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- Back here I didn’t know yet that Southern Wyoming would be the most challenging part of the whole trip.
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- Cole and Michael at the state sign. What they didn’t know…
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- …is that Michael got a flat tire from little pieces of glass directly beside the Wymong state sign. Magically the hail stopped for the time when Michael had to change the tube.
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- Man spricht deutsh. We met Franziska and Tobi from Munich near the state border, who were taking part in the Trans Am Bike Race 2014.
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- Highway 230 about 20 miles South of Riverside. Had this song stuck in my had all the time to get some distraction from the crosswinds.
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- Much needed lunch break at the Bear Trap in Riverside. All those calerories got us to Saratoga later in the afternoon.
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- The aftermath of mostly Walden, CO.
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- Riding north of Saratoga the next day, we experienced the strongest winds of the whole trip. Yes, far worse than Kansas. We were exhausted like never before after riding in the crosswinds for about 20 miles. And apparently we weren’t alone. At this gas station, this terrible wind would have turned into a 50mph direct headwind for the next 20 miles to Rawlins.
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- So we „cheated“ for the first time and hitched a ride to Muddy Gap. We passed three bicyclists on the way – they looked as miserable as can be!
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- Muddy Gap doesn’t consist of much more than a gas station. But this one turned an old trailer into a great motel for bicyclists and other lost souls. We also met Richard again, who I hadn’t seen since I had to pause in Pittsburg, KS for a couple of days.
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- Beers & Beards. With Michael, Cole and Rich at the gas station motel in Muddy Gap.
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- The next morning we got up at 4am, hoping that we wouldn’t experience winds like the day before this way. It worked! (for 30 minutes).
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- First break of the day near Split Rock, WY.
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- We arrived in Jeffrey City around 9am. By then, the wind had turned into a solid headwind; almost like the day before. Time for a second breakfast.
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- Even though the wind was a constant pain, we enjoyed some really impressive views between Jeffrey City and Lander.
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- One of the most beautiful descents of the journey. All we could think of was not having to peddle for a couple of minutes.
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- The City Park in Lander – as the rest of the city – was great! It only took us 14 hours to get there from Muddy Gap. Lander was one of my favorite small towns. Heck, it even had a „hipster cafe“:-)
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- Why is there a bicycle on top?
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- The next day Cole’s mom treated us to a cabin for a night in Dobois. Our group grew bigger, too.
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- Cole, Michael, Mike, Eric, and I. Missing is Rich, who volunteered to take the photo.
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- I rode on with Mike the next day, since everybody else wanted to take a rest day. It didn’t take long until we met the „dirty boys“ from Nashville (Lane, Mitchell, Spencer, and Robert), who were riding on the Great Divide Mountain bike trail that shares some parts with the Trans Am in Wyoming.
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- At Wind River Lake near the top of the pass we met a Race Across America support crew. They gave us a ride down to the valley and back up to fetch a forgotten wallet.
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- Wind River Lake, WY.
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- The staging of a fake snowball fight at Wind River Lake.
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- Lunch break with Robert, Lane, Spencer, Mike, and Mitchell at Wind River Lake.
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- THE POLAR PLUNGE! Wind River Lake.
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- Who doesn’t like to see a sign like this?
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- Getting closer to the Great Tetons.
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- Not sure what Mitchell and Mike were discussing here.
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- One of Mitchell’s friends said this looked like an album cover. I think she is right.
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- Jackson Lake and the Teton Range.
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- Between Jackson Lake and Yellowstone National Park.
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- City folks went crazy when they saw an elk at the Yellowstone National Park South Entrance.
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- S Entrance Rd followed Lewis River for a good while. I found myself taking breaks every 10-20 minutes, because the views were so spectacular.
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- Crossing Lewis River in Yellowstone National Park.
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- In the end I lost count on how often I crossed the Continental Divide. Must have been 6 or 7 times.
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- Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone. Really impressive, but the sheer amount of tourists like me took away part of the excitement.
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- Geysers near Grand Loop Rd.
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- Lower Geyser Basin.
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- This can happen when you ride through Yellowstone. The bison didn’t seem to care much about all the cars (and the lone bicycle) surrounding it.
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- Camping at Madison Campground in Yellowstone.
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- This sign actually makes sense here!
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- Goodbye Yellowstone! Leaving the national park and Wyoming near West Yellowstone.
GPS-Tracks:
Saratoga to a gas station in the middle of nowhere
Muddy Gap to Lander (oh the wind!)