Jacob Usher
We started the day with a flat section of road. That was very brief. We then followed Highway 16 into the Ten Sleep Canyon. Steep limestone cliffs and shallow grassy hills at the bottom were shaped by the last ice age thousands of years ago. Apparently this is a popular climbing area so I was keeping an eye out for any signs of climbing activity such as bolts or sprinter vans.
Friend leaves our camp at the Ten Sleep Brewery to head up Highway 16–only wearing his cycling bibs
Instead of climbing routes, I spotted a sign pointing out a memorial on the top of the canyon rim. A 10 foot wide marble block commemorating an Englishman who fell 100 feet while hunting. I wondered what other kinds of memorials like that have been undocumented or forgotten.
Leigh Creek Monument
The climb up Powder Pass would take us up to 9,666 feet and over the Bighorn mountain range: the high point of our trip. This was nearly a vertical mile of climbing. The past three weeks prepared us physically for this giant climb and we went up it in good spirits. When we are on a long climb and the roads feel safe, we will split up and meet at the top. This is nice because everyone can go at their own pace and enjoy a little alone time.
Switchbacks on Powder River Pass
We reached the top of the pass one by one. Even the growing headwind couldn’t stop us. We stopped and took in the scenery of the high point of our trip. We had mentally prepared ourselves for this first half of the day and it went great.
Michael and Friend at the top of Powder River Pass, elevation 9,666 ft
The rest of the day was a breeze and we arrived in Buffalo in no time.
Just kidding. “Ten miles of ‘rolling hills,’ then a descent to Buffalo,” said Brian. We rode downhill for a couple of miles in penny sized hail. The first rolling hill turned out to be another steep 30 minute climb. This time we were not as mentally prepared. After that we found ourselves on a roller coaster of five 8% grades up and down.
Hailstorm and ‘rolling hills’ along the descent from the Bighorn Mountains
The final descent into Buffalo, WY
Evidence of Friend’s bibs-only battle with Powder River Pass
Now for my bike setup!
I am riding a Soma Doublecross, which is the same bike as Friend’s. This is a cyclocross bike but it also does the trick for touring. Like Friend, I bought my bike from Facebook marketplace. It has many quirks such as a Brooks Saddle on a carbon fiber racing seat post and a mountain biking derailer with ‘more clicks than cogs’ on my cassette.
My gear setup is probably the most different from the rest of the group. My panniers were graduation gifts (thank you Rachel!) and are smaller than everyone else’s. I fit my tent, sleep system, clothes, and food into these. I also have a frame bag and a handle bar bag to add a little extra storage capacity. On day three, I turned the handlebar bag into a giant saddlebag. This was for multiple reasons, but it has been more comfortable. I put random small items in these. Also lots of food. I always keep lots of snacks stashed all over my bike. This is great except for our stint through bear country where I had to carefully unpack all the goodies to store them safely.
Usher’s bike setup