Streeter hits the road

While many enjoyed the suds of the Wyoming microbrews at Saratoga's Wyoming State Microbrew Competition, perhaps no one enjoyed a refreshing brew more than Rob Streeter.

On Aug. 13, Streeter began riding his bike from his current residence of Colorado Springs, Colo., back to the Platte Valley; more than a 250 mile ride.

Streeter had trained for the ride since January of this year ­- using a stationary bike in the winter and doing shorter rides in the summer. He said he would ride his bike everywhere he could to get in shape for the long trek.

The ride had begun as a way to not only go to the microbrew festival and visit friends, but also to visit his parents, Sandy and Jeff, who live in Encampment.

"As I have moved away, I have kind of become closer with my family, so this was a way to come see them ... Plus I had to get some calories back from the trip, so this is a good way to do that," Streeter added while taking a sip of his beer.

As he started on his trip, Streeter went through Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Woodland Park and up to the top of Ute Pass.

"I climbed about 3,000 feet (of elevation) that day, and covered about 86 miles," Streeter said.

After camping there, he rode nearly 70 miles the next day to Hoosier Pass. Hoosier pass has an elevation of over 11,500 feet.

Streeter said once he and his friends arrived at Hoosier Pass, they were supposed to have an easy ride for the rest of the trip. It was all downhill from there - or so he thought.

"Instead of having a nice relaxing ride downhill, there was so much wind, I had to pedal to keep going downhill," Streeter explained.

A storm hit the area, making the ride extremely difficult for him. Instead of 40 miles of a relaxing downhill coast, it was 40 miles of grueling conditions.

Streeter said at that moment, he knew his ride had been compromised.

"I was done. I was miles behind schedule. I was exhausted, so I had to pull the plug," he said.

Along with the battling the elements, Streeter said he had mechanical issues with his bike as well. He was supposed to arrive in Encampment on Aug. 15, but the ride had taken its toll on him.

"Between how tired I was, and I had been rained on the entire trip so all my gear was soaked, I had to stop."

Though he was upset he could not finish his ride, he said he made a good choice to stop. Despite the conditions, Streeter said the ride was unforgettable.

"It was awesome to jump on a bike with your gear. It's just very liberating to just get out there and go," he said.

Streeter is a 2006 graduate of Saratoga High School, and works as a research engineer for the Air Force Academy.