This route gives new meaning to the word epic, starting with the climb out of the Horseshoe Bend Campground area, surrounded by stunning red rocks. Barry did the climb twice so he could get my photo going up too! The first third of the way out was mostly uphill, as you can see from the elevation profile. This would make for an exhilarating descent on the way back to the campground at the end of the ride. We stopped to take a photo of this sign as we crossed the state line. Finally we reached the high point of the road and would get to enjoy mostly descending until we got to Barry's Landing at the end. We stopped at Devil's Canyon Overlook, a gorgeous spot for viewing the canyon and the river below. The olive green color of the river is so interesting. Time to continue onward -- and downward. Yay! We saw some Mule Deer. And crossed a few cattle guards. Finally, we reached the turnoff. Almost there! We would descend quite a bit more before the end. With every descent, I thought about what it would take once we turned around and started the long trek back. I stopped at the top of this very steep hill down to the water and let Barry take it from here -- I did not want to have to climb this one! Here it is, Barry's Landing! Gorgeous, isn't it? Barry rode down and back up (ouch). After all, it was named after him. Halfway done, it was now time to turn our wheels around and do the entire thing in reverse. But first, snack time. I won't lie, the way back was tough. The first two thirds was mostly climbing, and my legs were tired! But, we got 'er done. We were rewarded with a very nice view of our campground from way up high right before crossing the Wyoming state line. And after that, a screaming descent. THAT was fun! A quick stop for a photo by the Bighorn Canyon sign, then back into the campground and another excellent descent capped off an amazing day. Next stop: Yellowstone!
3 Comments
9/22/2016 09:51:14 am
Absolutely stunning scenery! I can imagine how much better it is to ride on a bicycle .. the smells and breeze really bring it all together so much better than being in a car!
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Emily
9/22/2016 02:26:50 pm
Yes, boats do require an awful lot of work and maintenance, but then, so do RVs! They are almost just like a boat on wheels with many of the same systems. We just ordered an A/C motor kit (to replace the one that died) and a backup water pump. The exterior needs a ton of maintenance that we have been woefully neglectful of while traveling and having so much fun this summer. Pearl no longer shines! We will be catching up on a lot of the less fun but necessary maintenance and repairs this fall and winter once we get back to staying longer in one place.
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9/23/2016 09:39:22 am
Yeah, I guess everything needs maintenance ... house, RV, sailboat. At least wheels n sails on a home can take us to different places! =)
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Emily & BarryWe're a long-married, early-retired couple who are currently traveling as nomads with no fixed home base. After years of living in North Carolina (Emily's home state), we spent 18 months living oceanfront on Ambergris Caye, Belize, a year road-tripping the US in a Honda CR-V, a year in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and are now roaming North America in our 32' motorhome, Pearl, following warm weather whenever possible. Archives
July 2019
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