My New friend the wigwam cat and my bed on the wigwam tonight.

When I got to Sweetwater junctiion test area I met a very nice couple who were interested in my trip...they kindly took this picture of me .

Split rock wyoming

Wyoming wingd

Sleeping in a wig wam in Wyoming

Well todays surprise is sleeping in a wigwam or tipee for free! There is a very basic bike camp with three tipees so instread of battling through the rain and wind I will sleep here. There are two dogs and a over friendly cat to keep me company and the fridge is stocked with free ice creams. Alrough I am still on the middle of what I call desert the sky is heavy with thunder ..the signs were to stay here so I'm goi.g with the flow. My map tells me I am entering the great divide basin..I wonder what surprises this part of my trip will bring. This area is so vast..serif..barren..it must have been pure hell for the early settlors here..with names like lost soldier lake and Cherokee creek..I can only imagine what life was like back then. Earlier today I saw a heard of cows being rounded up by cowboys on horses...video on facebook hopefully.

Well here I am back in the cafè in lamont Wyoming ordering a cheeseburger with everything and a pasta salad...real food..gotta back the most of it while I can out here! There are six guys here I've been talking with who are drilling for oil here ..and truck drivers passing through...its a real 'greasy spoon' place with salt of the earth people...makes a change from the rip off garage stores and processed food.
My tipee has a double bed with a hot kitten in it..ha ha..the wigwam cat won't let me go..very affectionate cat. This place plays led zeppelin music..its set out like its still 1945 but I'm seeing real America..talking to oil drillers ..you say mate we say buddy..type conversation. They want to know about English women..I'm more the European type lol!..one of them didn't know where England was..omg..anyway ..I've also met Fred who is cycling home to Ohio from Astoria..he has ridden the southern tier across the states already and is riding the trsnsam route back. He also isn't a Wyoming wind fan!

Shinto and the buffalo in lander Wyoming

Hot on the reservation. Today

This is crowsheart butte in Wyoming..Sioux territory. I rode over 80miles today including a pass over 9000ft. The land is becoming very cowboy and Indian now. I didn't go to fort waskeke as the lady at crowheart told me the Indians there would give me a hard time..I was going to ride another 40 miles ish to lander but came across an oasis in this desert with fresh green sprinkles grass and posh restrooms...where I met two English cyclists and an Australian all riding across east west! So I met a guy from Farnham and another from Salisbury and a girl from Canberra on the middle.of the Wyoming desert! I even got to have a shave tonight...so am again top sexy hunk lol!
I heard that Simon from cyclechat is in lander tonight..he is riding east west trsnsam on a group tour..it will be cool to pass I'm the middle of Wyoming!
Tonight I feel safe in the tent again free from grizzly attack for first time in over a week!

Dubois Main street today

This was made entirely out of antlers..

Elk antlers apparently

Fire risk today

Way to go on america

Lol!

Riding into a western movie today

Waking up
This morning I suddenly realized the sprinkler system would likely switch on at dawn so I got up and broke the tent down before it got soaked.  I said goodbye to  Laura, James and George who were heading to grand Teton and turned east  to lander. I rode through the Indian reservation  along the wind river and bought cherries at fort  washakie. Riding along eating cherries I wondered if in ten years time the barren road to lander would be a cherry tree avenue! I call on all future transammers to buy cherries here and spit pips alo.g the road ha ha. I met riders from the aca trsnsam east west supported tour I was looking for Simon from cyclechat but missed him...I must have rode right past him...I shouted hi but we crossed without catching up...oh well...I wish you a great final third trip Simon!
Today is hotter than yesterday ans I'm heading for Sweetwater junction. I've been warned by four cyclists that jeffry city is a hell hole so ill ride through and out tomorrow. Right now I'm in subway in lander charging the cell phone and drinking by bodyweight in  coke refills! No WiFi though. I wonder if that old Indian guy found his truck yet lol!

This is just the strangest feeling..sleeping in the middle of what I call a desert...next to kiddies swings on green grass..hoping I didn't pitch the tent on a sprinkler...with the wind blowing warm air ..a truck just pulled up with a drunk Indian guy who needed his friend to help him stand up...I. digress...and there are more English here than Americans...and all around is nothing but souix
Lands...the. wonders of this trip ..the unexpected is good..and something good always comes from nothing when you need it and allow it to happen and accept it when it does...like a river flowing around rocks...just going with the flow is what a tour like this is about...

At crowheart gas station store today I met an old red IndiAn guy. He had lost his pick up truck in the hills and had been walking all day trying to find it..but he couldn't ..then he said his dog needed feeding so he walked a few hours to crowheart to feed him and ask if anyone had found his truck!!!! I tried so hard not to laugh but failed. How do you lose a truck out here????he said all the hills look the same...lmao

Souix sunrise .

I woke up and rode where the Sioux and shoshoni cheyennes and crow tribes had fought ...where chief washakie had helped the us army to wipe out the Sioux.....beats the crap out of a ride to bognor Regis I can tell you!

Talking to westbou.d riders on the aca tour I estimate I am about a week from pueblo Colorado, winds hills etc permitting ! Apparently the fires are no longer an issue on this route any more. In crowheart last night I was warned not to stay on the reservation at. Fort washikie because the people would be hostile to me. When I was there today the local people on the reservation were very friendly and interested in my trip. I think I'm starting to see examples of presjudice here. I've also heard stories that as I go east I will hit the bible belt and places where  the differences between black and white ate still very real. I'll reserve my judgement until I get there myself.
Yesterday I slipped and cut my ankle badly on shintos front chain ring teeth. Ouch..lots of blood and today I find the mosquitos had a feast on my ankle as well...little shits!  
I'll heal fine though.

This morning after a long night in a tent listening for grizzlys I rode ove togwatee pass Wyoming. At 9700ft ish it is the second highest pass I will face on the route across the states. It is cold and very windy up there and heavy thunderstorms but now I am having a coffee on a lodge half way down the 25 mile downhill !

WiFi has been hard to find recently so I tried to keep blog update e mails on the phone and update all in one hit. Not sure of running order of posts is correct but its the best I cam do atm.
I think I look scarier than a grizzly beat anyway lol!

Lewis falls Yellowstone this morning

Hot springs in yellowstone

Views as I ride this morning

This morning started early riding through the mist over Yellowstone..my hands went numb with the cold...30 mind later I was overheating..such is the climate here.

Through the early morning mist I saw what I thought was a forest fire..but it was Yellowstone hot springs appearing!

The water is boiling and can be dangerous..a dog fell in I heard and got cooked. Some kid asked his mum...what happens to ducks when they land in the water?...mum replied..same thing as happed to the stupid dash..lol!

Hot mud bath anyone?

Geyser at Yellowstone park today

Amazing crystal blue water at boiling point direct from the centre of the earth ha!

Boiling spring water flows into the cold river in yellowstone

Old faithful in Yellowstone today

The ride through Yellowstone is worth the climbs!

Dad I sent you my used maps from here!

I crossed three passes each taking me across the continental divide. The climbs were ok even though each was at over 8000ft.

After todays ride in Yellowstone I found myself swimming in lake lewis..just me and my own spectacular swimming pool!

Well Shinto is in the pitstop. He needs both wheels re truing a spoke replacing and brakes re setting. Can't move on until the job is done. Luckily I'm in a town with a bikeshop and ion good hands  because a wheel true is a tricky job.

Quake lake this afternoon

Shinto resting at quake lake info centre where I fell asleep. That hi vis triangle is a must have on these roads. It's also good for toeing to the tent at night so I don't wake up with some dipsticks rv on top of me. I got it at the aca in Missoula.