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Making mountains out of molehills September 11, 2008Leave a comment ;)
I don't know what your definition of a hill is. I'm from Oklahoma. We have hills in Oklahoma. It is not flat like many people might think. There are mountains too. And they call them mountains. For example, the Wichita and the Quachita MOUNTAINS! So imagine my surprise when I crest what I think is Granite Pass and lo and behold I see a sign, "Cutler Hill, Elevation 8347 FT." Cutler HILL? HILL? They call this a HILL? I would hate to see what they call a mountain. I need to have my astronaut/geologist friend Jim Reilly have a talk with these people. Ok, let's do the math! My starting elevation was 3773 feet and the height of the HILL was 8347 feet! What's the difference? The distance covered from bottom to top was 24.6 miles. Assume that is a straight line distance (it's not, check out Google Earth) what would be the horizontal distance covered? What would be the angle of the climb? And what a climb it was. I have to admit that I had a late start. My alarm went off at 5:30 and it was raining hard outside. I went back to sleep and woke up again around 7:00. It was still raining, just not as hard. I lounged around for a bit and had breakfast at a local cafe. The rain finally relented and I climbed back on the bike. I started pedaling around 10:00 believing I could crest the pass and still make a screaming downhill run to Greybull, about 60 miles away! Boy, was I way off the mark. The climb to the summit of the HILL was nearly 5 hours and I still had another fifteen to go to crest Granite Pass which is 1000 feet higher! I ate a late lunch near Burgess Junction and realized there was no way I could crest Granite Pass and find a place to sleep before night fell. I was dripping wet from a combination of sweat and rainfall and running out of dry layers to change into. Luckily the Bear Lodge Resort lies at the intersection of US 14 and US 14A and they had a room special of $55 a night (with a laundry). So, here I sit in warm comfort with wireless internet, getting ready for a summit push in the early am with my screaming downhill for tomorrow. I should be able to make Worland by nightfall and Thermopolis by mid-day Saturday. I want lounge in the hot springs for at least a few hours! Even though I didn't make Granite Pass, it was an awesome day. Winding switchbacks that climbed into the clouds with a 6-7% grade all of the way. A relentless climb, but absolutely enjoyable. I just seem to get into this rhythm and the miles just pass by, albeit slowly, but they pass by nonetheless. It's fun to look back at the switchbacks below and realize that I had climbed so far. Something that is very odd when you climb this pass is the rock formations that are exposed by the road cut. The State of Wyoming has marked each road cut with a sign stating the time frame of each formation and the name. What is strange is that as the higher you climb, the dates of the formations get older not younger! As an added bonus to today's problem, see if you can find information on why that is the case in the Big Horn Mountains, at least on the east side. Pretty interesting... The clouds descended around me like a cotton cloak and the moisture started to bead up on my outer layer. It wasn't raining, but pedaling through the clouds brought the temperature down to around 40 degrees. The chill didn't really hit me until I started my downhill run to the Bear Lodge. Beyond the summit of the HILL, the trees open up to large meadows with cover the landscape. Lots of cows grazing on both sides of the road. Some deer were sprinkled in the mix, but too far away to get pictures. When I stopped for lunch I had the chance to visit with two folks for Britain, Barry and Susan Sisson. They are on a holiday and have traveled as far north as Alaska and through the western states on their way to Minnesota. It sure is fun meeting people from around the world. Always pleasant conversation! While pedaling through the clouds is quiet and peaceful, I wish I had an opportunity to see some of the vistas that I am sure were laying just off to my left. I did come to one turn out where it said "Overlook." You can tell from the picture that it was just a pipe dream today, but I am sure that it is a staggering view! Maybe next time... One of the last sights I saw was the flag at half-mast in front of the Burgess Junction Visitor Center. I made me reflect on what I was doing on this day back in 2001. I remember sitting in my office at the Johnson Space Center then running down to the Chief of the Astronaut's office and watching the coverage of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Seeing the flag at half-mast was a poignant reminder of the tragedy that occurred that day and my heart goes out to all of the families and loved ones that felt the tragedy first hand. More Images: ;)
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2 Comments
Sep 12, 2008 2:48 pm - Alicia wrote : Amazing photos, John. Especially like the blog with the pic of you and the Crow tribal members and the flag. Looking forward to meeting up in Arapahoe. The school is eagerly awaiting your arrival! I'll be on hand to help out w/ logistics... Add a comment: |
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I was excited to see the article that mention Cutler Hill. This Hill was named after my Great Grandfather Cutler. He had a tie camp up there and it is my understanding they used the Tounge River to get the ties out of the Mountains. I have a picture of my Brother and I sitting by the sign, taken in late fortys