Bicycling Montana, Wyoming,
Colorado and New Mexico - 2006

Saratoga to Riverside, WY

June 19, 2006
Distance 20.6 Miles
Climbing Elevation: 935 feet

Saratoga is located along the North Platte River. Our motel was right on the river and the following picture was taken from the motel property, as we walked back from breakfast. All the rivers in the area are running full because the snow is still melting in the mountains.

Today we had the worst headwind that we have encountered so far. The wind was from the southwest and we traveled directly south and sometimes a little west. We only went 20 miles and we did not climb very much but our average speed was 8.6 mph. Prior to today we never averaged less than 11 mph even when we were riding against a headwind most of the day. We saw irrigated farms again today. You can see how hard the wind was blowing by looking at the weeds growing in the foreground.

The country we traveled thru was more of the same. However we saw several groups of pronghorn antelope today. In one field we saw 10 antelope. They are very curious animals. As automobiles passed by they would not even bother to look up or stop eating. However, as soon as they saw us they would stop eating and would look at us trying to figure out what that slow moving creature was.

We arrived in Riverside around noon. We then rode up an extra hill to Encampment for lunch, we were planning on stopping at the post office, but it was closed so we want down the hill to our motel. It is really a campground with 4 rooms and some cabins. It is within the trees and by the river. Clean and pleasant and once again we were able to do laundry.