Day 21 – “…the bliss of solitude…”

July 8, 2018

Day 21 – Lusk, WY to Hot Springs, SD – 93 miles, 3,310 feet vertical

“… For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.”
—from I wandered lonely as a cloud, by William Wordsworth

I wasn’t lying on my couch and I don’t think I saw many daffodils, but I did ride solo this morning through some magnificently desolate yet beautiful landscape.  The wind was favorable and the terrain was slightly downhill and so the pace was highly respectable, even without my paceline friends.  But the thrill of being alone – completely alone for as far as the eye can see – was exhilarating.  As hard as it was to stop, I did just that several times to take a photo, or just … to stare and take it all in.

It was another long-ish day with 93 miles on tap, so the main load saddled up early at 6:30. We really enjoyed our one-night stay at the slightly kitschy Covered Wagon Motel (complete with covered wagon atop the roof), but it was time to move on.  No moss grows under our feet on these segments and today would be our last day in Wyoming.  We were scheduled to cross the State Line into South Dakota at the 56-mile mark.

The morning was exquisite.  It was cool and comfortable with the usual morning sun rising in the east before our eyes.  The times were fast for our entire group and I got to the second SAG stop at 68 miles around 10:20.  With only 25 miles left to go, I saw no need to rush.  Everyone was having a great day and there were smiles all around.  

The only hurdles were two climbs near the end – four miles and one mile – that we needed like a hole in the head.  But, we ground it out and made it to Hot Springs.  It was still early and most us went to DQ for lunch and a shake before checking into the hotel.   

Tomorrow is a big scenic day with a stop at Mount Rushmore, but unfortunately we found out there was a typo in our original route sheets and our climbing will be almost double what we thought, at 6,400 feet.  Oy!

Please enjoy these photos of the day and don’t forget to track our progress at Where’s Jeff at jeffblye.com

Thanks.