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Pages: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11
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Day 5: Thermopolis to Meeteetsee Our luck with the weather had definitely run out. The steady drizzle of yesterday became a real rain. Temperatures had dropped too. It was in the 30s when we left Thermopolis that morning for a 50+ mile, slightly uphill ride to Meeteetsee. And, with the wind-chill factor, it felt like the 20s. We were not really prepared for anything this cold and the best we could do was to wrap our hands and feet in plastic bags we'd stockpiled from the Holiday Inn. |
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For about six hours we slowly made our way through the cold wind and rain uphill toward Meeteesee. Needless to say we weren't stopping to enjoy the scenery (which was probably lovely) or take photos. But the cold made some stops necessary just to try and get the circulation going in our hands, feet, and faces and to attempt to change into warmer, drier clothing from time to time. A Highway Patrol car passed us several times going in both directions and we surmised that he might be looking out for us, forelorn travelers that we were.
But as slowly as we were progressing we eventually reached our destination, the little town of Meeteetsee. |
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Though it's actually a very modest motel and RV park, the Oasis looked like the Ritz Carlton to us. Most of the accommodations were probably occupied by full time renters but there was a room waiting for us. And a warm shower, laundry facilities for our wet and dirty biking clothes, and a friendly proprietess. |
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The town of Meeteetsee is very small, about 1 block long with a population of just over 300. There are some charming old buildings in that one block with wooden sidewalks and three restaurants to choose from. We had another great lunch at the old Outlaw Cowboy Cafe and breakfast the next morning at the place across the street. Unfortunately the little town museum was closed and we didn't get to see its star attraction, an 11 foot stuffed grizzly bear named Little Wahd, purported to be the largest grizzly ever seen.
We heard a lot about grizzly bears on this trip, how to avoid them, what to do if you encounter one, and stories of real human-bear encounters of the recent past. But we hadn't actually seen one yet and we weren't so sure we really wanted to. |
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