Simon's TransAmerica cycle ride - 2012: Day 55

Today's ride is dedicated to my aunt.
(only photo I have to hand from FB.)

Start time: 07.43, .08.10 by the time I started
Start location: Rawlins
Start State: Wyoming
Start weather: Sunny
Total millage so far: 2,825.08

Finish time: 12.30
Finish location: Jeffrey City
Finish State: Wyoming
Finish weather: Hot
Miles today: 69.0 (dude)
Total millage so far: 2,894.08
Today's top speed: 39.6
Today's average speed: 17.4, early stages up to 20
Today’s ride time: 3hr 56min 58sec
Punctures - 2 (slow back wheel), (staple in back wheel)

Music played:
The Essential Mix - Gareth Wyn - 15-01-11
The Essential Mix - Marco Carola - 05-02-11
The Essential Mix - Seb Fontaine + Steve Lawler live at SW4 - 27-08-06

Blog for today:

Sad day to be cycling as my aunt passed away that morning from cancer. It is all a shock as I thought there was more time to get home and see her more. Very sad and upsetting. Wish I was home with my family to help comfort them. Not more to say on this. I had no wifi or phone reception after leaving camp so was unable to contact anyone till I get out of Jeffrey City. Don’t let the name fool you, I think you can call one hours and a boarded up motel a city in this country. I left late as I was trying to get credit for my phone from 3 or 4 different petrol stations so I could call home in the hope of getting some reception later. The road was ok with some great views. After a long climb you come over the brow of a hill to see a huge flat expanse, almost a desert, layed out inront of you for miles, as far as the eye could see there was nothing. The road surface at that point was ok so I got mt head down and with the great tailwind yet again, I time trialled it across lol. Average speed again was over 20mph, there was a small hard shoulder and most trucks and cars moved far over when they could. Great. Some trucks, with the tailwind too, created a great drag and pulled you along even faster. Then the road got worse and worse before I got to Anna Lope cafe. Before then I had caught and overtook some of the others and passed coming the other way, a couple of others on road bikes. I think they were just out for a ride, I returned a wave but was in too much of a mind set to stop and chat. The cafe was great, highly recommend it. About a mile or so before that though, the roads started getting worse, much worse, I would say unrideable unless your on a mountain bike. On one side you had the fast moving traffic and rumble strip, then the cycle lane was just a mess of broken up old tarmac, deep bore wholes and crevices the size of the San Andreas Fault!! So if you cycled into one, you were almost trapped. This went on for 20odd miles.

I took the turning and ended up at Split Rock, a great place with the most amazing views. It was used by the pioneers and road trains which headed West for the new frontiers. Great to see with lots of interesting little stories attached to the place. Most amazing scenery especially where the continental divide occurs, the rock formations are awesome. The scenery was jaw dropping, some of it looking just like a fake backdrop to a western movie. There was some headwind into camp dropping my speed by 5mph. There is an old Indian trail which I need to Wiki too. The road down to the church at Jeffery City was nasty and sandy, nearly throwing me off my bike several times. That we watched City Slickers, great film and some of it filmed in Colorado. Lets see what today brings.

other bits I forgot to add. One off the guys from Warmshowers popped over to our camp to say hi. Should have been in contact with the people I emailed months ago to let them know I was not staying. The night at the music in the park event was good fun. Lots to eat and interesting people to watch and look at. I will let my mates know what I thought in private lol. There was a copper though, who never stopped eating! no wonder they are so large. Destroys the image I had of them eating donuts all day lol. We stayed in the church which Gina thought should have been condemned and burnt to the ground before being built new again