Day 11 –Wyoming rest area to Lander, WY, 35.74 miles

The night was tough sleeping next to a highway. It rained the whole night. I finally went to sleep and awoke to the same scene, dreary gray with rain. When I finally got enough warmth to carry me out of my tarp burrito I discovered a lot of rather healthy looking worms had also bedded under the tarp for warmth. I nervously looked at the tires to see if they had maintained the air overnight and they had, life’s simple pleasures…
I said my goodbyes to the other weather s(tr)ickened travelers and was off for the hopefully uneventful 30 miles to Lander. It rained the whole way. I was even more miserable than the other day, and the rain and wind devastated my knees.
I arrived around 10:15am to the bike shop and was happy to purchase a pump, 4 tubes, and CO2 cartridges. I asked about camping or lodging along the way to Rawlins and the employee said there was none. It was hard to believe 150 miles had nothing in between the two towns and when I put my wet and cold coat back on, the weight of the pending 150 miles crushed my shoulders. I decided to find someplace warm, and was suggested the Oxbow restaurant in town would be a good place to search out this warmth. I milked every minute at the restaurant with a 30 minute phone call to my mother, 4 cups of coffee, a sandwich, and then French toast. Noon passed and I decided to pack it in for the day, given the 150 miles of rain ahead of me. Next to the restaurant was an inviting lodge beckoning my poor wet soul. Check in wasn’t until 1pm, I was happy to wait inside.
When I finally settled in I took my clothes over to their washer and dryer and made use of them. My bike probably took on 5 lbs of road dirt so I took it to the carwash and sprayed it down. The memories of the past two days seemed to wash away with the grime. I was happy to see the clean Cannondale again. Concerned that the 27 gear wasn’t working I took it back to the bike shop for them to look at it and to clean the rear hub since it seemed to stick a little while I was walking to the rest stop. As I walk in I see a familiar face, Adam from Teton had decided to head east instead of south due to distance. I offered up my room and he happily accepted.
The bike shop said my cassette was shot and my chain was stretched. Preposterous. The SRAM chain had about 500 miles on it and the Ultegra cassette was only used for Ride the Rockies 2008 last year, so it had about 1,200 miles on it. They had adjusted my gears to a funny setting and the 27 still didn’t work. Whatever, there weren’t that many hills until Denver.
Adam and I shared pictures and I had the opportunity to upload several to facebook and blogger. Finally, dry and warm clothes too for the next day. Plus, the weather looked favorable and the winds would be at our backs. We decided the next day we would try for Rawlins and see if we could make it any further beyond it. Adam was headed to Cheyenne so we would part at Laramie, about 235 miles away using the transcontinental route.