Day 63: Curious Cows

All along this trip, I’ve biked by a lot of cows who by and large have ignored me. Today, suddenly, the cows are all very curious and stared at me as I biked by. 🤷🐮

Ranch Retreat

I got up and out around seven this morning. Avner had already headed out by then, so I had a quick breakfast and started pedaling west.

The rolling hills continues today, but they were longer. Long slow climbs followed by nice long descents. The roads were good, quiet, and straight, so I could roll down without braking at all which was a treat.

Besides the cows, I also saw quite a few deer along the way. These are Mule Deer and instead of leaping, they hop along on all fours at once. It’s quite a funny sight.

The town along the way today was Sand Springs. The general store was truly general: gas, coffee, groceries, hardware, antiques, toys, beer, deli, a shower, camping, and a post office. I got a breakfast sandwich that used mini pancakes for buns and a mug of coffee. As I was sitting enjoying that, I saw there was a juice box of chocolate milk in the fridge and was contemplating getting it when the woman working there offered to make a milkshake. I took her up on that instead and got a huckleberry milkshake as that is the local, in season fruit right now. We chatted a bit and it sounds like quite a few cyclists pass through there (it’s really the only place to stop for 30 miles in either direction), however, I’m only the fourth person biking west this year.

From Sand Springs, I continued west to Mosby where I’d contacted a bed and breakfast that Avner had stayed at and recommended. They came and picked me up at the bottom of their long, hilly, dirt driveway and brought me up to the ranch. They have 16,000 acres and raise sheep here for both meat and wool. It’s been a B&B for about twenty years as well and seems to be a popular spot for cyclists to stay.

I got settled in with a nice long shower and a nap. It felt so good to be truly clean and cozy in a bed as the camping the past stretch has been pretty rustic, plus it’s been quite hot. I hung out watching TV with everyone and did a load of laundry in the afternoon, then tagged along with Rich and the two herding dogs as they brought the sheep in for the night. We rode out in the side-by-side with Buddy sitting on my lap and Ace riding in back. The sheep mostly went right to the barn door when they saw us coming as they know that means food. We did a lap of the field and the dogs rounded up the stragglers.

For dinner, they cooked up a big pan of baked pasta with salad and homemade bread to go with it. So good! Then there was a trifle-y dessert, which was also delicious. A homemade meal is always a treat. We all (Dolores, Rich, Maria, Kevin, Jack, Matt and me) sat around after dinner chatting. Jack has been working out here doing surveying and his dad, Matt, came to tag along for a bit. Dolores owns the ranch and her son Kevin lives next dooor (he also saw me when I was in Jordan yesterday as he works there). Rich and Maria live in a camper on the land and help out around the ranch. I learned quite a bit about hunting from the conversation.

Tomorrow, after breakfast, I’ll continue west. I might even have two towns to stop in along the way!