Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

. ~ (CoDtiIJUed [rom PBIle 24) ~ Ii: ~ ••••••• S ~ O. T" Or.,•• Tr.;' 10:1 As we were refueJiJlg, we were told 2: tbat the Sweetwater was at least tift .10:1 teet deep at the bank trom tbe ileaV}' snows at tile past winter and that to >- attempt a crossing would be suicidal. U As even1ng came we made camp about three mUes south at the River on the open pla1ns at the Sweetwater Desert and just 19 mUes from Split Rock. The next morn1ng, after defrosting ourselves, we set out along the bank at the Sweetwater River. We hugged the bank because the soU in the desert was very loose sand; this made the maneuvering at the bikes nearly impOSSible as one needed to maintain a m1n1mum speed just to prevent s1nk1ng. As we approached a seemingly deserted shack, we were stunned to find an old, toothless, bowlegged man, with a wool hat pulled down to bis ears, right in our path. H1s surprise was only second to ours. After a few moments at mutual dlsbel1ef, be l,nformed us that we bad been r1d1.ng on b1s land and we could continue 011 our way provtd1nc we dldn·t stamPede b1s cattle. He also gave us Intormat1oo 011 tbe easiest way to reach the TraU witbout rlIIID1nC lDto much mad! We soon-encOUDtered tbe mud. As Ed cbarged over a 1llLlId duDe, be fle. over tbebaDd1ellars as the trclat wbee1 d1nppeered Into tbe ooze. In an 1nstant, be was lying spreadeagle In It. Ed's laughter told me tbat be was ob7. Wbea 1 gotoftmy1lOle,1t stOod perfect17 uPright with mud uP to tbe sprock8ts. The nut Dille or two was pure marsbJaDd. 'Ibe ~ sptrtt sweelled in us wben tbe go1nc got b8d. The folJowtDg 15 Dilles r1 the TraU paralleled the river without aJIY mud. We arrived at Split Rock and soon ran into a rancher wbo refused to let us CODt1nue using the TraU as we were "trespas",oc" on b1s land. AgaIn webad seen no stens or fences. Thus we were forced to tate to tbe blgbway to get to Jeltrey City to readezous with Ed Sr. the Oreplll Tratl. It was l1ttle IIbort r1 amaZIng to look IIl'OUDd thls place with Its mirror tbat measured 7 feet blgb by 25 feet long over the bar, with splttDoos and a toot rest at the bar. As If that wasn't'ellOllgh. tbere was also a player p~ In workable cond1tion. tl As we ate tbe biggest steaks In town for lunch, the sberttf strolled into tbe cafe and Inqutred about tbe bikes. He Wormed us that the TraU from Jeffrey City to Three Crossings was mostly swamp, marsh, and mud. He advised us to use the blgbway to get to Three Crossings. We made use r1 thebrldpatThree Crosstnp to attain tbe nortb lank at tbe Sweetwater. After 10 mtles r1 open desert, we reached wbat tbe emtgrants called Rocky RIdge. The RJdge Is statrsteps r1 jutting rocks, extending for mtles. The l1gbt wetgbt r1 tbe bikes allowed us to maneuver arOund and across the majority r1 tbe outcroppings. About halfway through tbe Ridge, we made a side trip to the Sweetwater Canyon to tate pictures at this scentc point. 'Ibe Sweetwater River flows through the CaJlYOII about a thoUSlUld feet below the rim. We bad rea1tzed tbat _ bad been climbing but not quite tbat much! From wllere we stood, we could see for fifty or s1Ity mtles over the Sweetwater Desert. The view was magolflc'llDt. By hard, cooststent r1dlng we were In Atlantic City. about nine tbat even1Dli. The populattOll was a grand total of seven, but wbat tbeY lacI

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