Day 32 MISERABLE!!
Seriously, this shit cold wet winter weather keeps up, I will finish this trip another day and say thanks for the memories. 
Starting out from Pinedale, I could see the weather brewing sgain, and I could not get warm under the ominous gray skies!

I am currently in my tent, hastily set up while hail was dropping, now raining very hard outside. I’m certain the rain will win the dryness battle, it always does eventually. But at this moment, and sometimes the only moment we can truly appreciate is the present one, at this moment I am substantially dry despite the incessant heavy wind driven rain pelting my tent fly from seemingly every direction. 

All day, I had been reluctant to head away from town, it has been very cold and gray all day! I was never able to get the chill out of my bones despite riding 51 miles, much of it undulating gravel hills. 

The forecast seemed to be better in the morning, chance of rain somewhat low… 15-30%, but this is a true shit rainstorm, and my soul will not tolerate many of these. Absolutely every part of me is damp and cold, waiting for the real wet to infiltrate everything…

I have EVERYTHING in the tent except my bike and large dry bag. Mr Kessler and Mr Boston are in the tent as well, warming me from within. It’s 5:12pm. I’ll wait to see if this lightens at all, would love to cook dinner somehow!

The rain let up, leaning out from my tent, I boiled water for MH Chicken and rice, added some ramen, poured the water in, 9 minutes later yum yum! Then more hail, not enough to accumulate… Then rain. Then rain stopped again, then the wind started. By 7:54pm, dinner is done, nothing to do but listen to the creek, the wind… And hoping with all my might that the weather will break overnight. It’ll be cold, I expect it to freeze, but if the rain could go away and come back another day, that would sure delight this damp soul. 

Pitch dark now, wind swirling overhead, nestled in my bag, settled in for a very cold night…

Day 33

Stayed cocooned in the tent until 735am, ice had formed all over the fly, but unzipping to exit revealed blue sky and some warm rays of sun reaching my little storm haven!! Double hot instant oatmeal and coffee…here we come!! Such simple but meaningful pleasures. 

The same miserably desolate terrain under cold gray rainy skies, was spectacularly beautiful in sunlight today! Mentally, I went yesterday from WTF am I doing out here to OMG this is incredibly beautiful today!

An absolutely spectacular day in every way, the scenery is just indescribably beautiful!

At some point, riding literally on the top of the Continental Divide, three deer ran along side me for a quarter mile… And I have certainly had birds parallel me for a distance as well. Today was nothing short of extraordinary. While I cannot upload videos to this blog, I did post to FB the extraordinary 360′ view from the top of the divide today…

Cruised into South Pass city, a restored small mining town as a state park that was very interesting, some very nice exhibits in the place.

Then continued on to Atlantic City and was surprised to find that the inn I was hoping to stay at was closed. I continued up the road to the Atlantic City Mercantile, which is actually a bar and restaurant. I couldn’t resist a cold IPA!

Talking with the proprietor, I asked about lodging and he said he has a friend named Mark who has a place. I suspected it was the same place as the guy that you parked your truck with a large sign on it that said “Life is a bitch, don’t elect one” which was anti-Hillary Clinton sign.

The proprietor called Mark for me, his place was available for $75 so there was no way I was going to pass up a nice warm cabin and shower after last nights storm. And yes, it was the same guy as the anti-Hillary sign. 

What wonderful people, Mark and Patricia, are back to the earth survivalists I guess, making much of their own food, using solar power off the grid, and wood for heat. I rented their former house, which is a spectacularly beautiful and warm place, really a two bedroom home with all the amenities. I consider myself very very lucky to have run across this place! Gives me a chance to warm up and dry out after last night, and allow all of my gear to dry out as well. They had already stoked the woodstove for me before my arrival, really really nice folks!

I’ll be heading up shortly to the restaurant attached to the bar where I had the IPA earlier, looking forward to a good home cooked meal of some sort! Everyone here (and Montana) always talk about having a good steak, and really in all the days of this trip so far haven’t had a single steak, but tonight might be the exception.

BTW, Mark and Patricia, him retired and both similar age as me, clearly spend most of their time and effort providing for their own livelihood, they mentioned collecting many medicinal roots. I really like these folks, I get the idea of being off the grid! With good wifi too!!! They are going elk hunting tomorrow…

At the restaurant, what a throwback in history! Pretty much the only thing on the menu is steak! And the smallest ribeye is 20 oz!!!! This place pretty much unchanged since 1900…

And I finished ever morsel of the Wyoming fresh beef ribeye!! Wow, didn’t expect that! There is a gang on the other side of the wall having a pretty good time at the bar! Glad I’m not on that side…

Back to my incredibly cozy place, they stoked the woodstove while I was at dinner. Such kindness in the wilderness… Ready for a good night sleep inside four solid walls…