful stretch of riding through rolling countryside dotted with some very nice ranch homes and lots of horses and cattle - plus several tough climbs.  At mile 26 we turned south on Highway 310 which we stayed on for the next 64 miles to our destination in Lovell WY.

This also should have been an enjoyable stretch of riding - the road was excellent, the traffic light, and the scenery great.  But strong headwinds of 15-20mph plagued us the entire way.  I soloed some of the time and also hooked up with several different pace lines over the course of the 64 miles.  Dave Edwards, one of the guides, pulled me and several other riders the last 15 miles into Lovell - which my legs greatly appreciated. We crossed into Wyoming about 20 miles outside of Lovell - our fifth state so far.  

All things considered this was another nice day of riding - but, because of the wind, not the easy day I was planning in preparation for tomorrow's epic climb.

Tomorrow's 99 mile ride to Sheridan over the Big Horn Mountains is the defining day of the entire trip.  The climb on Highway 14A is ranked within the top 25 most difficult climbs in the U.S. - 6000 ft of elevation gain over 20 miles with grades up to 14%; and it tops out at 9430 ft where there is a real shortage of oxygen.  Jan and I drove the route this Spring and, after seeing it, I've been thinking about tomorrow for the last 3 1/2 months.

I feel pretty good about my chances of making it over the summit without getting into the van - I'll certainly give it my best shot!  The weather looks ok - although a violent thunderstorm with hail that came through Lovell this evening may have left some snow at the higher elevations. The wind could make all the difference and there are conflicting forecasts as to whether it will be helping or hurting. 

So far I have pedaled 1161 miles over the past 14 days - except for the final 8 miles on Day 7 which would have required pedaling through flames (I think that's grounds for declaring force majeure).  Anyway, I hope I can keep the "pedal every mile" goal intact for another day. Tune in tomorrow night for an update.

Steve