We had a choice to make this morning. That is to ride to Rawlins or continue to Jeffrey City. Rawlins is 40 miles from Saratoga and Jeffrey City was over 100 miles. It was a no brainer. We both knew we were going to Jeffrey City. Rawlins was too close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first 20 miles were a breeze because much of it was with a tailwind. Once we got onto Interstate 80 the wind shifted and now it was crosswind. This is the only place were cyclists on the TransAm ride on an interstate highway and it is only for 15 miles. The wide shoulders make it feel relatively safe. Safer than the road we were previously on. However one needs to remember that often vehicles are zooming past at 75+ Mph ten feet away. I will say the professional truck drivers were extremely courteous because they would shift lanes and give us a wide berth. After 15 miles of fun we were off the Interstate and into Sinclair, WY. We stopped near town center and Chief of Police for Sinclair us invited us to tour the town\u2019s museum. It was a quick tour but worth the stop. Next was Rawlins for lunch. On the way to Rawlins we noticed that the wind shifted again and it was a fierce crosswind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After refueling it was time to conquer the remaining miles to Jeffrey City. There was a combination of two crossings of the continental divide, land that appeared inhospitable, cross winds and head winds for 40 miles to Muddy Gap. At Muddy Gap the first convenience store since Rawlins was poorly stocked, the employee was very quiet and certainly seemed like he wanted to be elsewhere. Nothing had changed from last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last 20+ miles were into a direct headwind that had to be more than 20 mph. Along the way we stopped at Split Rock for one of the most spectacular vistas along the entire trip. When we arrived in Jeffrey City it was either go straight to the church hostel or go to the local bar for drink and food. It was a no-brainer. It was after 8 pm already. To the bar. As we pulled up Harry came out to great us. Harry and Ed are two 25 year old Brits that we met in Saratoga a couple days earlier. They were inside finishing their dinners so we sat with them and had a few quick beers and dinner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once that was complete it was a short and dark ride to the church hostel. This hostel is no longer being used as a church but it has become a haven for cyclists from all over the world to stop. It is strategically located between Lander and Rawlins. What is neat about this facility is that it is expected that everyone that stops will write their name on the wall. I did this last year but could not remember where it was. When I finally found it, I added my name again for this trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s stats: total mileage 109.14 miles, elevation gain 2201 feet, elevation loss 2684 feet, average speed 13.7 mph, max speed 30.0 mph<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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