If It Doesn’t Kill You….
Custer to Forsyth – 48 miles
Average Speed – 11.5
Check out the newly added podcasts(at the bottom of the respective pages):
Skye Book and Brew
Tour of Traveler’s Rest
Training Tips for the More Sensible Than Us Cyclist
Why did we think that we were heading downhill and away from climbs? Today and yesterday afternoon had to be the most difficult days of the trip in terms of climbing. After leaving Custer, we started a gradual climb toward the infamous Hysham Hill.
The Changing Scenery
We thought that we had reached the top because we knew that the last bit was steep and wrongly assumed that since we had finished a steep bit, that we were at the top. We continued to climb steep sections and never assumed again that we were at the top.
Looking Back from Hysham
It’s never a good sign when trucks shift into a lower gear, or the trucks from the other direction are using their jake brakes. We had numerous climbs after Hysham Hill. Neither of us could remember another day with so many hills to conquer.
Looking Forward from Hysham Hill
At one point, we thought that we had come too close to a bird’s nest as we heard constant chirping. Turns out that it wasn’t a protective mother bird, but a colony of prairie dogs. We had missed the Prairie Dog Town State Park the other day en route from Livingston to Reed Point. Since we had been battling the hills along with a headwind, we decided to stop and try to get a photo of these skittish creatures. Robert went over to the fence, ever alert for rattlesnakes and tried to snap a few shots. The prairie dogs quickly disappeared into their holes.
Forsyth demands that cyclists climb one last hill before coming into town. The town, which we will soon explore has a historic district and what seems like a disproportionate amount of hotels for a town so small. We are definitely glad to be here.
I still hate hills and headwinds, but I am enjoying the trip. Several people have asked us why we are doing it or why we do it if we don’t like hills or headwinds. Maybe in some future post, I will explain our reasons for doing this. No great philosophical ramblings necessary.
We received a suggestion for taking an alternate route that would add a few days, but would eliminate that long trek to Baker. If we were guaranteed a tailwind, the 80 miles would be no problem. If we get strong headwinds or crosswinds, we would have a tough time getting the 80 miles in, although we do have plenty of hours of daylight. We have to consider our options and see what we can do. Besides avoiding the long stretch, we would also see some interesting landscapes. Maybe the deciding factor should be if we can get internet somewhere.
Our internet access in the next few days or maybe all the way until Minneapolis is questionable.