Oh Sheri-dan

Thank you Honza for being my ride along, my home base and steady counsel. He helped me with perspective and settled me down from my anxiety about this day.

I rode with an open mind and curiosity as to how this was going to go. We had a slow, gradual ascent out of Lovell and crossed a river. Birds were out and the sun was just rising over the mountains. What a start!!

As it got steeper I was passed by pretty much everyone- even Mike (mega) who was singing ‘oh what a beautiful morning’. Mega lives to climb.

From there I teamed up with Jeffrey, who kept my mind off of the road ahead and counseled me to look to the side of the road- he’s in computer graphics and gets the mind tricks of depth and visual perception. We wove our way up, and up with many stops. So finally at 2:30 we made it to the observation point- THE TOP at 9,430 ft! O.M.G. Wowie Zowie. The biggest climb for many in the group. At dinner some said ‘it wasn’t that steep but it was long’ that was from John who lives in the finger lakes.

With lunch still 14 Miles away and Sheridan, our end point, still 60 miles away and 4 hours of daylight left. I decided my work was done and I got a lift to lunch and then our hotel. After all we have three centuries in the next three days!

As Honza said, the sun will rise over the Big Horns tomorrow. It is beautiful country and I understand why he likes coming to this area with the kids to head out into the mountains on ATVs.

Enjoy these pictures- all are mine except the moose and the Sheridan sign.

Also to be pointed out, this hotel is haunted.