Wyoming

It's been a while since I posted but let's skip the chit chat and talk about how awesome Wyoming is! We drove downstate on the day before our flight left so Mitch and I could spend some extra time with our families. Our first flight was Portland to Chicago, which was fairly short. I've only flown once before but it was a couple years ago so, taking off and landing was the highlight of my day! Once we were in Chicago we had a 2 hour layover until our flight to Denver. From Denver we flew into Cody, Wyoming. On my flight from Denver to Cody I sat next to a very nice elderly lady who told me what to expect out west. Will picked us up at the airport around 12 and drove us over the Dead Indian pass which has lots of switch backs, something I wasn't expecting so late at night. 

When we woke up the next morning this was the view we got:

Because the 7D ranch is a guest ranch we ate with the staff in the back of the main lodge. The guest season had come to a close so not everyone was there. They would all soon leave later in the week. 

Our first work out was a 1.5 hour skate. The goal of the the workout was to experiment with our body at altitude. We soon found out that it felt like we hadn't worked out in a couple of years. Our heart rates would elevate very easily, thus we went at a snails pace, focusing on technique. Sunlight Basin, which is where the 7D ranch is located, has a river that parrells it. It eventually forms a narrow cannon that's an estimated 350 feet from the bottom of the cannon to the bridge. 

Everywhere in Wyoming is a senic view. No matter were you look, day or night, you'll find something awesome to look at. From the ranch it took about 25 minutes to get this view. In Wyoming the trails are nothing like New England. You take a packed trail to the general area of the peak you want to climb and then you look up, say "I want to go there", and you go right up the hill. No trails necessary. 

The PG boys and Brendan Cry flew out a day before everyone else so this is a picture of all of us at an outcrop. The lady in the pink is Sarah Dominick. The 7D ranch is owned by her family and she grew up there. 

Another 25 minute hike/run away from the ranch. Something that would take a couple hours to hike in New England. 

Once everyone got to the ranch we had out first long distance rollerski. In the county it's hard to ski up hill for more than 10 minutes before you have to go back down. Out here we skied for 2 hours uphill! It was quite the climb. It was about 14 miles and we gained 2500' in elevation. 

Our one and only off day, most of us went to Yellowstone National Park. I was exceptional to see completely different animals in their natural habitat. There were a lot of people on a hill looking at something so we decided to go up and check it out! It turned out to ba a pack of wolfs one mile away. I didn't realize how big they were compared to dogs. It was nice to meet Juno's long lost relatives!

After the wolfs we went to Mammoth Hot Springs. I was sad to learn that the monkeys that sit in the hot springs live in Japan, so no monkeys in Yellowstone. The hot springs were another thing unlike I've ever seen before. Boiling water that comes out of the ground and creates perfect right angle steps.

One run Will showed us the sheep trap, or what was left of it. So hundreds of years ago, a group of men would chase sheep over a hill into a corral that would narrow and get taller so the sheep couldn't jump out. There was a pen at the end where someould would stand and knock he sheep on the head to kill them. What Austin is standing next to is what is left of the sheep pen.

The last day we went on a 24 mile hike/run. We were trying to make it to the summit of Trout Peak which is about 12500'. But because we had to be back at the van we couldn't make it.but we did make it to just over 11000'. You had a beautiful 360 degree view of the mountains all around us. It was one of those things you'll never forget.