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Unexpected Adventure

by John Fender

Sometimes when you sign up to ride for a few weeks across the country you know what you are getting yourself into. And, other times, you don’t. Today was one of those days filled with many surprises that I never counted on happening on this journey. We are in Wyoming, filled with big skies, miles of prairie, and just the right amount of hills to allow your legs to tingle. This ride marked the longest of the voyage: 108 miles. Miles like that separate the training wheels from the clip ins. Being on one road for 102 of that century plus 8 miles started out intimidating, however, it turned into a day filled with pace lines, rides in the back of a truck, and breath taking views of mountains.

Wyoming is beautiful, especially when observed going 20 miles with six people pulling each other along. This is how today was; you pull, I ride, we switch. Some people are new to pace lines while others are veterans, but together we worked liked a well-oiled machine to cross the land of Wyoming. As this machine moved, the Rocky Mountains began to play peek-a-boo above the green hills. We all looked upon these mountains in awe; for their grandness, for the fact that we have made it this far in the trip, and a little for fear of the days to come, climbing up and over those bad boys. We kept moving on, stopping to take pictures, enjoying the creation around us, and taking in this adventure.

However, there was one other surprise that created an eventful day. Right before our 45 mile rest stop, about five miles away, the road gave way to dirt and mud and the temporary traffic light set up meant business. We could no longer go anywhere. There was no road, no shoulder, and no way to get across. That is, until a local offered up the back of his truck. So the six of us there loaded up our bikes, hopped in the back, and began a bumpy ride across this muddy abyss. It wasn’t planned and I could never have expected it to happen, but that is what makes an adventure an adventure–the unknown last minute changes. Riding as a team, experiencing nature in its finest, and taking a ride in the back of a stranger’s truck, all turned this potentially mundane ride into another pleasantly unexpected adventure.
 

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