DAY 6 – Wise River to Lima (136.8miles)

There is a headwind up the road climbing away from Wise River, but a steady gradient and smooth pavement keep my happy, it could always be worse. At the Grasshopper Inn Bruce, Matt and I stop for a late breakfast. The waiter tells us a tall Australian stayed last night. I’m now slightly obsessed with following Alex’s ghost and hope to catch up to him, but each day he’s edging away by an hour or so.

The minor detour to the rundown shacks called Grant is sorely disappointing as everything is closed up. The sun is beating down, I wanted a meal, and I’m getting nailed by mosquitoes. A guy sees us loitering around feeling dejected and offers us water from his hosepipe in the garden. Result! Heading out I get caught in the edge of a thunderstorm and can see the lightening striking a few miles away. I haven’t seen lightening in many years and I’m slightly unsure if I should just carry on towards it just thinking about the odds of being hit.

On the high plains to Lima an antelope treats me to a beautiful show of speed and power, running along side me at over 30mph, gradually overtaking and then crossing the trail a short distance in front of me. I’m still in awe when a hare runs across the trail a few feet from my wheel giving me a scare as I don’t even have time to hit the brakes.

In the last of the light a gift of a tailwind carries me into Lima on the pavement road and I finish very hungry and thirsty having been out of food and water for a couple of hours. I get two bottles of Coke straight off at the garage, check into a motel with Bruce, and hit the diner for some real food. Lima is a perfect pit-stop town with all essential GDR amenities of store, diner and motel right next to each other and on the route – very time efficient.