Odometer: 1005 – 1100 (95 miles, 152 kilometers )
Had a good day cycling. I followed a dirt road east just out of the town. The day was similar to September 6 – sunny and cool with favorable winds.
There were no significant ascents or descents but frequent hills and curves. I still made good time and was satisfied with my progress.
The dirt road followed through open ranges without any fencing. Cattle, pronghorn, and coyotes shared the freedom of the open space including the road.
I saw pronghorn frequently. I never tire of watching them. Their speed is amazing – fast….then…extremely fast. They always seem to have another gear. I wish I could take a good picture of them but they are very elusive. They seem to take off well before I get close enough on my bike. Perhaps a telephoto lens may come in handy.
Then there were coyotes. I saw two of them running across the road. They seemed fast too but not far off were a group of pronghorns which seemed not in the least concerned. Coyotes, as fast as they are can’t come close to the speed of the pronghorns.
Then there were cattle, sparse.. thinly scattered. Sometimes none could be seen as far as you could see. Other times clumps here and there. They were not elusive and often stood in the road looking at me with limited understanding as I approached on my bike. Sometimes they would wait until I was 20 feet away before moving, startled. Then they never seemed to move in the right direction. Dumb things.
At the end of the day I found the primitive camp site at Sweetwater Creek Bridge just as McCoy had described it. I met up with three doctors who were sharing the camp area. They were from Oxford taking time off to have some adventures. One of them had the next two years of travels planned; including biking through the Himalayas, crewing a yacht on the Atlantic, and racing the GDMBR which he was scoping out.
Great photos! And yes, you do need to carry a telephoto lens, but they are quite heavy.
A gopro would be interesting. Maybe next time.
Hahaha to the cows part!