Cross Country Recumbent
Monday August 4, 2003. Jeffrey City WY to Rawlins WY
Start time
|
6:50 am
|
End time
|
12:30 pm
|
Miles
|
65.9
|
Time pedaling
|
4:51
|
Average speed
|
13.5
|
| Odometer |
1661
|
There wasn't much in Jeffrey city, but I did get a cool shot of the
clouds lit by the setting sun. Clouds have been rare to date so
it was fun to watch these.
When I got up this morning I could hear the wind, and thought
uh-oh. Fortunately it was blowing mostly cross with a small
component of tailwind. The first 20 miles went quick until I ran
into the junction at Muddy Gap. A huge repaving project is going
on there; and I got snookered by a safe looking shoulder. The
shoulder was actually soft dirt with a thin asphalt covering. I
rode on it for about a mile and then my front wheel broke through,
taking me
down with no warning. This is my first accident of the trip and I
left some skin behind. I haven't had rasberry's like this since I
was a kid. The bike came through OK, except for some holes in the
left pannier that I'll sew up tonight.
When I got to the junction the road was completely non-existent.
I eventually convinced the driver of the pilot car to haul me and my
bike the six miles to the other side of the construction; which is a
good thing becuase there isn't any way I could have ridden it.
The rest of the way to Rawlins was basically a fight with the
wind. Mostly it was cross, but sometims the road would turn into
it and I'd slow down to about 10. Occasionally the road would
turn away and I'd make good time.
Today was one of the those days where I question what the heck I'm
doing out here. I guess you could call this a character building
day. My initial infatuation with Wyoming has been eroded by the
constant wind and huge distances between services. It'll probably
be some time before it gets better though.
Rawlins is all right, the campground has a special rate for cyclists,
and internet access.