Day 21: Laramie to Medicine Bow

Woke up bright and early at 5 AM. The breakfast was provided by a group of nurses from the University of Wyoming. They showed up right at 6 AM and proceeded to bring out all manner of wonderful foods. There were four or five different fruits, including kiwis and strawberries; there were three types of yogurts with granola, eggs, etc. Amazing. Everybody got good and stuffed and then we all took the time to introduce who we were and to share with our hosts why we were riding. Also took the time to answer as many questions as possible.

And then another group of people brought in the ingredients for lunch. The team is always thrilled with food and once again we’ve seen the generous and kind nature of the people across the country. In every single town we have been in we have been met with this kind of open generosity and hospitality.

The team knew that the ride to Medicine Bow was only going to be another 60 miles or so, but this time with no climbs. So once again the team took its time getting ready. But I think there are some winds of change brewing, as some in the team are getting a little impatient with getting out on the road so late. I really feel and agree with the others that it shouldn’t take us three hours to get ready.

At any rate, we all headed out as a team out of town and onto the highway that would take us all the way to the next town. It was a little bit chilly when the day started, but it didn’t take long to get warmed up and with the sun rising in the sky it soon became a very pleasant day. The locals told us to expect a stiff headwind as the day passed on, but as we biked along there was virtually no wind to speak of.

In fact, the day was so pleasant and the ride so enjoyable that I immediately slowed down to just savor the experience of biking through some of the most beautifully desolate countryside around. Surrounded by peaks and riding through the mountain valley’s rolling hills, I couldn’t help but take my time. While some riders were looking to get to town as quickly as possible and thus raced ahead, a few of us hung back. My company included Brett, Mario, Christine, Nick Bangia, and Natalie.

Although we tended to ride alone, we would do so within viewing distance and we would linger at the rest stops. We especially took our time at the last rest stop, pretty much eating just to give ourselves a reason to stay out a little longer. Finally decided to move on, but still with the intention of taking it easy.

Biked along and came to a sign that pointed to a state historic site. Turned out to be a sign explaining the rich fossil beds in the area. Next to the sign was a cabin made entirely of fossils. Something like 100,000 if I remember right. Pretty nifty.

As we were getting ready to leave, a young man rode up on a horse with his dog in the saddle. Between his tears he explained that his dog had run into the highway and had been hit by a car and killed. On one hand it seemed like a direct cause and effect of letting your dog run around so close to the highway. But in person, the young man’s emotions over losing something that obviously was so close to him were pretty powerful. It immediately sent the team into a reflective mood and we rode out, no longer together at a leisurely pace, but a focused, driven pace.

Or that’s what most of the people did. I chose to take my time still. And I was aided in taking my time by the sudden increase in the wind. I slowed to a crawl for the last five miles or so as the wind buffeted the bike around. I timed my progress and found that it took one minute to ride 1,000 feet. But since it was at the end of the day I didn’t mind so much.

Rode into the church in last place, but still very early in the afternoon. Found a great little buffet set out by some of the members of the Baptist church we stayed at. Filled up and almost immediately the team held a meeting to talk about some concerns. Although in my opinion the previous meetings lasted too long and lost their focus, this one stayed right on target and lasted only as long as it needed to.

Medicine Bow is a small town of about 200 people. But I don’t know where the other 150 people were hiding. It was a little town with nary a stop sign. But it did have a claim to fame in "The Virginian" hotel and museum. Some of the older generation may remember it as the basis for a novel, a nine-year television series, four different movies, and a Broadway play. According to the locals, the somewhat famous novel was written about the area and the hotel was built to capitalize on the fame.

So with not much else to do, a few of us headed over to the hotel and museum to check out the history. I enjoyed walking through the old cabin and the museum. There were those classic black and white pictures of the area from over a hundred years back as well as little stories about the community and its citizens from the old days that brought the area to life. There were also all sorts of old artifacts that highlighted in my mind how much easier we have it now. We may think that our busy schedules are hectic, but it seems that back then that each person had one important thing to do and they slaved away at doing it with primitive tools and communications.

In this town, it used to be that railroad ties were made. There was an article that had an old timer complain about how easy life was for the new generation, and he was saying this in the early 1900’s. He said that they used to chop down the trees with a hand axe and carry the tree to the river by hand, sometimes for miles. He said the new generation of men (still early 1900’s) had it much easier because they had fancy two-man saws and could load the ties onto horse drawn carts.

Anyway, I digress. We headed next over to the hotel. The staff allowed us to walk up the stairs to check out all the old fashioned rooms and more historical stuff. Good times. Headed next over to the local dive where we heard there were some wood carvings. Turns out that a local man takes a large piece of wood and makes intricate carvings without breaking the wood. Examples include a stagecoach complete with riders inside the carriage, a team of horses, and all the rope work. It was very impressive stuff. Most of the group sat down and ordered a beer while I walked around checking out more of the artwork. Even the ceiling had been painted, a la Sistine chapel style. It struck me as a little odd how much art was inside a building that under normal conditions I would never visit. I mean, from the outside it was in pretty bad shape. And most of the time you would pass it up at 70 mph or more. But inside, it was filled with artwork and friendly locals. Just another lesson about life learned (or relearned as the case may be).

We all headed back to the church for a potluck style dinner with the congregation. Once again we were treated to pasta and salads and breads and more wonderful desserts. We made a point of spacing out the team so we could meet the locals. My little group was lucky enough to draw a slightly older couple who had lived in the area for a long time as school teachers. Everybody it seems, if given the opportunity to share it, has a wonderful, fascinating story to share.

After dinner we went around the group introducing ourselves. We received a round of applause after we finished, and then they thanked us. I don’t think I’ll ever get over that awkward feeling.

Went to bed after playing the piano for a little bit, knowing that the series of fairly short days were over starting in the morning.