An unusually warm, and fabulous day, I took the opportunity of steal a quick bike ride.  This was the best ride yet with no face-pummeling wind, no flat tires, no slips on gravel melt, and nothing but big-sky views all around. I took a new road this time, and descended rapidly down into the town of Ward.  I stopped briefly to contemplate how much I wanted to go into the valley, knowing I'd have to climb back up again. What I saw was this hillbilly mashup of homes, a store, outhouses, cars, chairs, propane tanks.  Nothing was lined up at all like most properties are, and I had no way of telling where one property began and another one ended.  The whole area looked universally messy, and like it had no shortage of cars.  While my first glance tempted me to make some sort of judgement of the town, it only took a second to hear the laughter.  The whole town must have been out.  I had to look carefully, but people were everywhere.  Sitting in that bench over there, leaning on the propane tank there, standing in the ditch, partying on the hill.  No one was alone, and everyone was laughing.  I almost didn't recognize the sound, I hadn't heard so much laughter in so long.  I didn't find it annoying, like the sound of a playground at recess, instead, it was calming in it's intensity and how well the groups of people were hidden. The valley was so steep, these folks really were in the hills.  I had to figure a whole town of people having this much fun had to be pretty awesome.  When I finished listening to the laughter, I started climbing up the hill, and worried how long it would take me.  There were several switchbacks stacked up on each other, for several hundred feet.  I started to hear the raspy yell of what must have been a drunken angry person.  I worried the person was yelling at me, there wasn't anybody else on this hill.  I could see them a few switchbacks up, but couldn't tell where they were looking.  They yelled things like, "Get up here you f__king bi_ch!"  I wondered what I could do if this person was aggressive, I was climbing this hill at 4mph, and couldn't go any faster.  One drunken leg kick and I'd be all the way at the bottom.  As I approached the uneven saunter and the shadows lifted, I saw what I can only describe as a mix of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Pocahontas.  A woman?!  I approached her and she smoothly murmured, "peace" and "happy trails to you."  I looked around. The yells had to be directed at this woman, not coming from her.  But there was no one else around.  Not a soul.  Needless to say, I got up the hill without even noticing it.  It's amazing what proper distraction can do.

I am really starting to get the hang of my new bike computer.  It felt a little intimidated by it at first.  It has 4 buttons that all do several things, and I am used to only one button.  But, turns out it's pretty intuitive while you are pedaling.  It the first of all my bike computers that will display the time while wheels are turning.  I find the time and the temperature to be the least discouraging displays to be looking at while climbing massive hills, an option I've never had before.

• Distance: 15.52 mi
• time: 1 hr. 28 mins.
• av. speed: 10.52 mph
• max speed: 38 mph
• av. cadence: 55
• climb: 1592 ft
• max altitude: 9433
• av pulse: 149
• max pulse: 169
• temp 58-70