It’s strange to think about, but this bike trip forces all 28 of us into a very vulnerable position on a daily basis. For the most part, the team is totally dependent on the generosity of people for our basic needs (food, shelter, water, directions to where we’re headed). Without the kindness of people, we’d be going up the figurative hill without a pedal, and today that was very evident.After a long day of uphill biking into Newcastle yesterday, the team awoke a little earlier to take advantage of some breakfast compliments of The Old Mill Inn, a local diner in Gillette (thanks, Shawn!). Hot pancakes, bacon, fresh orange juice and biscuits were a definite and welcome upgrade from the standard bowl of cereal that usually powers the first 20 miles of our day. The team feasted to its heart’s content, and as a result discovered a new gear for biking — digestion gear. Let’s just say that speed isn’t a characteristic of said gear.We rolled along the eastern plains of the Wyoming, slowly but surely making our way toward Gillette. Though the terrain didn’t present much of a challenge to our now seasoned team of bikers, the heat, wind, and some rough roads made up for the lack of elevation change. No matter, the team biked on. Three ambitious riders even decided to extend the 78-mile ride to 140 miles in order to visit Devil’s Tower.Once temperatures reaches the upper 90s, one team of riders sought refuge in a small gas station on the outskirts of Gillette. Ice cream and Gatorade were consumed. As luck would have it, we ran into the County Commissioner, who helped us spread the mission of our ride throughout the county. Later in the day, we were treated to a fantastic dinner by some members of First United Methodist Church, our stayover for the night. We dined on burgers, hot dogs, and vegetable shish kebabs, and later took advantage of some showers (and an indoor water park!) at a local rec center. The team will go to bed tonight well fed, showered and ready for the ride to Buffalo tomorrow morning thanks to the generosity of the people of Wyoming.So to everyone who helped us out today, thanks a lot!