Steamboat

Today I get back on the bike to continue the journey south, but before I do, an adventure update is in order. First, the riding portion from Pinedale, WY to here in Steamboat, CO. I'll do a separate post for my time in the Denver area. 

Riding out of Pinedale towards the Wind River Mountains was boring for the first 20 miles or so as I was on pavement, but it soon turned to dirt. At this point a strong headwind also greeted me, making for tough progress. The night before I had setup a meeting with a friend from back home who happened to be doing some ranching near the trail (actually, the trail runs right through the ranch). Colin rides for this outfit 2 or 3 days a week moving cattle from horseback. With little cell service throughout the day, we had to setup a time and place beforehand. We decided to meet at the crossing of Lander Cutoff Road and Little Sandy Creek at 7pm. It was nice to arrange a meetup the old fashioned way, a time and geographic location, as opposed to a cell phone call 10 minutes beforehand. Just goes to show that the world probably would keep spinning even if we didn't all have cell phones and internet. 

 Everything went according to plan, and I met Colin on the road. He pulled up with his truck and trailer and we only had a short wait until Kyle, Lauren, Mike, and Amy showed up. He drove us back to the ranch house and we had a great time relaxing and cooking a nice dinner. 

Horse, meet bicycle

Our trusty mounts

The top picture features the Wind River Range in the background. If there's a place on the route so far that I can see myself going back and spending more time in, it's here. The terrain just seems to match my idea of The West and the route mainly skirted the mountains, leaving lots of opportunities for further exploration. 

 We left Colin's place headed for the Great Basin. This is a desert in central Wyoming and an anomaly along the Continental Divide. Water that falls here doesn't ever make it to any ocean. Instead it is held captive in the Basin until it eventually evaporates. My map and guidebook both suggested carrying large quantities of water in case usual sources were found dry. This was also a potentially 3 day stretch of flat riding into strong headwinds and brutal sun. My experience was different than most I suspect. I did face sections of strong winds, but mainly from the thunderstorms that followed me for two afternoons. The first day in, a very strong storm stopped my progress and I actually setup my tent to take shelter. The lightning thankfully stayed away, but the hail didn't. I was pelted for about 15 minutes. The storms did keep the sun off my back for the most part, but they also obscured the night sky. I'd been looking forward to some epic stargazing, but it wasn't to be. For the majority of the ride I'd avoided rain, but then I get to the desert and it follows me everyday, go figure.

 

Quick shutter finger

The Basin is home to a large population of wild horses which I was lucky enough to see some of. I think I ended up seeing about 9 or 10 of them. The Basin also encompasses the intersection of the Oregon Trail and Pony Express route. Riding these trails was interesting because the landscape is virtually unchanged from those days. The pace of a bicycle also closely matches that of the pioneers, so I could easily imagine myself on a wagon creeping along through the sage (though I was headed east).

I spent the night in Rawlins after climbing out of the Basin and got my chores done. Out of Rawlins, the first big climb in quite a few days greeted me. Yet again, a thunderstorm boiled up near the summit, but blew by with no rain. Soon after cresting, I got my first flat of the trip. Somewhere I had run over a thorn and it was more than the BOB could handle. A sense of cautious optimism was beginning to creep in that I might make Mexico with no punctures, but no more.

Approaching the Colorado border, the groves of Aspen started to dominate the landscape. I rode through well known 'Aspen Alley', but honestly wasn't that impressed. I'm sure it would have been better in the fall when everything was gold, but there are plenty of roads back in Virginia with a better tree canopy, especially in the fall. 

Aspen Alley

My entry into Colorado was the least impressive yet. If there hadn't been a 'Leaving Wyoming' sign, I wouldn't have even known it happened. I had to settle for the next post office sign for my Colorado self portrait. Again a thunderstorm chased me into the evening, but just as it hit I happened to make Brush Mountain Outpost, and ducked in to avoid the rain. 

The next day I woke up to a steep 4 mile climb with Steamboat waiting on the other side. The last 2 miles were STEEP and I had to push my bike over the top. I'd obviously been looking forward to the descent, but the road was in terrible shape and the ride down was almost as rigorous as the ride up. I was surprised to find my trailer still attached at the bottom the vibration was so bad.

View from the top

I'd never seen Beavers so close before

Yet another fortunate trail coincidence greeted me in Steamboat. I met Sarah on the bike path as I was trying to figure out where to stay for the night. I gladly accepted her invitation to stay with her and Rich. They are touring cyclists themselves and provided a great meal to end the day as well as a soft bed. They also let me store my bicycle in their shed while I was in Denver. Thanks again!

Here's the post office schedule for the second half of the trip should you desire:

Salida, CO 81201          August 29th
Abiquiu, NM 87510        September 8th
Pie Town, NM 87827     September 15th
Silver City, NM 88061    September 19th

Homebaked goods are always appreciated as well as protein bars. Thanks in advance!

Out of time for today. SPOT back in action!