Buffalo to Gillette July 8, 2022

Buffalo to Gillette

July 8, 2022

After yesterday’s monster day, todays 72 miles and only 2680 feet of climb seemed like a rest day.  Today we rode down the interstate from Buffalo to Gillette.  In 2018 the interstate was closed to cyclists as there was construction along the route and all the traffic was diverted to the on side. This year however it was wide open and we sailed down the highway.  Great wide shoulders, with perfectly smooth pavement and very low gradients on all of the climbs. 

After leaving breakfast at 7:00 Am it was only 34 miles down to picnic.  I was at picnic by 8:30 am and this was after stopping at first water and taking a bunch of rider pictures.  The view looking back at first water was great as it was a huge panorama of our last look at the Big Horn Mountains and pretty much all of the mountains. 

Picnic was in a very pretty rest stop so I wound up hanging around and eating more than I needed to as it was only 1.5 hours since I had breakfast. 

After picnic it was only another 37 miles down the road.  However it was now starting to get hot. Maybe I hung around picnic too long.  The wind was also starting to come up and varied from a quartering head wind to a cross wind.  I looked down at my bike computer and I had 21 miles to go and as I was doing about 15 mph and I thought that’s ok I’ll be in camp in an hour and a half.  A bunch of long grades into the quartering head wind and it was 18 miles to camp and I was doing 12 mph.  Still an hour and a half.  

When I did get into camp it was only 12:20  so I decided to roll down town to have an ice cream cone. 

I guess that we will put this day down as an hour and a half kind of day. 

Tomorrow we ride to Devils Tower and completion of week three. 

Today is also Barry’s Birthday --- Happy Birthday  Isn’t this just the prefect way to spend your birthday?

Terry