Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. 

John F Kennedy 

What a day!   A stupendous breakfast at at the “Heart & Soul” the depart Pinedale while leaving James, Warren, & Constance to do the shopping and catch us later. Jeanne was riding with us until they caught us. 

Departed Pinedale on nice highway with s good shoulder. I just started Dave following, just cruising at about 15 mph. Then save commented Jeanne and nancy were with us. Awesome, a four person pace line. We went for nearly twenty miles, just cruising enjoying the ride. 

Supposedly gravel came at 30 miles buy it just changed to a perfect dirt road, no washboard. 

The trucks caught us at big sandy creek where book lists water available, but totally fenced off. A gate  was there but heavy chain and padlock with two no trespassing signs. Not sure what the big deal is but certainly did not feel welcome.  And we had water.  On the next twenty kilometers of rolling hills contributing through the magnificent sagebrush country. When one drives interstate at just cruising in the automobile one looks out and sees the scenery without feeling it. Here it is stupendous. 

And another delightful camp here on the lander cutoff of the Oregon trail. A couple of gals have joined us and are a nice addition. Sammie and Joy from Massachusetts. For carrying some water for them they got us two pies, Apple and blueberry, which we devoured after the soup, salad, potatoes and onions, and barbecue brats. Delightful. Made it to A & M reservoir 3 days from Pinedale.  Yesterday from lander creek camp to sweetwater water. Once again thinking of trip with Joe and there were more cows at sweetwater. This time we went bathing in the creek. Feels so good at end of day to just sit in the water and get grime, sweat, dirt, off.   Again tonite at reservoir where could actually swim about. Awesome 

  

Thus we made it across the four days of “waterless section”of Wyoming.  In a car it would be probably pretty boring with miles of miles of dirt and sagebrush, but on the bike it was awesome and amazing.  The afternoons were hot in the low 90’s (mid 30’s c) but the van and truck stopped every 25-30 miles and we got off and sat in shade for a bit, then on peddling , peddling, peddling.  

And the stud dumps were there, where the wild horses mark their territory by leaving their mark. The biggest piles of horse shit you have ever seen.

Bikes working good although Constance who is keeping track of numbers says we have changed out nine tires thus far. Me 2, Jeanne 2, James 2, Dave1, plus I cannot remember the rest.  All are tubeless or a variety thereof.  Yesterday nancy, Jeanne, and J. R. all developed leaks and were spewing fluid out but just keep on peddling and rolling and the sealed without much loss of pressure.  

A father son duo riding the great divide on motorcycles, commented to us the commeraderie on the trail. People keep track of each other up and down.  2 notes ago a hiker came through (name of dirt monger) hike the pacific crest trail this spring now going down the continental divide trail ( a slightly different route the the great divide bicycle route. ). And saw him coming into Rawlings today, he is as fast as we are.  On his sixth pair of shoes this year.  

It is amazing country. The history of south pass which is in the midst of Wyoming is phenomenal.  Some of the more interesting history in the development of the western United States.  Not only does the Oregon trail go through here, but the California trail, the Mormon trail, the pony express trail, and the Indian have used it for far longer than our memory and history relates.  
And the antelope are beautiful. They run as if standing still but move across the country at seemingly high speed.