Day 17 - July 14th - Sheridan, WY to Gillette, WY
| Route Distance: | 111 | Average Speed: | 14.7 | |
| Total Distance: | 1173 | Maximum Speed: | 36.2 | |
| Riding Distance: | 112.9 | Elevation Gain: | 3549' | |
| Riding Time: | 7:41 |
 |
| Picture
Notes: Jeanette Thomas on her recumbent (complete with bobble-hula girl) Panorama of Yellowstone in the distance Biker Bear (in cafe at first water stop) A true "mobile" home Open pit coal mine outside of Gillette, MT Click here for more pictures from today |
| A long day, our longest of the entire trip,
and the longest I've ever ridden at almost 113 miles! We arose at 4:00 am so we
could hit the road before it got too warm. Bruce and I rode together for
quite a while, and had a beautiful climb out of the valley that Sheridan
sits in, a climb of about 15 miles. As we got to the top of the climb the
mountains of Yellowstone National Park were visible, and the vistas over the
valley were breathtaking. We continued on from the water stop at the top of
the climb, and were later joined by David, Catherine, Alan and Beth. The six
of us rode in a paceline for quite a while, averaging between 18 and 23 mph,
until the hills became more rolling and the wind too much from the side to
make a paceline efficient. Along the way we had to get off of the road for a
truck carrying a very wide load, a full double-wide mobile home on a
trailer (see picture above). The temperature got hotter and hotter, and the rest stop at the Spotted Horse Restaurant was much needed as we were almost out of water. We rested in the shade and replenished our water bottles and packs, and headed out for the last 25 miles into Gillette. My camera broke and would no longer take pictures, so I needed to rely on Bruce for photos for the remainder of the day. The section from the Spotted Horse to Gillette was the hardest stretch as the temperature was in the high 90's or possibly over 100°. I had a very difficult time this stretch as I had not been eating well throughout the day due to the heat, and it was a struggle mile after mile. The water stop about 10 miles from Gillette was critical since we were again almost out of water. The last few miles into town took us past a huge open pit coal mine. This explained the large number of 100+ car coal trains that passed us during the day. Once we arrived in Gillette (camping at the city park in the center of town) we setup camp and took showers in the community center. The small water park next to the community center was open to Big Riders, but I don't think anyone took advantage of it since we didn't have the energy. A group of kids came over to our "tent city" from the skateboard park and chatted with us or a bit, then we headed to a nearby restaurant for a "$10 night" delicious dinner (prime rib for me - OK, I spent a bit more than $10!). By the end of dinner we were all falling asleep on our plates, so it was back to the tent and to bed - slept great! |