Day 51: 42 Miles

Saratoga, WY to Rawlins, WY

Today was such a quick ride I would almost write it off as a rest day. I woke up early and was on the road by 6:45. The first 21 miles of the day headed directly north and I knew wind wouldn’t be a problem. I needed to get on the road early because the following 21 miles were directly west into a potentially windy area. The wind picks up as it gets later in the day, so the plan was to get through the first 21 miles as quickly as possible to make the rest of the day easier. The only problem with getting an early start to beat the wind is that the day starts out cold. It was in the low 40s when I left town this morning. Today was the first time I’ve worn long tights under my bike shorts since Pennsylvania.

The roads in this part of Wyoming have been nice to ride because the shoulder is paved and much smoother than the actual road, which is gravelly. The black pavement on the shoulder also stands out against the lighter colored road, which makes it easier for motorists to see. I’ve felt safe on all the roads I’ve ridden, but these roads have been exceptional to ride. Heading north I didn’t encounter any wind and pushed through the first 21 miles in a little over 1.5 hours. That was about the best I could have hoped for in terms of timing. By 8:15 I was turning west onto Interstate 80.

It was weird to hit I-80 for a couple reasons. The TransAm Bike route doesn’t go through many large cities and has avoided highways in almost all situations. This section of I-80 has a large shoulder, so it wasn’t a problem to ride, but I’m not used to riding with 2 lanes of heavy traffic in each direction. Interstate 80 is also the most direct route home. Over 7 weeks ago I crossed I-80 in New Jersey, right by the George Washington Bridge. Had I turned east today instead of west it would have been just under 1,900 miles to get me right back to that same point. I’ve covered almost 2,700 miles so far and I have to say the extra 800 miles to take the scenic route has been well worth it.

I was on I-80 for about 15 miles before taking the exit to Sinclaire, WY and finishing up the final 6 miles of the day on backroads into Rawlins, WY. I got to Rawlins just after 10:00 AM. Had I been in another part of the country I would have continued to the next town. In Wyoming, the next real town was 67 miles away. I wasn’t up for a 109 mile day, so I called it quits and found a place in town to grab a smoothie. As I was sitting on a bench trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the day another cyclist came up to me. He said he and his wife were doing the TransAm route and they had picked up another guy along the way. I looked and saw Chris walking down the street with his bike. Chris and I had camped out together with Steve in Hartsel, CO behind some junk cars. It is crazy how I’ve run into the same people over and over again days or weeks apart. The three of them were feeling good and thinking about doing an additional 30 miles today. With no real town and just the possibility of a place to camp I told them to have a good ride, but I’d be staying in Rawlins. I will probably see them tomorrow in Jeffrey City though. They will have a 30 mile head start, but we are all planning to stop at the same place tomorrow night.

Once they all headed out of town it was time for lunch. I found a Thai buffet which was awesome. The only thing I’ve eaten in the last few days has been burgers, breakfast burritos, pizza, and fries. The options have been limited, so Thai food was very exciting. I’ve also been looking for a meal where I can totally pig out to make up for the weight I’ve lost. I filled my plate 3 times at the buffet and left feeling satisfied and ready for a nap. I found a cheap motel for the night and checked in around 1:00. It was nice to have a day where I could just hang out inside and watch TV. The riding is great, but sometimes it’s nice to just relax.

Tomorrow I have a 67 mile ride to Jeffrey City where I’ve heard there is a free hostel for cyclists at the local church. The next big milestone on this trip will be getting to Yellowstone. I should make it there in 5 days and then I’ll be taking a few days completely off from riding. I have to time this properly because my brother is flying out to meet me there. The only thing separating me from those rest days is about 300 miles.