I feel like we just did a nice evening mountain bike ride. We did, of course. But this felt like a ride you’d do from home, or that you would do while visiting a Colorado mountain town. You know, regular old mountain biking — not backcountry CDT style riding.
What a surprise to find that the trail on the south end of the Wind River mountains is such a fantastic ride. It’s wooded, replete with streams and greenery. Just exactly what two bikepackers that just crossed the great basin are in need of! We both started the climb into the wind rivers barely awake and lacking energy. The basin and following roads had sucked some life out of us. But the trail was too good to stop, too good to not devote all sorts of energy to. Climbs yielded more flowing downhill, energy put to good use. It was as though a mountain biker had built the trail. Or had at least rerouted it to a more sustainable (and fun) level.
I didn’t want it to end. I was bummed that our Wilderness detour was coming up. That’s a cool feeling on the CDT, as often it is somewhat of a relief to get onto the roads and the smoother/easier surfaces they usually provide.
two riders, one world
We woke up from our high mesa in the Basin and took in a world of a sunrise. We could see so far. Spin and see it all. How could the world be this big, and this empty?
We could see our evening’s singletrack, waaaaay off in the distance, seemingly too far to cover in one day.
But the 2-tracks were good. The surfaces relatively firm. We rolled along and marveled at the place we were in.
As the day heated up we merged onto the GDMBR, following it for a few miles before continuing on CDT above the Sweetwater River. After the river’s bridge we followed more CDT on a 2-track that had no footprints on it — not even old ones. Yet another piece of official CDT that no one uses.
It was a pleasant diversion from the divide’s big road, but after a few miles the signs pointed off into the desert with no trail, so we hopped back over to the big road.
In Atlantic City we finally caught Mr. Sunset! He was more like 2.5 days ahead of Chimp’s crew, not the 1 day we had been told. Sunset is the kind of guy you have to meet to understand. Full of southern charm and just has a way about him.Â
“It’s about time you guys got here!” was the first thing he said to us.
Atlantic was totally shut up — neither restaurant or store was open. We were there on the one day of the week when it’s all closed. Bummer. A burger would have gone a long way. Instead we followed Sunset (and Atlas) over towards South Pass City where the gift shop sold pure salvation for Basin crossers — ICE CREAM!
And root beers. Whew.
We chatted away a hot afternoon’s hour with some GDMBR riders, the hikers and other folks. The sun was killing us, but we delayed with some bike work and other chores just long enough for the clouds to roll in.
Ahh, relief. A short section of no trail led us above the town and to some 2-tracks that began our ascent into the Wind Rivers. The clouds were an absolute blessing, and as we transitioned into the trees and dark forest, it almost seemed unreal.
How did we get to this place when all we had known for the past 2 days was the wide open and direct sun of the Basin? And then the trail was almost too good to be true. Wow.
We’re camped right at our Wilderness detour, some 60 miles out of Pinedale. We anticipate a rainy afternoon, so we’ll be racing the weather into town. Maybe we’ll win?
Day 67 – drizzles into Pinedale.
We awoke to sprinkles on the tarp, but the refreshment of deep sleep. The sun was just starting to steal away the night. We got moving quickly in hopes of beating the storm. The storm that was already here.
Rocking and rolling through meadows and 2-tracks, through terrain eerily reminiscent of Buena Vista, Colorado.
A surprise campground at the Sweetwater Bridge. Stinger climbs out of the Wind Rivers.
Road surfaces hardened by light drizzles. Antelope strafing the landscape in all directions.
Drizzles came and went, miles flew by. We chatted about all sorts of things, listened to tunes in our earbuds. Eszter told me funny stories from racing Tour Divide.
Before midday, we were already in Boulder, hoping to blaze the last 12 miles to Pinedale before the rain gained any more momentum. 65 miles by midday? We must be back on the divide route…
There is much rain in the forecast. There is much fatigue in our legs. There is fog in our heads from nights of light sleep.
And so we will rest a day, and steel ourselves for the next challenge, the Wyoming Range Trail. We ended up deciding against the Wyoming Range trail, instead staying with the CDT through Togwotee Pass and on into Yellowstone.
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