Day 27: July 18 Jeffrey City to Rawlins, WY 68 miles

Dike at Muddy Gap--view north

Saturday, 7/18/81
Rawlins, WY

A rainstorm visited us last evening so I went to a Jeffrey City restaurant for a chicken dinner. It was sunny again when we got up. Rode past Split Rock in the morning, ancient landmark. Crossed into the Great Basin, the area that doesn't drain into any ocean. It was flat and dry with alkali flats.

Dike at Muddy Gap--view south (note trees in cracks)

A van pulled up in front of Bret and I and who should hop out, but Joe and Pauline and Rudy. I hadn't seen them since Baker, Oregon! They finished their trip at Lander and were on their way to Denver. There were only one day behind me at Yellowstone! Pretty good. We share greetings and talked and they took off.

Climbed out of the Basin and into Rawlins. Bike shop fixed my broken rack for free! 40 - 50 mph winds here. Craziness!

That windstorm blew at 50 to 60 mph for two solid hours! No rain, just dust. A girl told me that the only time people notice the wind in Rawlins is when it stops blowing. Maybe, but even the natives noticed this storm. 
 

That nice bike shop owner said, “Oh yeah, that model always breaks right about here.” (Remember, he is on the TransAmerica Trail.) He not only fixed it for me, he absolutely refused to charge me the service! People in Wyoming are nice!

The omnipresent cattle.