After a good night sleep in the motel Scott got up at 6:15 to bike to the Laundromat to get the washing done… apparently nobody wants to do washing on a Sat night so the Laundromat closed at 7pm & we did not get into our Motel till after 6pm - but they opened at 6am on a Sunday (go figure?) & apparently there was already people there at 6:15 am doing laundry?
After another Mc Donald’s feast for breakfast we headed out of town. (our 3rd McD’s meal in 12 hrs!!)
For the next 2 days we have to take the Alternative route as the actual route is now on private land & cyclist are not allowed through so the next 2 days are all sealed road - to make it to Grants we needed to do 2x 100km days - easy you would think being all sealed?
After leaving town we had a nice semi downhill rolling road & we managed to get 45km in before morning tea, we have been riding through Indian Reservations along the road - these are not all Tepee’s & campfires - more like very unloved /uncared for houses &/ or trailers old cars & junk lying everywhere & lots of rubbish just thrown into paddocks & down banks, not very exciting riding.
We stopped at a small gas station in the middle of no where for a colds drinks break as the day was very hot, after just finishing our drinks we noticed another tour cyclist coming down the road - it turned out to be Chris & guy that Alan had meet earlier on the trip, so after the official meet & greet we all decided to ride along together when a car pulled up & a lady (Sue) jumped out asking of we were riding the Great Divide as her husband is also doing it & was about 4 miles back down the road, so we waited for him (Bruce) to arrive - did the whole meet & greet thing again - the boys all checked out each others bikes etc… etc… what boys do?
Sue & Bruce are from Montana & Sue has driven down to support Bruce on the final leg of the ride.
By the time we all headed off down the road together it was close to lunch so we stopped again not long after for a lunch break, by this stage the wind was starting up the next 4 hours we spent talking with our new acquaintances fighting the growing head wind , the road was long & straight & the day was very hot.
After 96km we topped a small saddle which had potential good camp spots off the road - out of view so we decided to call it a day & camp here tonight.
Bruce & Sue continued on to Grants for the night & the 4 left spent a great night perched up on a high point looking down into a canyon & onto the valley that was ahead for tomorrows ride.
The night was very warm & the wind had dropped away completely so we all decided it was a night to sleep out under the stars, which we did successfully without being eaten by any dangerous animals.
Chris bought out the worsted in Scott & they 2 of them talked smack all night - even from the comfort of our sleeping bags - topic’s ranged from the plight of the Navajo, to weather god actually has a belly button to Claus our long lost German cyclist from back at the start - Chris rode with him for a few days also.
Saw our 1st Tarantula spider on the road today - very cute - not very big - but very cute & hairy.
DISTANCE: 97.4km
AVERAGE: 17.1km
RIDE TIME: 5.41hrs
ASCEND: 660mtrs
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