Sunday 6/24/18

Rawlins, Wyoming to Walden, Colorado

Was supposed to be a rainy day but all the dark clouds passed by or around us all day.

We got coffee at McDonald's and ate from our grocery supplies. We watched dark clouds build up and then drift away. At 9AM I returned to the hardware store that I had repaired my rear rack at. In my haste to let the close, I had left my special rear rack bunge strap laying on top the paddle boat display! How frustrating it was the evening before to see it but not be able to retrieve it till the next morning. Luckly Nishanth had a spare bunge to get is to our campsite.

We got on the road finally going thru the town of Sinclair which has a Sinclair oil refinery. Nice little town except for the refinery smell!

Our route took us on the shoulder of I-80 for about 20 miles. The only way heading from Rawlins going East initially. Soon we hit 12 miles of construction zone that was a safety disaster for cyclist like the day before coming into Rawlins from the north. No reqard at all that this is also shared by a national bike route. Luckly Nishanth and l only went 3 or 4 miles on this before seeing we could get on to the old pavement. It was bumpy but much safer than cycling within 18-24 inches of traffic.

We kept a tail wind all day. We rode 50 miles nearly non-stop to Saratoga for lunch. While eating in front of a gas station we watched more dark storm clouds build up. But luckly no rain from them! Leaving town I stopped at a very unusual IGA store. The owner must be a big game hunter and the whole store housed his trophies.

About 20 miles from Walden I had to make an adjustment on the front shifter. A young man going the other way noticed me having a problem and turned around to check on me. Not till I assured him I had the adjustment taken care of did he leave me. Long distance bicyclist call these folks 'trail angels’.

We made it into Walden about 8:30. I just had time to shop at the Family Dollar store before it closed. I was famished as we had ridden the 60 miles from Saratoga nearly non-stop. Just a couple stops to moisten the dry sagebrush. That is the longest I had ever ridden without some longer rest stops. Hard to stop riding when there is an amazing tail wind! We also had only about 1000 feet of climbing over the day.

Total days miles about 110.