Hi all. I’m in Laramie. The weather is cool (58 °F / 14 °C) with light rain and stiff winds and the altitude is 7,100 feet (2165 m). The end of summer has arrived and the weather has started to change. I’m passing the day hanging out in town with a warm bed at the Ramada motel waiting for me.
After yesterday’s ride I started to do some investigation into my route to the Tetons. I discovered that Wyoming is a very large state with a limited number of roads suitable for touring bikes. I also discovered that any route I chose would involve a minimum of 10,000 feet of climbing over about six days and I would remain over 6,500 feet the whole time, with the most direct route taking me to 9,500 feet (2900 m). I checked the weather, which indicated a good tailwind for today with light rain and a stiff headwind tomorrow.
I was able to manage yesterday’s climb, but don’t feel ready to do that kind of climbing at this altitude, which I am not yet acclimated to, especially with strong winds and cool weather. I am wiped out today.
A change of plans was unavoidable, but I’m not ready to give up on some of the things I want to do and see, so tomorrow at 3 AM I will be boarding a Greyhound bus to take a 25 hour trip to Jackson, Wyoming via Salt Lake City and Idaho. I’d go tonight, but both of the bike shops are closed and I need a box for my bike to go on the bus. (One shop says “Out Riding” for its Sunday hours.) I will have plenty of time to gaze out the window and reflect.
Laramie is not a bad little town to spend a bit of time in. I’ve managed to find a great little coffee shop, a pizza joint that offers whole wheat crust and a library to update my blog that doesn’t require me to sign up for a library card to use a computer. I even ran into a couple of guys who were driving cross country, but headed West to East. Ah, well. Time to contemplate things on the bus.
I’m planning to spend a few days hiking in the Tetons and maybe getting up to Yellowstone. After that I don’t know. I may take the bus down to Salt Lake City and continue from there, perhaps via rail or perhaps by bike. Only time will tell. I still intend to see California!
Thanks everyone for your support and well wishes on this journey. It is changing in some respects, but I still hope for some interesting times. I’ll keep you all updated with pictures and stories.
Jon
PS I’ve added all sorts of little buttons to this site for sharing things, so use or ignore them as you like.
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