Section 4 Silverthorne, CO to Platoro, CO - D21

06/06/30 Day 21 Colorado  Salida, Poncha Springs, Sargents, Doyleville, Luder Creek Campground (92 miles)

We have been riding for 3 weeks.

It was a clear morning leaving Salida.  Del Norte was the next “major” services spot but we felt it was too far given the elevation between to make in one push so we knew we’d be camping somewhere. 

Heading out paved Hwy 120, about 6 miles from Salida, my 2 cups of coffee needed an exit strategy.  Pee stops on the side of the road are just what we do but this was a pretty trafficked area - we had to find a real place to stop.  We could see the sign of a gas station on the edge of Poncha Springs.  As we topped the hill and the station came into full view, I said to STB “See that truck and Airstream down there?  You will never guess who that is?”  All she said was “No shit?”  My ex-husband.  The randomness of the universe knows no bounds.  Letting go…metaphors….

After Poncha Springs, we climbed the next 10 miles going up and over Marshall Pass (10,842ft) and the CD.  We continued on dirt and at about mile 43 we stopped for lunch and supplies in Sargents.  It had been raining some and we were cold.  The Tomichi Creek Trading post thankfully had soup and coffee.  Will and Reinhold where already there and the S. Africans soon followed so it was a group lunch.  I ordered a sandwich to go for dinner that night.  We reviewed the cues - making plans.  Kevin Off, a Del Norte local was noted to have a place that he made available to cyclists and we wanted to stay there the next night.  Notes taken, food consumed. 

Canoe in a dead windmill.  It spoke to me. 

Hazy view

Storms rolling in

There was paved road to Doyleville then dirt on wide exposed rolling hills.  Again with the micro burst dust storms and more ditch diving. 

I got my first (and only) flat today.  The sealant did its job but not until after some nerve racking time.  I am un-used to tubeless setups and regret not spending more time learning bike mechanics. 

We had several “small” climbs that sure felt like passes.  The daylight was fading (into a beautiful sunset I might add) as we crossed the CD again at Cochetopa Pass (10,067ft) and it was almost dark as we pulled into the campground.  The group was already there and had a fire going but we wanted to camp nearer the toilets.  We found the park hosts who let us warm up at their fire and they also gave us ½ gallon of water.  We had expected to have water at the campground.  The concrete toilets were perfect to use for wind break so the bivys got pitched against the side and our food stored inside since we were again in bear country.  Dinner was my now soggy sandwich, donuts and cookies.  I climbed snug into the bivy and for a while looked at the stars. 

 

Tried to capture a lovely sunset

Marker at Cochetopa  Pass

Section 4 Silverthorne, CO to Platoro, CO - D20

06/29 Day 20 Colorado  Breckenridge, Como, Hartsel, Salida (96 miles)

We at least ate breakfast in our room, thank you Lafrancaise, and got an early start.  The climb out of Breckenridge was amazing!  We were climbing up to Boreas Pass on railroad grade, paved road then well-grated dirt.  The grade was the easiest we’d been on (or would be as it turns out), chatting easily during the climb.  Along the way we crossed the Colorado Trail and just had beautiful views of the ski resorts and mountains beyond.  The top of Boreas Pass was 11,400ft and a CD crossing.  There was an old mail building and refuse left over from it’s long ago railroad past.  While we lingered here, the S. Africans arrived and they were still taking pictures when we left. 

Ascending Boreas Pass 

Baker Tank - where steam locomotives took on water

Summit Boreas Pass elev 11,482 ft

The S Africans - Luke and Marion

What a fantastic descent!  Then, what a bummer – right at the bottom, STB realized her GPS had fallen off.  I waited (and took pictures of the really pretty yellow flowers on the side of the road) while she turned and climbed back up to find it. 

I don’t know how I forgot this – STB reminded me, once underway again a huge bee flew into my helmet.  Such perfect 10.0 dismount helmet toss there has never been! 

STB goes back up for her GPS

As I amuse myself

Regaining composure, we continued towards Como – originally I think a mining town, then important for the railroad, but not much now.  The cues noted a post office and store, both closed.  We got to the Como Depot B&B just as the boys were coming out.  They had gone over the pass the evening before, stayed the night here and by the smell of things, had just finished a hearty breakfast.  Since 2^nd breakfast had become a Tour Divide matter of fact, we pulled in with the S. Africans right behind.  The owners were very nice and quickly got us hot coffee and breakfast sandwiches we could take with us.  Again, it was a place where they would not let us pay for our meal but we happily made a donation to their museum fund.  These are the small gems of the Tour Divide – good thing too because the next 32 miles sucked. 

At the Como Depot B&B

Head wind and wash board.  Another Tour Divide staple and worse in Colorado than any other state.  We put our head down, criss-crossed the road looking for smooth spots and made for Hartsel.  Just as we hit the highway, we met a young man on a road bike.  He was with a supported group that was doing Habitat for Humanity building in communities along their route.  Pretty cool.  He was super giddy to meet us which always took us aback.  He had just watched the Ride the Divide film before starting on his trip and was excited to run into TD racers. 

The westerly highway miles in to Hartsel gave us some much needed wind relief.  When we stopped for lunch at the oh-so-fine Hob Café and Saloon, more of the road ride group arrived and of course we ran into the boys.  A quick look through the South park Mercantile next door revealed only out-date food so we pushed on to Salida with what we had. 

From Hartsel, it was south again and into the wind.  Oh, and did I mention washboard?  Clouds started rolling in and just ahead of them, we experienced these micro burst of insanely strong wind gusts.  Because of the turbulent dust thrown up, we would dive into a ditch or culvert and cover our heads.  There was only a bit of rain with any of it but there were a couple of these bursts during the day.  We learned the pattern and started making the ditch dives earlier rather than later. 

Right as we were rolling into Salida, a cyclist came up and asked if we were the Sheila’s.  It was Scott Morris of TopoFusion “TopoFusion focuses on mapping software for outdoor pursuits” and the provider of the GPS track we were using on the Tour Divide.  Though it was cool to run into him, I need to pee.  With hurried exchanges, I told Scott and STB I wasn’t hanging around.  Thankfully there was a ball park at the top of the hill with a port-o-potty.  There was a small girl standing outside the door.  She informed me her friend was inside but that she needed to go too.  As kindly as “Evil Aunt Sheila” could muster without traumatizing a child, I pressed them to get a move on. 

We found a sweet little hotel near by (no computer).  Dinner was at a great pizza place down the road and the Safeway grocery was on the way.  Not a bad set up.  Shower, eat, shop, prep, sleep. 

Section 4 Silverthorne, CO to Platoro, CO - D19

06/28 Day 19 Colorado  Kremmling. Silverthorne, Frisco, Breckenridge (67 miles)

We continued on with fast highway, into Silverthorne.  Along the way we met an Austin Texas to Colorado transplant named Pat.  Pat very kindly agreed to go back to Ute Pass and give a look for Sharetha.  He called me later that he’d had no luck.  Letting go…metaphors….

In Silverthorn I called home and told Jeff of Sharetha's demise.  He was as sympathetic as a Texas man's man could be under the circumstances.  Back to the route.

Had a good lunch at a small sandwich shop but felt really trashed with only 50 miles done so far. I could not wait to get to Breckenridge. 

We rode dirt from Silverthorne, to Frisco, looping around the Dillon Reservoir.  Pat had told us to be on the lookout for an osprey nest atop of a telephone pole along the route.  We did find it and there was someone home; a great photo op. 

Ospry in nest at Dillon Reservoir

It was a bit of a circuitous route through Frisco but we eventually got onto a fantastic bike path that went to Breckenridge.  Colorado has miles of bike-only paths that Texans envy. 

Old 10-ton commuter bikes whizzed past us.  Even a guy hauling his child in a burley flew by.  What was the problem?  Why were we so slow?  I changed the view of the GPS – 9000 ft.  Oh.  Apparently, it is one thing to climb to/past that altitude then descend and quite another for a sustained effort.  Well it was only going to get harder as the days went by.  As my paddling partner John Maika would say about an uncomfortable backside, “You just have to get used to it”. 

Woulda, shoulda, coulda.  We could have done things differently in Breckenridge.  In hindsight as racers, we should have re-supplied, gotten a good meal and kept going since there was still daylight; perhaps camping on the edge of town.  But we just felt whipped and knew that a 2500ft climb was waiting for us just outside of town.  The draw of a bed was just too strong. 

What we did was subject ourselves to rather dim-witted, completely unconcerned college kids who saw everyone as tourists.  What we wanted was a hotel room.  All we could get was information on vacation condos (like on the 3^rd floor with no elevator condos).  It took a valuable forever but we finally scored a room not too far off the main street where the laundry just happened to be next door to the room.  A meal was found (Eric’s) as well as a French bakery (Lafrancaise) and groceries.  And our near constant racer companions were found as well.  The boys Will and Reinhold were in a pub so we stopped to chat.  They were going to continue on.  We’d see later that the S. Africans had stayed in town also. 

That night we pulled out the maps and made plans for the next couple of days noting the monster climbs we would have for the next week. 

Sec 3 South Pass City WY to Silverthorne CO - D19

06/28 Day 19 Colorado  Kremmling. Silverthorne, Frisco, Breckenridge (67 miles)

Pretty good breakfast and were rolling at 7:15.  The days climbing started at about 6 miles then continued up.  At near 30 miles we crested the top of Ute Pass (9524ft).  We gratefully stopped for pictures of the gorgeous Williams Fork Mountains to the west.  We then had a fantastic 5 mile descent and joined Hwy 9 to Silverthorn. 

Summit Ute Pass 9,5724.  Williams Fork Mountains in forground, Gore Range behind. 

Back story:

Several years ago while paddling my first solo boat in Barton Creek, I found a Polly Pocket doll and zip tied her to my boat.  She rather took on a life of her own.  A friend named her Sharetha Barton and she was expected to accompany me to races, parties…she has her own Facebook page.  Of course she was with me on the Tour Divide. 

Back to Hwy 9.  We stopped along the road for a break and I realized Sharetha was gone.  She’d been in our photos at the top of Ute Pass and I must not have secured her properly for the trip down.  Fatigue and PMS collided to reduce me to a blob over a Polly Pocket.  

Last photo of Sheila T and Sharetha Barton 

Sec 3 South Pass City WY to Silverthorne CO - D18

06/27 Day 18, Colorado  Steamboat – Kremmling (95 miles)

We started our way out of Steamboat at 10:30.  Because of heavy snows and early melts, the Yampa River had been flooding.  Our route was to follow a bike path along the river and through some train tunnels.  Most of this was closed off so we found our way, trying to stay as close to the route as possible.  On a trail still close to town, there were 2 men on 4-wheelers herding some horses.  They were absolute jerks to us (Kevin from Virginia was with us too by this point); in no way open to allowing some way for us to pass.  I write that in all honesty, we did nothing to bring this on and were completely polite.  We stayed behind them for quite some time and the guy flipped us off as he drove off up a hill.  Nice. 

Sandbags along the Yampa in Steamboat

We both had a rather sluggish start to the day.  There was (surprise) quite a bit of climbing around 8000 to 9000 ft. 

Early in the afternoon we came across 4 guys from Dallas that were touring parts of the GDMBR.  They were hilarious and wanted pictures of their robot mojo with Sharetha.  Well what happens on the trail stays on the trail but I think my mojo doll was rather violated. 

Sharetha and RockemSockem Robot - mistakes were made

Dallas guy - I have no idea

At about 60 miles we came to a creek that ran across the road.  I waded in and could not find a shallow spot.  The current was swift enough I wondered about being taken off balance carrying the bike.  STB is not a swimmer.  Kevin arrived while we pondered.  He listened to our discussion and when we opted to take a detour, he went too.  I am unclear about the rules for this but it sure seemed to me that we should have worked together to get the bikes across.  But he did not offer and we did not ask.

The rules allow for going around something like this but you have to return exactly to the other side.  Which we did.  It cost us 10 miles of additional riding and a cross country bush whack.  Kevin kept going on route.  In hind site it was silly, I should have tried harder to get across.  I’m a paddler for heavens sake!  We also found out later that there was a good shallow spot that we did not see that was only knee deep.  I made one of our rare mtbcast call-ins that night and only said “Yes, we did that” and left it at that.  Anyone one watching would get it.  Another round of character building on the Tour Divide.

At any rate, we returned to the exact opposite side of the river and continued on route.  We rode along the Gore Range, crossing Lynx Pass (8937ft) then began a magnificent, circular decent towards Radium and Colorado River.  Note, the mosquitoes were extremely heavy in this whole area.  I could not imagine trying to bivy.  Making a pee stop was torture.  The buggers could fly at our climbing speed and bite us while we rode.  The whole affair was just wrong. 

Raduim is out of site past and below the 2nd ridge

Raduim seemed to be a railroad switching area.  Crews were getting off trains and I presume staying in the cabins near the tracks as new crews boarded.  There was a park used for staging river trips yay concrete bathrooms for hiding from mosquitoes.  

The road climbed away from the Colorado River for at least 10 miles until it crossed a watershed divide.  The last 10 miles were easier going but it was late when we rolled into Kremmling.  We wanted to get food before finding a hotel and of course, the only thing in town open was the Kum N Go convenience store.  You just can’t make this stuff up in the middle of the night.  There was a long hot dog rotating on an electric grill that reminded us both too much of the movie Slackers.  We opted for microwave food and hard boiled eggs. 

We stopped at the Eastin Hotel but there was no one there.  No one. So weird.  Thought about sleeping on the lobby floor.   Instead we moved on to the Allington where we fortunately got a room.  The night clerk was also the local bike shop owner.  We heated up our mac n cheese and soups in the hotel dining room and were out.  It was 1am by the time we got to bed. 

Sec 3 South Pass City WY to Silverthorne CO - D17

06/26 Day 17, Colorado  Slater – Steamboat (50 miles)

STB and I were the first to leave the next morning.  That was a feat in itself with the amazing breakfast and bottomless pot of coffee.  But, the route was still out there. 

We continued on the dirt road that had brought us to the lodge only it now climbed very steeply for miles out of the river valley.  After about 4 miles of climbing, STB stopped to make an adjustment to her seat – she thought it felt loose.  With only a small tweak, the seat post clamp bolt sheered off.  Well, only one option.  We turned around and headed back down – walking because STB did not feel comfortable managing such steep loose terrain speeding down hill on a loaded bike.  Fair enough. 

Kirsten was busy feeding the now awake boys and the S. Africans who had just arrived.  We waited (I had more coffee and 2^nd breakfast) and once freed up, she went into her barn and produced a selection of screws and bolts that might work.  STB set about making the repair, and soon enough we were off again.  Same climbs, just warmer.  The delay was about 2 hours.

We knew to expect 6 miles of snow push somewhere before Steamboat.  Back in Canada, we had not known where the snow was or how long it would last.  It was nice to have that knowledge when we hit the “extremely rocky 1.5 mile upgrade; a pusher”.  Pushing, pulling, grunting but the sun was out and we knew how long the effort needed to be.  We topped out at 9800 ft but continued in the wet snow for a few more miles. 

Only one way to get there from here

Snow gives way to green

The descent off this climb was a blast.  It was a couple of miles of twisty double track, baby head rocks, and snow melt drainage crossings.  I let it go and had a ball.  I stopped to pick up a map set that turned out to be Kevin’s and then waited to get some STB action shots. 

Hard to tell, but the surface was fairly rough and wet going down hill

Steamboat

Clean jersey!

Because of the delay and the snow, it was later than we would have liked when we got to Steamboat.  We had mailed packages there and needed the new brake pads, tires and supplies.  But the post office was closed by then.  We found a simple but very accommodating hotel (The Alpiner) where the manager Rubin let us do some laundry and gave us rags and a hose to wash the bikes.  The S. Africans arrived at the same hotel and we all had dinner together.  The waiter at the Italian place we chose had raised eyebrows at the amount of food we ordered.  I had leftover pasta for breakfast and a pizza to go to eat during the next day. 

We wanted to make arrangements with a bike shop so that when we got our supply boxes, we could get the bike work done and get out of town.  We called the shop recommended to us but they did not seem keen on being helpful.  So we called the Steamboat Bike Kare and man talk about rock star treatment!  We planned on being at the post as soon as it opened and the guys agreed to open the service shop early to get going on the bikes.  They directed us to the Mountain Brew coffee house behind the shop where we cooled our heels with awesome coffee and breakfast. 

In no time, we had new tires, chains, brake pads and happy lubed steeds.  Except for parts, they would not take any money from us.  We left them with cookies and gratitude (and later sent them a gift certificate from Mountain Brew). 

Sec 3 South Pass City WY to Silverthorne CO - D16

06/25 Day 16, Wyoming/Colorado  Rawlins – Slater (86 miles)

Rather than re-visit the 24 Penny’s for breakfast in the morning, we opted for McDonalds instead, added some peanut butter biscuits from the hotel and we were set for the first ½ of the day. 

We expected about 90 miles today with some elevation changes especially at the divide crossing.  As had become the way, there were things we did not expect.

The first 55 or so miles were on steep, rolling, heavily wash boarded dirt roads.  The route was just east of the CD running along the Sierra Madres for about 30 miles then after cresting Middlewood Hill (7965), we crossed over the CD to the west. 

This was a rough, demoralizing day.  The wind was blowing 25 or 30 right at us so the crest of each hill was not rewarded with a restful descent.  Instead, going downhill only meant an increase of a couple of miles per hour speed.  Wind noise howled in our ears so every turn down wind was a relief.  There were times I wore the ear buds of my ipod just to quiet the wind noise. 

There was also a good volume of pickup truck traffic compared to what we were used to on similar roads.  All of the trucks seemed to have 4-wheel ATVs in the back or on trailers.  If the orientation of the road was just right, the trucks buried us in clouds of dust. 

Joel from Barcelona caught up with us for a bit.  We’d had dinner with him the night before the race but had not seen him and just assumed he was in front of us.  Seems he’d had a mechanical and was held up waiting for parts.  We rode together for a bit but he is such a good climber that he was soon out of sight.  At the crest of one of the hills there was a wall of snow – from plowing I assumed.  It was weird to see it there when it was such a hot day and it provided a good excuse to stop and take pictures. 

Washboard break against a snow wall.  Next round of pickups coming in. 

Joel 

At about 55 miles, we rode into Medicine Bow National Forest and trees!  We were never so glad to see trees.  They broke the wind and changed our whole attitude.  Add to that the much better grade of the forest roads and we were happy indeed.  Though, now we know where all the ATVs were going.  They were everywhere zooming down the roads – the really cool ones had a shotgun laid across the front.

As the route made its way through the forest, it went through a very cool tunnel of Aspens.  Most of the trees were carved with peoples names…even the ones that had fallen had carvings from the 60’s.  I’ve seen a few older photos of this section and in the past the Aspens were thicker.  We found out that the stand is infected with a blight and will soon be gone.  Very sad.

Eventually the road turned paved and we passed a sign that said road closed.  Not that we were going to change route, but we did make note.  We found out why when we came around a corner and saw 2 huge gaping holes in the road where snowmelt had eroded the road bed and the road itself caved in.  Glad not to have come across that in the dark. 

Shortly after, we passed the post office designated spot of Slater and gratefully crossed out of Wyoming into Colorado.  Another milestone.

New cue should read "at mile xxx hug right shoulder"

On to Colorado!

We turned back onto dirt on a road following the Little Snake River with tight turns and lovely views.  Along with the tight turns came some scary moments when a car or truck came around the corners quickly and we had to veer out of the way.  Not the car’s fault as we are always trying to find a smooth track to ride in and it always seemed to be on the wrong side of things.  But, it made me think of Dave Blumenthal who died doing the Tour Divide in 2010.  He had an accident avoiding a vehicle on a blind corner on the same road. 

Finally, with daylight getting short, the Brush Mountain Ranch, Whispering Pine Lodge came into view.  A most welcome sight.  Other than primitive camping, the ranch has the only lodging before Steamboat, another 50 miles away. 

Reinhold, Joel, Will Snow, Kevin Hall  (1 other) and Kirsten, the star of the lodge. 

The next morning after Kirsten finds just the right bolt in the barn for Sheila T's seat

Morning and the S Africans have arrived

Getting my Kirsten hug :)

Our experience at the lodge was amazing.  On the porch as we rode up were a family all dressed in the same western themed flannel pajamas.  I thought maybe all guests got them; not.  The porch had a fantastic mosaic table with a mountain bike design and “Tour Divide” carved on the side, and a huge platter of vegetables.  We felt at home immediately. 

The heart of the lodge is a beautiful woman named Kirsten who runs it for her family.  Though mostly known as a hunting/fishing destination, they are huge Tour Divide supporters. 

Kirsten was a gracious cooking machine.  In no time we were shown a beautiful room and had huge amounts of hot food.  Joel had arrived before us and Will, Reinhold and Kevin Hall (from Kentucky) showed up late.  The S. Africans apparently had such a rough go of it that they camped out and did not arrive until morning. 

By coincidence, Dave Blumenthal’s widow Lexi, and his now 5-year-old daughter, Linnaea were staying at the lodge along with some close friends.  They were there to mark the year it had been since Dave’s passing.  Lexi sat up with us and other racers staying at the lodge and we chatted into the evening. 

Sec 3 South Pass City WY to Silverthorne CO - D15

06/24 Day 15, Wyoming  Diagnus Well – Rawlins (114 miles)

Temperatures were warmer in the basin so getting up at first light was not as bad as the last time we bivied at Holland Lake.  I ate a cold breakfast sprinkled with Starbucks Via instant coffee.  We both packed bikes then topped and treated water from the well, and we were off. 

The roads early were dry but soft and took more energy to ride.  Like the day before, there was climbing but most of it was on the short side but steep.  Threatening storms hovered nearby most of the morning but the day eventually turned sunny and hot.

It was 60 miles to a reservoir, the only available water before Rawlins.  STB was out of water when we got there and I was shocked by how much I had left.  Not drinking enough or don’t need as much?  Perhaps my fluffier build stores more water.  

There is not a lot to say about the basin.  It is vast, open and desolate.  The road stretched out in front of us to the mountains on the horizon and provided a visual reference for the enormity of covering the span on a bike. 

Great Basin - storms, blue skies and a road that goes on forever

We saw some cattle but more rodents I think.  They live in holes on the side of the road and seem to run across in front of us just for fun.  We also saw some pronghorn antelope and a bunny or 2 to round out our Mutual of Omaha experience. 

We arrived in Rawlins dead tired and hungry.  We’d not been in a real town for 2 days and were looking forward to a good meal and a bed.  The side of town we came in on was industrial and littered with fast food chains.  After asking a local, we were directed to Penny’s diner; “you have to go there”.  Had we read Paul Howard’s other book, Two Wheels on my Wagon, we would have known better.  Dirty, disgusting food, apathetic help. Nuff said.   At least full, we found a hotel with a grocery near by and repeated the familiar cycle – eat, shop, laundry occasionally, tend to bike, sleep.  Of course the promised guest computer was broken.

The only bright spot if you will was a fantastic double rainbow we saw after a storm blew through while we ate. 

Notes – 2 CD crossings, part of route on California Trail, never go to Rawlins.

Sec 3 South Pass City WY to Silverthorne CO - D14

06/23 Day 14, Wyoming  Pinedale, Atlantic City, Diagnus Well (109 miles)

We'd had no services all day when we rolled into South Pass City which had only a candy store – really.  Not even sugar free sodas.  But it was just 4 more miles to Atlantic City so a bag of chips, a real bathroom stop, and we were gone.

Atlantic City was totally not what I was expecting after 90 miles of riding.  This is where a bit more research would have been handy.  We crested a hill and got our first glimpse of well, some buildings. 

Atlantic City.  All of it.  And not all of that is occupied. 

 Per Wikipedia – “Atlantic City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 39 at the 2000 census. ...founded in 1867…”

The blogs had said re-supply in Atlantic City, so I just assumed……

There was indeed a restaurant that sold some dry goods and there was a teepee if you wanted to stay the night.  We did get a great meal and the owner made us food to get us through breakfast and lunch the next day.  Much to the amusement of the owner, the guys in the bar, and fellow racers, brother Joe the stalker once again honed in and called me here.  Freak. 

The next days ride to Rawlins would be entirely in the Great Basin, 134 miles from Atlantic City.  We decided to push on another 22 miles that night to Diagnus Well.  It would shorten the distance for the next day and start at a water source.

It was a stressful/exciting ride to Diagnus Well as we ran from huge thunderstorms with lightning super close and not a tree for 50 miles.  I was checking out the bar ditches in case we had to make a dive.  I worried what camping was going to be like; if it was going to pour on us all night?  Along the way we passed the marker noting the intersection of the Oregon Trail and the Pony Express Trail.  Wish we’d gotten a picture.

Great Basin - making for Diagnus Well before dark

I’d never seen a picture of Diagnus Well and in my mind imagined a Texas version with a windmill and stock tank.  The cues were not too helpful in the fading light; “visible from Co. Rd. 2317 to the south”.  Uh huh.  Not when you are looking for a windmill and a stock tank.  Thank goodness STB’s GPS had a waypoint for it and she found the barely discernible double track leading off to the right, seemingly into nowhere.  We followed and found a fenced in area with a pipe sticking out of the ground with flowing water.  Never would have found that in the dark with no GPS.

This is a well

We set our bivys up outside the fence.  The S Africans soon joined us but the 2 boys kept going for some more miles on the day. 

I have to say this was the best night I’ve ever spent outdoors.  I watched the final sun rays vanish while snug in my bivy and used my headlamp to write the days notes in the quiet.  As I did every night, I slept hard until rain woke me about 1am.  I pulled my rain jacket over the open mesh face of the bivy and was out. 

Diagnus Well - bivy site

Sunset in the Great Basin

Notes – 3 CD crossings, South Pass 7550ft

Section 2 Polaris, MT to South Pass City WY - D14

06/23 Day 14, Wyoming  Pinedale, Atlantic City, Diagnus Well (109 miles)

We got a fairly early start as we knew there would be 2 really tough days in front of us.  We were heading towards the Great Basin with limited services and we would have to carry more food and water than we’d done so far.  Some breakfast was made in our cute cabin kitchen but another with coffee was found at a kitschy rock themed coffee bar down the street. 

The day started with on and off rain and the constant jacket or no jacket dance.  There was a large thunderstorm over our shoulder all morning that had me watching wind directions vs. road directions for hours.  We made a quick stop in Boulder – never one to pass a real bathroom and sink.  We passed another NOBO rider today who stopped and gave us good intel about snow before Steamboat.  Our friend from Austin, Sandra Musgrave also had started in the south and we were looking forward to passing her at some point.

The road was paved until after Boulder then dirt but dry and reasonably smooth, with climbing that was short-ish but steep.  We crossed the CD 3 times and rode part of the Oregon and Pony Express trails.  Amazing what the earlier settlers of this country endured; the remoteness of it and how they traveled.

Most of the day was around 8000ft and for a time ran on top of the CD with amazing views off both sides.  

What the world looked like for a couple days