Cycle Across America – Day 36

Arvada to Gillette

55 miles / 2327ft climb

The ‘highway’ to Gillette looped ahead of us like the yellow brick road. We left our remote cabin in Arvada, (population 9) and passed almost nothing for 60 miles, except for Spotted Horse with a population of 2, to arrive in Gillette, a sprawling town with a population of 34,000.

The morning weather was kind to us but the afternoon, once again brought strong headwinds which made us work much harder than we had expected and take longer to reach our destination. The uphill today was kind to us with rolling hills which are by far the easiest way to accumulate the climbs.

Lunch en route was a basic mix of the leftovers of each of our panniers, so an early evening meal and bottle of wine downtown in Gillette was called for. A game of cards, an early night and the luxury of a late start tomorrow.

The cycling is getting a little easier as our legs and lungs become accustomed to their daily workouts. The mountains still haven’t won me over but I don’t fear them like I did. The scenery is continually changing which keeps our interest and the people we meet along the way are interesting and interested in what we are doing. Most think we are mad for doing what we are doing but I have relaxed into our routine and am thoroughly enjoying the experience.