Time to leave Utah... After weeks of watching the weather to the east (i.e., I-70 and I-80 routes), I awoke (at 0630) to find that my suspicions were correct: the route through Wyoming would work best for crossing the Rocky Mountains. With this decision made, I relaxed and did some reading, Duolingo and puzzles. For once, I didn't turn on my computer at all! Instead, I packed up my car and, at 0800, headed to the Lobby of the Air Force Inn (Hill AFB), where I got breakfast. As I'd feared, the choices/quantity had declined until I could basically only choose junk food and sugary cereal. I passed on these and ate the last bagel and yogurt. After finishing my meager meal, I checked out of my room and departed the Base (0830). In order to reach I-80, I used surface streets towards the northeast until I was able to get on US-89 - I followed that road to I-84. Outside, the temp was19 F - brrrr... Along the entire route, I saw lots of signs for the Oregon Trail, Pony Express, Mormon Trail and California Trail. Before long, I arrived at the I-80 junction. From there, it was mostly trucks and small, rocky mountains to climb and descend. It was a surprisingly short time before I found myself in Wyoming. There were clues about this change beyond the "Welcome" sign, though: the mountain ravines were replaced by high plains and great deal of wind - the only mountains of consequence were in the far away distance. I passed Fort Bridger (which I'd visited in 2011) at 1005 but continued east. One interesting thing about my drive today was that I kept very hydrated - so hydrated, in fact, that I had to stop at several rest areas along the way. To ensure maximum comfort, I had to carefully watch the signs - otherwise, it might be more than an hour before I found another one... At one of the rest areas, I found a Mormon monument (with a beehive on top) that commemorated the 1847 passage by the pioneers. Speaking of the pioneers, I continued to see signs for the Oregon Trail, Pony Express, Mormon Trail and California Trail but these stopped when I was passing Lyman (that's where the trails joined I-80; they were located farther north for the rest of the crossing of Wyoming). Meanwhile, it was getting flatter and the temps rose to 27 F. I passed a station that offered fuel at $2.08 !!!) and I reached the Green River by 1050. This water was completely frozen so it seemed clear that the temps in the High Desert were much colder than I'd been seeing to the west... Near the town of Green River, I passed through the I-80 Twin Tunnels. At about that time, I began seeing signs that warned about potential closures of the interstate (e.g., for high winds or snow). While there wasn't much snow on the ground, it was (again) clear that this area experiences a nasty winter season - the ubiquitous snow fences, overhead warning signs, crossing gates and variable speed limits made things clear enough. Outside, though, today's weather was sunny & 28 F. The long drive helped me make a big dent in one of my audiobooks - with thousands more miles to go before I reach the East Coast, I imagine I'll have good luck with some long books... During this time, I passed several VERY long trains - they seemed to be everywhere! Suddenly (because I didn't notice any big inclines), I crossed the Continental Divide (6930 feet) and felt like I had made the transition to "The East". Just after that, I passed the towns of Red Desert (1205) and Wamsutter (1210). But then I was surprised to cross the Continental Divide again (this time at 7000 feet) - I'll need to research the reasons behind this situation... Meanwhile, the wind advisory for traffic to the east seemed to be getting more dire: only high profile trucks over a certain weight were allowed due to the risk of tipping. For the record, I did see at least one trailer that had already turned over - some folks were trying to re-load everything in a new truck. I kept my speed between 70 and 75 during this time... At around this time, some pretty, snow covered mountains appeared in the Southeast. It made sense when, soon after that, I reached the town of Rawlins (1240), a Continental Divide Trail "Trail Town". Hoping to locate some signs or monuments to this fact, I drove through the entire town on Business Loop I-80. However, I saw no indications of any trail at all (this tracked with my experiences in New Mexico). I should point out that I'd recently seen a FB post (from the Continental Divide Coalition) that the Federal Government had just approved a large sum for the "completion" of the CDT - we'll see if signage improves... While eating lunch inside the local Taco Bell (1250), I checked maps for locations of the CDT nearby. Armed with this new information, I drove north, across the Rawlins City Limits on US-287. About a mile north from that road's junction with the US-287 By Pass, I found a CDT trailhead. There was gate access to dirt road and a tiny sign on a post sticking out of the dreary prairie. Knowing I was in the correct place was a good thing, though... I started following the trail (back to the south) in my car - I used my odometer to measure the mileage. The route of the CDT (per the NPS Website) was: US-287, 3rd, Cedar, Colorado, Hugus, Bennett, Davis (crossed under I-80), Sand Creek and Ferris Crossing. At the last road, I had to get out of my car to find another tiny sign on a tiny post on the prairie. In the end, I covered six miles (all driving except where I got out to take photos) and was finished with my trail research by 1340. I turned around and backtracked towards town - only then did I see an actual CDT sign, put there for NOBOs I guess. Thinking about Rawlins claiming to be a Trail Town, I'll admit a certain healthy amount of skepticism... Before getting back on I-80, I got a gas fillup at Walmart (1355). Only after I had already set up to pump did I realize that I was buying 85 octane (that must be the reason for cheap gas in this area). As I departed to the east on the Interstate, I started to see signs over the road about a 45 mph crosswind to Cheyenne - I never saw much evidence of the wind during my drive, though. At one point, I passed through the town of Sinclair, which I later learned was the site of an early refinery for the Sinclair Oil Company. After that, I crossed the North Platte River - this might be the farthest west I've ever seen that... Meanwhile, I was sharing the road with LOTS of big trucks and listening to the radio (AM 1610) for wind warnings. The mountains to the southeast grew in size - I wonder if the CDT crosses that range... At 1445, I passed through the town of Arlington and, a bit later (about 20 miles west of Laramie), I noticed that the temp was 36 F. By then, the wind was also mostly gone. I arrived in Laramie (7200 feet elevation) by 1515 and decided to do some exploring of the town where Mollie almost attended college. Without a map, I found my way to the University of Wyoming Campus and found a place to park (near some student housing). As I walked around near War Memorial Stadium, I encountered a lot of fans of a wresting match, which had just concluded. As their crowds thinned out, I continued walking in the sports complex area - I was even able to get inside the stadium at field level. The stands were MUCH bigger than anything that Dartmouth College has, though, Eventually, I stopped into the Gateway Center and got a campus map. Concerned that my car might get towed, I repositioned to a different (free) parking lot on campus and continued walking. Before long, I'd made it all the way down to the Main Quad. Along the way, I encountered a Cross Country Team Memorial (almost their entire team had been killed in a car accident in 2001). My outdoor exercise time was done at 1640 (I'd logged 3.5 miles) and I drove a short distance to the St. Paul's Newman Center so I could attend Mass. When I arrived (1645), I had barely enough time to find a seat in the sanctuary before the 1700 service began five minutes early. The Mass was characterized by some chanting and multimedia screens for participation. The small building (Catholic Campus Ministry for the University) was very crowded but most of the parishioners weren't students. Some of the older folk agreed loudly with the Priest, who gave a great Homily on Baptisms. During the Offertory, I noticed that the congregation seemed to come up front to deposit their money. There was lots of handshaking at Passing of Peace. Overall, I believe the church was very vibrant church and might be interesting to attend regularly... After the service was over (1750), I drove a short distance to the east to have dinner at Arby's (1800). I ate in the restaurant, made a hotel reservation in Cheyenne and finalized my plans with Shannon and Joy in the Denver the following day. Finished eating, I continued driving east. Just before reaching I-80, I noticed $1.99 gas! At around this same time (1830), I called Mollie at 1830 and we talked until my cell service dropped. Meanwhile, the Interstate (dark, since the sun was completely gone) seemed to be flat. However, I guess I started climbing at one point because I soon crossed over a high ridge (8640 feet). The road was very curvy and I was hesitant to drive anywhere near the speed limit. Before long, though, the road began a steep descent into the valley where Cheyenne (elevation 6086 feet) was located. Just as I reached the city limits, I passed through a field of windmills with synchronized red flashing lights (very eerie). I arrived at the Super 8 (by Wyndham) at 1915. As I was checking in, I talked with the desk clerk about staying there with a weekly rate (available for me). In my room, I took a bath and relaxed (reading and watching movies) until bed time (2300). After all the buildup about having to cross the mountains in January, today turned out to be relatively easy. Don't worry, I'm not being boastful - just thankful... Continental Divide Trail Today = 6.0 miles / Grand Total CDT = 40.2 miles
