GDT Day 17 - Sweetwater to A&M Reservoir

Sun Aug. 08, 2016

Start - 7500?
High pt  
Lo pt
End Elv 7500
Climbing 500'?

Miles 69.3
Total time 8:45
Ride time 7:20
Day with BOB 16
Another divide crossing today

Empty

Empty

Empty Country

that I passed through today. I am like the many others over the decades and centuries that have passed through, though very few stay as there is little hold one here.
No water, no trees, little food, few resources to make a go of it. It is a region to get through, a barrier to overcome, a penance to be done, to reach a better place.

Only saw a few vehicles today; I saw but one dwelling, and even it is only used part time as it is a cow camp. There are no old buildings, sheltering forgone dreams as they decay back into the earth, unlike the other formally populated vales with vast expanses previously seen along the route.

Water - there was but one place to get water today, at Diagnus well, 12 miles into the 69 miles route. Fortunately for me, Dennis and Karen caught up with me right about noon for a refill, food and conversation.

I got an early start (for me) today and glad I did, as the weather called for a chance of t-strorms. I was worried about road conditions if wet as we had stories about gripper clay in parts of the Grest Divide Basin. I dodged a huge and ominous storm, though at first I was not sure if it was heading along my route or more tangentially. It did give me motivation a boost to try to avoid. I thought I had  dodged all of the smaller cells, but got hit less than a mile from camp. Karen said I missed the hail - I think that I took a break in order to not to ride onto that cell.

There are 4 other riders camping at A&M tonight, straggling in after dealing with stprma or dodging them. We fall into the easy conversations of comrades in our adventures. Dennis feeds some while we catch up on today's ride and storms, routes, other days rides, and our personal stories. Meeting folks from all over; tonight have Andrew and James from Milwaukee, Rob from Cleveland, and Alfonso from Mexico City.

After crossing the divide today, I entered the Great Divide Basin. I now have the Continental Divide west, east, north and south of me. While I hope tomorrow I will escape the Basin, no sutface water can (not that it seems to get much, today's storms not withstanding).

Today ride set a some high water marks for me.

Longest mileage day on a mtn bike - ever

Longest mileage and duration day with the BOB