Day 24 Scenery that will make your Microsoft Windows Vista desktop background package jealous

I'm currently in the beautiful state of Wyoming and the town of Lander. The scenery is fantastic and has been for almost a week now, red coulees set against snow capped peaks. If I had known, I would have just started the trip in Pueblo Co. and gone west from there, but I guess that you kind of have to do the trip to figure it out. At this point however, I'm really glad I'm headed west. It would be hard to do this trip Eastbound, because all the best stuff is out west.
The past few days I've traveled a ton of distance. Doing about 300mi in three days. While its kind of unexpected, once your in the high plains of Colorado/Wyoming its really quite flat. In addition, the scenery makes the miles fly by.
Passing through much of the mountainous regions of Colorado I was amazed to see the percentage of bark beetle kill. Most of the entire mountain range is brown with about 95% kill. This is what about 50 some odd years of a U.S. Forest Service policy of fire suppression compounded by global climate change does for forest health. When the area burns, (and I mean when not if) the entire Rockies will likely go up in smoke.
Yesterday I met up with a father son couple who I had met in Virginia. I was amazed to see them again, initially thinking that they must have blown ahead of me somehow. However it seems that they made a tactical uhaul move and bypassed Kansas and Eastern Colorado. Its great to see them, and their company is fantastic after several days of being by myself. In fact Lander seems to be an unavoidable stopping spot due to the next jump being about 75mi. so a lot of cyclists convene here.
As for being by myself, I think it is starting to get to me. Crossing the great divide basin yesterday staring at the road to navigate its horribly broken surface, I zoned out in a big way... ya I think I'm starting to loose it a little.
Crossing hoosier pass was pretty great, the highest point in the trip. Since then I've crossed the continental dived 3 more times and I think I cross about another 2. Initial estimates as of now put me in Anacortes July 21-25.