As we were dryinq the morning's dew from our sleeping bags Brad noticed two cyclists riding by. "Nice place to camp!" shouted one of them. They were probably riqht, the oil refinery across the street from the field we'd camped in did smell pretty bad. But, it was much better than the bridge Brad and I had considered camping under, trying to find a spot near a city after dark is always a challenge.
The cyclits, Steve and Roger, stopped to talk for a few minutes., The two of them were also doing a TransAm but they'd left from Seattle, WA and were headed to New Jersey.
Since we were expecting mail we went into town in search of the post office. Downtown we found a post office but general delivery was done at the other one, a half-mile from where we'd camped. The wasted half-hour wouldn't have been that bad if when we'd gotten to the second post office we'd had mail waiting for us. In the future, we decided, we'd only do mail drops in towns to small to have a second post office.
Around 15:00 we took a leisurely lunch brake under an overpass. We had a sandwich, and some crackers, and some sweets, and when we were good and ready we put on sunblock and came out into... a whole lot of mean looking rain clouds, coming our way. They were dark black and fast moving, trailing tentacles of rain behind them. Now not being totaly stupid, contrary to what all that un-needed sunscreen might make you think, we got moving.
Though I've only surfed once, I'd say riding in front of a storm is a lot like it. The storm has a wave of wind in front of it. If you stay too far ahead of it you end up pedaling more than you have to. Fall behind the edge of the wave and you lose the leading winds and end up soaked. Some where there's a perfect point that will whip you along at 30+ mph while keeping you completely dry.
Unfortunately we didn't manage to stay ahead of them, they caught us as we neared Douglas, WY. We took shealter at a gas station until the weather cleared then got back on the interstate for the last ten miles of the night.
andrew
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