Across the desert of Wyoming
The Basin is one of the most challenging parts of the Divide. It’s 225 miles with over 11,000 ft of elevation gain across an area with limited water and only one possible food store en route. It’s brutally windy, and can be both baking hot and freezing cold. It divides opinion. Some love it for its sheer isolation and beauty, others loathe it.

We had five of us to work together across this wilderness, setting off from Rawlins on Sunday morning, preparing for 4 days, with supplies for 5. We had to carry a minimum of 6 litres of water. And enough food to get to the other side. I was extremely anxious as I had no idea how I’d cope with such a challenge but I sensed we were all in the same boat. The biggest stress is water resupply – there are reservoirs and occasional streams from which we can filter water for drinking, but they are unreliable. Each day was dominated with wondering where to find water.

I won’t bore the reader with a day by day account as, well, it was the same every day – ride, rest, repeat. The trail was mainly hard gravel, so that was wonderful, tho we experienced serious washboard and rocky sections that threw panniers off bikes and loads of close encounters with the gravel! The hills were unrelenting- just one after the next after the next….but all manageable in the granny gear. We rode really well as a group – some were better at downhill, others climbs, others in to the wind -we worked off each others strengths.

Every day we cleared 55 miles or so, for the 4 days it took. We’d try and get camped up around 4 if possible. There are no campgrounds per se, just wide open desert. The first night we located a reservoir and managed to find places to camp. The temperature on two nights was below freezing so that added new challenges to our day…and our nights! On another night we camped right in the wilderness with no protection from the howling wind….that was a long night! And last night we camped by a stream behind a huge outcrop of rocks that offered some protection from the wind but meant our bottles were frozen solid in the morning. We were however blessed with the weather overall – it never got so hot we couldn’t ride, or too cold we were stuck. And no rain!

The one place where we were supposed to get supplies was in a tiny hamlet called Atlantic City….pretentious name for a crazy collection of ramshackle buildings from the ‘wild west’! All the shops were shut but one tiny place was open which gave us coffee on the house and made breakfast burrito’s! We’d struggled for 20 miles that morning to get there with misplaced optimism about finding something more but we were excited and relieved with this one tiny shop.

They say a picture paints a thousand words so I’ll let the photos talk for themselves. It was a truly immersive and beautiful experience, despite all its challenges and hardships. I could never have done the Basin on my own that’s for sure, so was incredibly grateful for the comradeship of Mike, Jake, Rob and Scott. On day three Jake had decided he needed a break so he didn’t leave with us – that was a tough day without him. But I’d gotten to know Michael well – he’s a great cyclist, highly educated with a very dry sense of humour, and his company and confidence in us as a team was an important ingredient in getting us there.

We arrived in Pinedale exhausted and somewhat perplexed by what we had just done -it was so strange to be back among buildings and people and traffic. I was really struggling with saddle sores as I had not had water to properly wash myself, so was super relieved to get off the bike after such a challenging ride.

Scott, myself and Rob stayed at a Warm Showers host while Mike stayed at a hotel. What was great was that Jake rocked up later afternoon – he’d gotten a lift after injuring his Achilles so had made up the time to get here the same day. We all went out for overpriced pizza and then crashed!

Rob and Scott are heading to the Yellowstone park for a few days hiking, then meeting up with their wives in Jackson until the 5th July. Mike is not sure what’s next and Jake and I are taking a zero day, the first since Steamboat! We will then head towards the Tetons taking probably 4-5 days as there is serious elevation. We are staying with a friend of Jake’s in the Park. He’s then turning south and I’ll find a way north, hopefully to meet Charlie in Montana 😊.

Great video by Rob

The wind was unreal!!

After a pretty decent sleep on the floor of the cabin I was up around 5:30 and had the luxury of boiling a kettle and making coffee and hot porridge. None of the cabin facilities were supposed to be used by campers but….seemed a shame to not use it!! The usual morning rituals were duly executed and we were on our way by 7:45 which was great. What was most pleasing was that j had a proper breakfast for the first time in 4 days.

We had 5 miles of the trail before hitting road towards a picnic area we had identified with water – after that there was none do a full capacity water carry was going to be needed! As we turned on to the road after 5 miles Jake mentioned ‘it’s uphill mainly to the water stop’. Normally that means they’ll be climbs but also some decent. Nope. It was 13 miles all up hill. Gradual, but uphill nonetheless! I think that was the longest single climb so far. We stopped periodically to catch our breath but what was becoming clear was that today was gonna be windy….and a tail wind at that! Whilst it was still early the wind was definitely increasing as we got to the waterhole.

We met up with three other bike packers who we’d be crossing paths with for weeks now. Water filled, Jake and I headed off knowing we’d see the others pretty soon judging by the upcoming profile! We quickly turned off the road on to gravel up the climb called Aspen Alley. What a bitch of a climb that was, with plenty of hike-a-biking. The other lads caught us quickly but we were close to the top so stayed together as we rode towards the next section of road which would take us towards Rawlins. As it turns out we were all pretty well matched so were able to stay as a group.

And then what Wyoming is famous for happened….the afternoon winds. Thankfully they were on out backs which was at times hilarious as we simply got blown up the hills that kept coming one after the next. Jake even managed to make a ‘sail’ out of his shirt and shot up the hill 🤣. The gusts were 50+mph! However, the road meandered left and right and when it did we’d get belted with a wind so strong it threw lads off the road in to the gravel. It was terrifying coming down one hill when the winds came from the side – our bikes have the drag coefficient of a shipping container so we got slammed, riding the bike at 25 degrees to try stay upright. Whilst it was fun when it was directly behind us it started to get really dangerous so we started looking for somewhere to camp. Of course, we are now out of the forest and in to high desert…..meaning there was zero chance of any shade of shelter. We crested one hill and the lads dismounted and started exploring while I rolled over the hill and slightly downhill, only to come across a campsite with drop toilets and picnic benches. It was very exposed but better than anything else we were likely to find. I was starting to crap as I’d been trying to save my precious water, so I wasn’t gonna go back up the hill to the lads….do just hoped they’d wonder where I’d gone to and find me! Which they did!!

I managed to find a quiet spot which was semi protected from the howling winds – they were scheduled to stay above 30 mph for the next 24 hours. Pitching the tent was a game of patience and fortitude! I just put up the inner, as the fly was impossible to even try putting on. No rain was forecast! Even in this protected area my tent as I write this is flapping about like a flag in the wind. It was going to be a long night!

Tents (slightly) up, there was nothing for it but to head to the toilet block to light our stoves ….there was zero chance of any flame in that wind. So as it was a few weeks ago, Jake and I cooked our tea in the toilet block 🤣.

By 7 we were all hunkered down in our tents. Quite an extraordinary day today with that wind, something I had not ever experienced the likes of before.

Ripping in to Rawlins

I was awake at 4:45 (annoyingly) after a challenging night of high winds, tent flapping and restlessness. But I was treated to the most amazing night of stars, and an equally amazing sunrise. The winds were blowing so decamping in such an exposed area was not easy but by 7 we were all ready to roll. Initially the winds were behind us so getting over the roller coaster climbs was pretty easy and the descents were spectacularly fast 😊. We had 30 miles to do to Rawlins where we had coffee and food waiting! And then, as befits the Divide, the winds changed and shortly we were in to a howling headwind 🤣. But the thought of food and coffee was enough to help us grind through it and by 9:30 we were in Rawlins! We had crossed the Steamboat-Rawlins Trail in the hoped for 4 days. Jake and I headed to our rooms while the other two departed to their hotel for the days rest.

The next stage of the Divide is one of the hardest of the whole trail, not because of its topography but its barrenness. It’s the Basin, a feared 125 mile crossing of the Wyoming Desert. Few water options, no food stops, no shelter, and feared for its either scorching heat, freezing night conditions and constant high winds that whip across the sands. It’s 220 miles to the next civilisation in Pinedale. I must confess to being very anxious about it – the sheer amount of water and food we need to carry is bonkers. The only saving grace is that it’s relatively flat – compared to the mountains we have been over. There are 5 bikers starting the Basin tomorrow morning so at least that’s a good size group who can support each other. We met in town earlier this evening to chat about options, one being trying to get across in two days -two massive days on the pedals. Once across the Basin we have about 100 more to get to civilisation! I’m unlikely to have any signal for next few days so I’ll catch ye all on the other side 😊

So the stay in Steamboat was really lovely and much needed in terms of rest and recovery, tho by last night I still hadn’t eaten a decent meal and despite being hungry, the thought of food was unpalatable. So it was bland cereal and toast again for tea….and breakfast this morning. I don’t feel sick, the vomiting etc has all stopped, but you know those days after a bout of Delhi belly, you just feel depleted.

But….we needed to keep moving northbound , so located a camp site near Columbine, around 30 miles, with a stop in the tiny hamlet of Clark with its one shop.

The first section of the ride was on road, so I felt comfortable tapping out a pace, but every time the road would rise, I’d feel like I was running on empty, with limited power. I tried to eat what I could when I could, and drank loads of water with electrolytes to keep some semblance of balance to my ‘diet’! We got to Clark in good time and we were able to sit in the shade. I wolfed down a bowl of ice cream as that’s all I could stomach (excuse the pun)!

The next stage was on trail/gravel and we knew we had a climb out of Clark towards the lake where we were planning to camp. And as before, we found ourselves walking up sharp inclines in to the tree line ahead. I was, by this stage, pretty buggered – I’m noticing that riding in the afternoon is something I’m not good at, and it was now 2:30. I was again running on fumes through lack of anything solid to eat, but I kept drinking. We stopped halfway up the hill to rest, and I slept a wee bit, overcome with exhaustion. But it was only 7 more miles and we were close to the top, so we decided to push on to get in to some shade at the campsite. This was a formal camp site run by the state forest department, so whilst it was likely to be busy, it had showers, water and toilets 😊.

As we crested the final hill, the lake and site came in to view. Just in the nick of time from my perspective as I had nothing left. As expected the site was a)busy b) noisy and c) expensive! But I wasn’t going on any further, so here we would stay for the night. We met up with two guys we’d last seen in Abiquiu a few weeks back, and spent an hour chewing over our various horror stories and delightful moments. I managed to cook up a tin of chicken soup I’d bought this morning and wonderfully, was able to eat it all! A damn good start. I knew today I was asking my body to do something it simply didn’t have the fuel to do, and to continue to ask of it that which it couldn’t give was only going to end one way. I had thought about getting a lift to the next town on the trail, and resting until my appetite returned. I’ll make that call tomorrow. After we decided to take what the Divide calls the ‘Columbine alternate’ route we reconnect close to a road in about 30 miles, so the options might open up then. Otherwise, I have three more days out in the mountains and Wyoming desert, but we have agreed to take the three days with smaller mileage than try it in two. Tomorrow is very doable with around 30 miles and only one stinker of a climb early on.

Colorado-Wyoming border
After what was a great sleep (tho it was cold next to the lake) we both wrestled ourselves out of our sleeping bags around 5:30 and started the boring process – my least favourite part of a day- decamping. Given the cold last night the tent was soaking with condensation so the first job was to try get the fly sheet a bit dry before packing. The morning ritual is a reverse of the night before in terms of putting everything away and everything back on the bike but mysteriously it takes three times longer! Anyway as always stuff was shoved here and there until it fitted and we set off around 8:45 after something to eat. I was able to eat some porridge but nothing like I needed, but it’s all I could take so that was what I had! Immediately out of the campground we started the climb to the tiny, one shop hamlet of Columbine. It was a brut of a hill but on road so I was happy to tap out a rhythm until we got to the small shop….which was closed until 10! But I needed Coke and chocolate so we waited for the shop to open which it duly did and off we went! The terrain was very favourable with loads of fast gravel downhills and sharp but short climbs. The scenery was stunning as we moved through meadows and ravines, following a river towards the border. At Columbine we had met three other bike packers doing the Divide…..only we noted how little in the way of luggage they had. Turns out they had a support wagon with all their bags! Bastards!! We periodically met up through the morning as they’d stop with their support car, cracking open cold cans of soda and chomping on sandwiches while we looked on! We also got chatting to a group of motorcyclists traversing the US on gravel roads – such a great way to travel!! Bastards!!

Around 12 we found a spot by the river to eat. I still was not able to eat but weirdly I wasn’t overly hungry. It’s getting a little concerning that I can’t stomach food as I’m doing 30 miles over rough terrain and asking my body to run on virtually nothing.

It was only 5 miles to the campsite which was a ranch that allowed cyclists to camp for $10 a night, with access to water and showers. It literally is on the border, with one part of the ranch in Colorado the other in Wyoming. The campsite is away from the ranch in the grounds of an old house which are rented out also. As it was no one was renting the cabins so we sneaked inside and rested.

I then discovered a problem with Bob -one for which I had no solution! One of the lugs on my forks holding the pannier fixture had shorn off, meaning only two were now doing the job of three. The only thing to do was to empty the front panniers and fill them with super light luggage and try to put the heavy remaining stuff in the rear panniers, which were already overloaded! So I spent the afternoon completely repacking my bags and making brutal decisions to ditch food and anything I hadn’t used to lighten the load. Tough decisions were made which I hope I won’t live to regret down the road but my priority is weight reduction which = less luggage! Eventually I got the two front panniers down to around 1kg each (instead of the 3.5) and discarded a load of stuff from the rear to balance the bike. I’ll see how the panniers hold up tomorrow!

We are 74 miles from Rawlins, the next town, mostly on road but a very lumpy route indeed. And to add to things there’s no water after mile 20! First challenge of Wyoming coming up! Apparently we are heading in to ‘high desert’ in Wyoming before heading north west towards the Tetons and Yellowstone 😊

So……to continue the hideous night of vomit and other body expulsions! I got out of my tent around 4:45 and promptly vomited! It wasn’t looking too good. The lads were both up and decamping, but I was struggling to just move! But bit by bit I got things together and the bike packed. I truly did not want to ride but….with being on a Pass and no passing traffic I really had no other option. It was 2 degrees so I was shivering like a leaf in the wind. I put all my clothes on and tried to warm up. I was having really nasty stomach cramps alongside regular trips to the drop loo….and worryingly running out of loo roll. When things kicked off last night I couldn’t find my loo roll so had to use antibiotic wipes. I had found my medical kit still on my bike which was parked around 50 metres away….i was scared walking in the dark towards the bike, given the threat of bears!

Anyway, watching others eating breakfast wasn’t helping but there was no way I could contemplate food. So I threw my leg over Bob and started to cycle, knowing we had 37 miles to Steamboat. Any time the trail went up I simply had no power and had to walk. The lads caught up to me pretty quickly. What was a true blessing amidst this day was that the profile of the ride to Steamboat was downhill and for once the profile was right! We stopped at a lakeside picnic table for a rest. I’d eaten a few sweets and chomped down ibuprofen and Imodium. My cramps had gone and my stomach was certainly settling though having food was out of the question. Just the thought made me reach!

Somehow, and I simply don’t know how, I wrestled Bob and I to the outskirts of Steamboat. My body then decided enough was enough and I hit the wall. No food for 18 hours, little sleep and being very sick had taken its toll. But being stubborn is occasionally a good trait and I got to the hotel running on fumes. I was completely exhausted. Our room was not ready so I just sat in the reception looking like I’d done 10 rounds with Ali!

When the room was ready I dived in the shower and straight to bed. I was able to eat bland food like toast and cereal so that was a really good sign! I slept for two hours then started to organise myself- laundry, food restock, route planning. By 7 I was completely done so hit the sack. Out like a light.

In terms of terrain today was very good, but in terms of sheer physical exertion it was the toughest day so far. The body is truly a marvel in coping with challenges. I knew sitting at the campsite this morning that I could ride my bike despite the discomfort and pain, I just wasn’t sure how to do it on empty. But like many similar challenges, you mentally have to just dial in the fact it’s gonna be tough, and then get it done! I recoiled in to myself on the ride, so was somewhat non-conversant, but that’s my way of coping when in distress. But as we started to chomp through the miles, my confidence grew that I would make it. The Divide challenges you mentally more than anything else- you learn to lean in to the inevitable pain and discomfort! You know it’s gonna be tough, so whining about it won’t make it any easier, in fact it makes it tougher. When I came to that realisation, it made it more possible to live in the moment and manage whatever that moment was throwing at me! I’m sure this blog might read like a series of train crash moments and dreadful experiences, but whilst indeed there have been moments of tears and genuine fears, the experience is so immersive and the scenery so achingly beautiful that those tough days are levelled out by those ‘wow’ moments and the growing realisation that bit by bit we are tackling the Divide. It may beat me in the end, it may not, but the experiences so far if it ended tomorrow are so wonderful it’s been all worth it! I think 🤣🤣

I spent my zero day in Steamboat having a look around the town but also trying to find a tool to remove my bottom bracket cups. Eventually I found a bike shop almost next door to the hotel, met a great mechanic called Charlie who allowed me in to the workshop, found the right tool and let me work on Bob….and didn’t charge a dime! There is something of an unwritten rule in bike shops it appears – when we mention we are doing the Divide you jump the queue and are treated really well – a ‘short’ service in any bike shop here is $120! I’m reassured now that my BB won’t disintegrate over the next 1500 miles! Happy days! perhaps they just have pity on those of us foolish enough to do the Divide!

I was able to keep food down today which is remarkably satisfying! I stuck to bland foods so as to not overwhelm the stomach. But I also felt a strong food repulsion – even thinking of food made me feel a little sick. It’s concerning given what’s ahead – at 4 day trek across the next mountain range before we reach anything resembling civilisation. But we will go slow and easy so as not to put my body in too much distress. Jake is continuing north to the Tetons where he has a friend we can camp with before he heads south and I’ll continue in to Idaho then Montana. My Charlie is keen to hike in the Tetons so may well even join us in a few weeks which will be so wonderful 😊. Let’s get the next chunk done to Rawlins in Wyoming and then think about the next stage then!

Our perfect campsite after a very tough day.

The campsite at Kremmling wasn’t too bad but gee the temperature dropped to 2 degrees this morning so it was a damn cold start to the day! Given our proximity to the town none of us could be bothered to fire up a cooker so once packed up we separately went off in to town to get breakfast. I found a servo selling hot coffee and breakfast pizza (with egg and bacon) so bought a few slices and devoured them pretty damn quick! Michael being Michael decided to head off before us, and as it turned out we only saw him once more the whole day….that’s life on the Divide. Jake and I headed out about 8:30, initially on road then about 4 miles in we turned off towards Radium, a hot spot for weekend river thrill seekers who throng there for the rafting on the Colorado River. Straight away we were on to the first climb, a stinker over 4 miles which really tested us. The gravel was relatively compact so getting some level of traction was possible. We slogged up this damn thing for over an hour before it flattened out and started to descend. We were treated to a glorious descent in to what we thought was Radium but alas…whilst the river could be seen, Radium was 7 more miles. Three of them uphill! The track was busy as its Saturday and Father’s Day weekend, so we knew the campsite was full. After what seemed an interminable amount of distance we got to the river head where it seemed half of Colorado was also. Crazy thing was there was no potable water and no coffee or food options….great opportunity for someone to make a killing! We caught up with Michael and all headed in to the water to cool off. It was bloody cold but so good on our weary legs. We had done 23 miles -that was all! We had some grub and filtered the river water to drink as we knew the next 7 miles were some of the most feared on the Divide- a 7 mile climb with gradients up to 18%. We all knew they’d be a ton of hike -a -biking! Micheal departed first with an agreement we’d meet at a campsite at the summit (there was more climbing after but the worse would be behind us!) Jake and I left at around 1ish knowing it’ll take at least two + hours. From the flat car park at the river side the trail just rears up from the first pedal stroke, straight in at 12%! The surface wasn’t too rocky but getting traction was crazy hard. Jake started walking straight away and I pedalled slowly until I couldn’t and had to walk. And so started the hardest hike-a-bike I’ve ever done. At times you couldn’t even push the bike as your footing would slip, followed by a loaded bike! It was crazy hot just to add to the challenge. On and on and on it went, with incredible vistas which could vaguely be seen through the sweat dripping in our eyes! Around mile 4 I was absolutely buggered and worryingly started to get some uncomfortable feelings related to my earlier stroke. I stopped for a while and took some emergency medicine I have to slow the heart. Jake found a stream close by and we wetted our clothes to cool down. We got going again, but I was not feeling at all well, but there was nothing to do but continue towards the campsite. After 2 and a half hours we got to the top (knowing full well there was still lots of climbing after the campsite) and we descended in to a valley where the camping was and a stream.

Our initial thoughts of the campsite was that it was very boggy, as all it was was a clearing next to a stream, no facilities and not much in the way of places to pitch a tent. As Jake was setting up his solar panel I dawdled across the other side of the road and noted a small track leading to a clearing next to the river -it was simply the most perfect spot, protected by trees, off the road, next to water 😊. We got a fire going, pitched up and boiled water for a coffee. It was a wonderful end to a pretty tough day. Michael had left a note to say he’d gone on -presumably unimpressed with the sparse and damp site we too had first seen….he clearly didn’t explore. Staring us in the face immediately we leave tomorrow is another stupidly tough climb, but for today we had found a small piece of paradise!

Whilst I’m acclimatising to the crazy climbing and stupidly hard trails, today scared me. I’m terrified of getting warning signs from the previous stroke, as my insurance here will not cover this pre existing condition-in fact it was impossible to get cover if I declared my prior condition- and this is one country you don’t wanna get sick in! Jake is a US citizen and like millions here he cannot afford health insurance so he’s equally hoping not to get sick! If I fell and broke a bone I’d be covered but anything heart/stroke related I’m stuffed! So we decided to just get to the next camp at Lynx Pass tomorrow, rest for the arvo out of the heat and then try cycle a bit more in the late afternoon before sun down.

Lynx Pass
After a really good sleep and a lie in by our standards we got a fire going and cooked up breakfast before packing up. It seems that pitching up takes 15 minutes but decamping takes an eternity with a persistent questioning of ‘how the bloody hell does all this go in these panniers!

Once completed I headed off ahead of Jake as I knew it was going to be a walk-fest for the first mile as the track reared northward at an alarming rate! Sure enough, it was every bit as nasty as it looked…not a good way to start a ride. I’d abandoned my cycling shoes for sandals as they were easier to walk in! Good day to take Bob for a walk! After 20 minutes I got to the ‘top’ ( we have formed the view that there is actually no ‘top’ on this Divide, just a series of false flats! Jake joined me and we pushed on ….in to more climbs which although shorter than yesterday made up for their shortness with obscene steepness. Try pushing a 50kg bike up a 24%….it ain’t easy! We were both struggling from the madness of yesterday but thankfully the profile today was significantly more pleasing to the eye with some discernible downhill interspersed with crappy climbs. I was starting to develop some knee and Achilles pain from the pushing 😥.

We knew it was only 18 miles to the campsite where Michael was. Eventually we got to a great stretch of downhill only to come speeding round a corner to a flooded road…a full blown stream across the road with some dude fishing in it! There was nothing else to do but take off shoes and socks and wade across the river! All good fun!

We got to the campsite around 12ish to reconnect with Michael. This is an active bear and moose territory, as well as possessive squirrels that seemed to take a dislike to anyone near their tree. It was also mossie infested so despite the heat we covered up for the afternoon and evening. By 6 we had all eaten and hung our food up for the night, so I knew I’d be bloody starving by 7….which I was!

We had spent the arvo chilling and chewing the cud about our plans. I’d booked a room for Jake and I in steamboat springs tomorrow -it was 37 miles away but with a good profile of downhill….will believe that when I see it! Mike wasn’t staying in Springs two nights and was heading off further north. Jake was scheduled to start heading south but had been invited by friends to stay in north west Wyoming, a bit off the trail but still accessible. I must admit to being very pleased that that option might materialise as I am no way gonna do the next section on my own. I think when I get to Montana I’ll feel confident to do the final state alone knowing Charlie is a days drive away if things get messy. The real issue of bears is something we chatted about – both Jake and Mike take the threat very seriously indeed -something I’m aware of but perhaps had not fully understood I do now!

I wrote the above post around 7pm before settling down for the night in the tent. Little did I realise what awaited! For tea this evening I had had a dehydrated trail meal (just add hot water). Around 9 I started to get bad tummy aches, loads of farting and then boom…..a dash to the drop toilet was urgently needed! And so it was all night, with the added bonus of projectile vomiting! I just managed to get my head out of the tent before one particularly nasty episode 🤢. I saw every hour last night amidst these nocturnal activities, all the time keeping a wary eye out for bears! A truly wretched night. We had agreed to get up at 04:45 to get on the trail by 6, with a 37 mile trek to Streamboat Springs. I couldn’t eat anything and any activity caused me to feel nauseous and fatigue.

To be continued!