High WINDS heading to Rawlins

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 😊