• Mileage today 100.3
• Mileage total 1261.3
• Elevation today 7293 ft
• Elevation total 63510 ft
• Weather – sunny, low amount of wind; start off at 50 with the smell of sulphur in the air and end in low 90’s

Today was a monster day of climbing…up Big Horn pass. Then a small decent, then climbing again, the a 14 mile decent and a pedal into Sheridan.

Big Horn lived up to its reputation. Massive 20 mile climb, grades going for 5 to 11%. Terrific vista views off a massive rock formation. It was more than difficult, it was suffering to survive to get to the summit.

For the big climb, I think I soft bonked. Bonking is where you are trashed and can’t make rational decisions. Soft bonk is where you think you can but the legs won’t go – usually from lack of food or water or both. So I soft bonked to where I was in lowest gear and barely moving forward. At some point it feels like you will fall over backwards….I recovered with a huge lunch of all proteins – chicken, bbq pork and baked beans. It was yum! So I was able to summit the top at about 9600 ft – I was sucking air and huffin’!!!

Next was the longest decent of 14 miles…death grip on the bars and brakes on, screeching down the mountain. Kinda frightening and adrenaline rush at same.

Then did an active recovery ride in …in all another 100 miler!

On to Gillette, WY – 100+ miles and 5k of elevation. I’m told it is mental…it a roller coaster ride, over and over, where at the top of the coaster you see the next 3 mounds with basically no scenery!