Day 63, Saratoga to Rawlins, Wyoming.

Any body know why they have this flame going off at refineries?

A salt pond we ran across next to the road. I though it was unusual.

The posted speed limit is 75, but guys go 80 to 90 easy.

Sorry officer, I didn't realize I was going that fast.

The refinery at Sinclair.

The town of Sinclair reminded me of a large prison.

Rolling into Sinclair. The noise got louder and louder.

Sinclair from the overpass above I-80.

Rawlins. The last large town for at least another week. We'll take a rest day here.

A panoramic view of the high plains desert.

I saw this in a store in Saratoga. I asked the owner if this was a big one. She said it was, so I snapped this picture.

To the left of this shot is a rest area that we had planned on stopping at. But the road to get to it was at least another 2 or 3 miles out of our way. What? Are they nuts?

Bikerted, the ninja turtle.


Day 63, Saratoga to Rawlins, Wyoming, “Onward to Rawlins”, 45 miles.

It’s Monday the 13th. We were up early after a somewhat good nights sleep. At about six o’clock, a warning siren sounded throughout the town. We looked outside, and noticed the sky was an eerie dark color, with a low ceiling. Lisa said it looked like a tornado warning. We turned on the TV and searched for the weather report, but nothing was unusual. Finally after no clue as to what was going on, Lisa went across the street for some coffee. When she returned, she said that the siren was at the volunteer Fire Department. There was a fire somewhere, and that was what all the excitement was all about. I have made a habit of thanking God for His protection throughout our journey. And for all of you as well. I know that nothing I can do will change what is in his plans. I also know that complaining and getting all upset over nothing, does nothing. By placing my trust in him not only eases my mind, but also allows me to enjoy the task at hand in a positive way. Thank You Lord, thank you for all You have given us………………

We left Saratoga at 7:00AM. We skipped breakfast and ate some leftovers we had with us. The sky had cleared up by now, and it looked like we were in for another gorgeous day of riding. Traffic was very light on route 130, allowing us to enjoy the country side and absorb the early morning air. We saw a number of prong horn antelope. One was trapped on the outside of the fence right next to the highway. He was a big one, and was doing fine until we showed up. At that point, he started running along the fence as if we were trying to kill um. Since we were on a slight down hill incline, it was not effort in trying to keep up with him. He must have ran for a half a mile. Eventually he slowed down and stopped. I stopped to get his picture, but he then turned around and headed the other way. I wish I would have thought about it earlier, but I could have gotten a video of him as he ran past me. I did get a video clip of him on the run earlier though.

The route today was surprisingly flat. Even though we were at about 7,000 feet in elevation, there were no major climbing involved. In fact, I don’t think I got out of the big ring till late in the ride when the head wind kicked in. There were mountains surrounding us on all side, and you could see herds of cattle off in the distance, along with a few herds of prong horns here and there. It kind of looked like a desert, no trees in sight, and you could see for miles in either direction. Up ahead, we noticed some dark storm like clouds that looked like they were ready to dump some moisture in our direction. I offered a prayer for good weather, and left it in The Lord’s Hands. With that, I forgot about it completely. After an hour or so, the situation had vanished, as if it had never been there. That is one of the great things about cycling. It gives you a lot of time to think, to sort of puts your life more into perspective. You get to see who you really are, and what you should or should not do to improve what you like about yourself. It’s a good healthy way to clear your mind.

We came to the intersection of I-80, a major Interstate running east to west. We would have to get on it for 17 miles till we reach Sinclair, before veering off on route 76 to Rawlins. We stopped at a gas station to get some snacks and drinks before entering this busy highway. I-80 had a very wide shoulder. Even though traffic was flying by at speeds up to 90 miles an hour (Posted speed limit is 75), we were able to stay well out of their way. It still was no picnic though. There were constant reminders of what can go wrong on highways like this such as broken tire fragments scattered all over the shoulder, long skid marks, broken glass, road kill, and make shift monuments along the road side. Thankfully we had no incidences or close calls.

Entering the town of Sinclair was an eerie experience. I could not even see the town as we approached because of the refinery which bears it’s name and supports the community. All I could see was this huge refinery with train tracks, and tanker trucks pulling in and out. As we got closer, the sound of escaping compressed air, and industrial noises became over whelming. It was loud! Once passed all of that, the town came into view. It reminded Lisa and I of a large prison. I swear, that is the impression we both got as we passed through. We didn’t even stop although we were quite hungry. Rawlins was just 9 more miles, so we decided to press on.

Once in Rawlins, we began looking for a place to stay. The Adventure Cycling map had a few suggestions to places that welcome cyclists. The first two we found were no longer open. In fact, there were a lot of motels that have just shut down for some reason. We were getting concerned. I mean, how many motels are there in Rawlins anyway? We kept going till we finally found one. A place called: La Bella Motel. A nice little family owned and operated establishment. Only $50.00 a night. Good news since we are taking a rest day here. Wednesday we are planning a 125 mile day. We are not sure if we can do 125 miles with all the head wind, so we have a plan B just in case.

Good night everyone, we miss you all. Aloha, Ted.