Rawlins to “Cow Camp”

Strava: 142.8 km, 991m, 7:50, 324 shifts, 73.4 kph max

Today was a real highlight day. One section of the Great Divide MBR that you always hear about is the crossing of the Great Divide Basin. For us leaving Rawlins at 6:45 it was not really an option to make the whole crossing in one day. There are two places in the 220 km that have water, at about 90 and about 180 km.

A second highlight was getting to 2261 km ridden. This is finally over half of the 4339 we think we have in total to Banff. 52% done (and 63% of the climbing done we think)!

We carried quite a bit of water from Rawlins, enjoying the first 65 km of paved road.

Before the dirt even started, the weather looked a little “exciting” with deep, dark storm clouds right in our path. Thick rain was streaming from them. But our luck held perfectly all morning, with just a few drops and no strong headwinds. At 90 km we diverted slightly to A&M Reservoir. We ate and filtered eight liters. Wytze and Daniel had a swim.

We headed back west and again, straight into a massive storm. After a while it did rain, but we never got truly clobbered. There was a small bit of hail too. But we just kept at it and our luck held. We stopped at about 110 km, halfway across, just to marvel at the view. The Basin is immense. And somehow there was a cell signal there.

We decided on stopping at “Cow Camp”, and kept at it until we arrived. Nearly eight hours moving time today, a full day at the office. The “Camp” is a bunch of blown out old ranching buildings. There is no water. It took a while to find a “good” spot. It was not actually good and reminded Andrew, Wytze and me of semi-ridiculous Bike Dreams camps in the Andes.

But we set up, in pretty strong wind. We had a minor triumph with dinner. We cooked five servings of Mac & Cheese with eight servings of tuna plus two servings of ramen, all with only one liter of water! And it was good! Wytze’s sleeping bag was used for the cooking as usual and after the pasta was done (required two final minutes boiling), there was the perfect amount of water left for two servings of ramen. We had a block of Spanish cheese and a bag of chocolate nut mix as well. Not bad!

Everyone retired right after dinner though, before 7pm. It’s still windy tonight and is predicted to be strong headwinds all morning tomorrow. We’ll see how we fare. I’m not worried but am ready for a long sleep 💤!

June 19, 2026 was our third full rest day.

We had planned on a short riding day today and just one night here but a closed campground changed that. It was a luxury to have breakfast at 8, surprisingly nice in our motel. We worked out a plan for how to cross the “Great Basin”, a vast unpopulated area with great distances between any services, supplies and even water. We’re set to start out tomorrow.

Later in the morning, we rode our unloaded bikes downtown to a coffee shop, then to the Wyoming Frontier Prison museum for a tour. We joined maybe 30 people and spent over an hour exploring the cell blocks, grounds and even the gas chamber. Kind of a depressing place.

Back at the coffee shop, I wrote a postcard and talked to a local professor of Geology who had ridden the whole Great Divide. Then it was laundry and bike love time. I checked out the map again on my Salsa. The next town it shows is Atlantic City, our target for two days from now. I like how the previous places it shows, Antelope Wells, Silver City, Pie Town, Platoro and Salida are now so much more than just names on a map to me.

At 4 we met downtown at the Thai restaurant for an early dinner. Just as so many people said, the place is great. We had a full table of appetizers, then a full table of main courses, followed by desserts. We rode back and I immediately fell deeply asleep!

Brush Mountain Lodge, CO to Rawlins, WY

Strava: 139 km, 1810m, 7:39, 568 shifts, 77.2 kph max

What a day! It started early, packing up in our cabin. I called Katie before breakfast, then all seven cyclists ate together. Kirsten wanted to make sure we all had enough to eat. The last round of M&M pancakes with peanut butter was almost too much, but not. We said goodbye and I told her it was our best stop so far on the whole tour. We slept like logs. Don’t miss Brush Mountain Lodge if riding here!

Off we went. It was a bit over 20 km, mostly downhill, to the Wyoming border. Absolutely gorgeous. We entered our third state and headed up a pretty big hill. The weather was so perfect, I think the best of the trip. We stopped for water at the work camp around 45 km, back up over 2500m. We got enough to dry camp, ate first-lunch, then headed on.

Pretty soon, Wytze realized we could surely make it to the reservoir campground and therefore didn’t need so much water. He dumped a liter while riding. When we got to second-lunch, I dumped 1.5 liters but it was into my stomach and Wytze’s CamelBak. We snoozed a little, ate a little, then took off.

By now we were lower and the trees were gone. Just a pretty, lonely, deserted road going up and down through grassland. The wind was a side-headwind but not super strong. Eventually, around 4:30 we made it to our intended campground turnoff to find it was under construction and completely closed. While we waited for Andrew I booked us two nights in a motel in Rawlins, knowing he would not be happy having to ride 24 km more into the wind, on top of the 115 we had just done. We had planned a short easy day to Rawlins tomorrow, a pseudo rest day.

But we all just sucked it up and cranked it out using an offset 2×2 drafting pattern. It worked well and soon we arrived at Rawlins and found our motel. The “First Choice Inn” looked anything but from the outside, but the desk woman was so friendly and the rooms were great.

After showers I tried calling an Uber to go downtown to the highly recommended Thai restaurant but Uber couldn’t find a driver. So we walked to a diner. We walked in and it was like being on Mars. We actually got kicked out by a teenager who was working alone and had too much to do (two tables with two people each). I sort of couldn’t believe it but then I saw the menu and was glad to be kicked out. We walked another 850m to Cactus Jack’s and this was an establishment of a higher order. Still a little weird but we ended up having a good dinner. Wytze and I had salmon on a cedar plank with salad and sweet potato fries. When asked what salad dressing he would like, Andrew answered “Buffalo”, stunning the waitress.

I tried Uber again to get home but no dice. We walked back stopping at the City Market (memories of Moab) for beer and snacks. Back at the motel we had a grand time and watched The Big Lebowski. What a classic! That took us to 11:30 – a long day.

Steamboat Springs to Brush Mountain Lodge

Strava: 80.3 km, 1420m, 6:06,  334 shifts, 45 kph max

Somehow, even after a good sleep I woke up tired and not psyched. My earplugs worked perfectly, blocking out the A/C (actually just a fan) as well as any possible snoring. Andrew and I were up at 6, and packed before 7, and had to say “chop chop” to the other room. Eventually we were all set and rode across the street to the Creekside Café for breakfast.

It was finally time to try Eggs Benedict, with more options than our feeble minds could comprehend. Our waitress had six years experience and was “absolutely” a morning person. The other guys impressions of her were so priceless I almost died. We decided we should build an app that asks you what you want for breakfast. Whatever you say, it keeps asking more questions about more options you don’t want and never thought of. It never stops.

It was quite delicious and relaxing but we finally had to roll. The ride to the tiny town of Clark was 30 km, paved almost all the way. Andrew said it was “Just what the doctor ordered”. Tailwind, small climbs, polite drivers, and beautiful. When I arrived I was tired though and fell asleep on a bench in the store’s garden. We reprovisioned at the store, buying dinner for two days from now when we’ll be camping in Wyoming. We also had drinks and snacks.

Loaded up we started up the unpaved road toward the pass which was our big challenge for today. After some warmup up/down, the climb started for real. 10.5 km to climb 700m or something but it took almost two hours. We had to ride around a Road Closed gate, then up the rocky, steep 4wd track. It was so rocky that I surprised myself making sections that looked unrideable. I’m sure we’ll be hike-a-biking at some point but that point has not come yet. It’s all about relaxing and maintaining plenty of extra reserve power to give a burst when needed – typically when your concentration lapses and you pick a less than perfect line. Anyway it was an amazing ride; I am so glad we didn’t take the alternative route. It was the least boring/most interesting climb I’ve had yet. I found out the Tour Divide race no longer gets to do this route, for various reasons which seems sad.

We finally topped out at 3000m, in beautiful trees, swaying in strong wind. We had snacks then when Andrew arrived a little later, he found the three of us asleep on grassy patches between trees.

Finally we started down, 25 km to go. Andrew led down, exactly the same super rough and steep rocks we had been riding up on the other side. But it only lasted a couple of km, then we popped out of the forest into high plains. But the wind was no longer blocked by the trees and it was dead in our faces for the remainder of the day. It went on and on and boy was I glad to get to Brush Mountain.

The owner, Kirsten, has built the most perfect lodge and haven for cyclists. She’s run it for 20 years, has wintered here three times and is a wonderful person. We inhaled many cold drinks including hazy IPA, got a cabin with five beds and had fantastic showers. Of course we did laundry and “bike love” too.

We had a while to relax since Kirsten was waiting for three more NOBO riders before serving dinner. So there were seven of us, eating together and talking about the Tour Divide race because the leader, a young Frenchman with a 200 mile lead over second place [!] was nearing the WY/CO border and that is only about 20 km from here.

Good night for the last time from Colorado on this trip.

P. S. I was fast asleep but Andrew and Wytze went down and actually got to meet Victor, the current leader of the Tour Divide. He stayed quite a few hours at Brush Mountain, waking up at 3am and leaving at 4, still a couple hundred miles ahead of second place. What a machine!

Radium campground to Steamboat Springs

Strava: 96.59 km, 1494m, 6:22, 330 shifts, 57.7 kph max

This was the fourth kind of hard day in a row. After breakfast the sun came out and we started climbing immediately. It was about 16 km to climb 950m so tackling it first thing in the morning was perfect. From the camp it was up up up at 10-13%. For a long time. 

After the first two sections of climbing we stopped for brunch, then back at it. The last one… 17%, a new record on this trip – phew.

After that it got easier but we still had almost 80 km to go. Up and down, past a lot of ranches. As we got to a reservoir, we turned onto the first single-track of the trip. It wasn’t technical and only lasted 2.5 km, but was fun. We had a stream crossing that got our feet wet and was an opportunity for swimming, and another at the reservoir.

Then a last 30 km to town, the last bit on paved road. When we got to the bike path, five km from Steamboat Springs we needed a break. I booked us rooms while Wytze and Daniel bought a six-pack of cold hazy IPA and snacks. We sat in the shade and inhaled all that. I got to video chat with many family members having a get together in Redwood City. To be in two places at the same time …

Finally it was five km on a gorgeous bike path and we were suddenly checking in to the Nordic Lodge. We locked up our bikes outside and had heavenly showers. I had another video chat then it was dinner time. Daniel found an Indian Restaurant a block away and we ordered massively. We could almost eat everything… We planned out the route to Rawlins, WY, opting for 2.5 days for the 220 km. Then it was time for another huge sleep. That is our life.

Silverthorne to Radium Campground

Strava: 115.5 km, 1250m, 6:19, 308 shifts, 79.5 kph max – unpaved!

Due to our really hot room, I didn’t sleep well and was not psyched for riding in the morning. We packed up and rode over to a coffee shop for breakfast and takeout lunch. That was pretty nice and I left my one star review of the hotel.

We rolled out on bike paths, then continued downhill on route 9. After 21 easy km, we turned off on the Ute Pass Road, surprisingly also paved. The climb was not so steep or long and soon we were on top loving the scenery.

The descent was fast and soon the road turned to dirt, really just unpaved I should say. It was smooth and washboard-free, sort of oiled. We took it a long way, generally downhill but with lots of short climbs. Around a reservoir and then we came out at the highway at about 85 km around noon.

We decided to detour off route into Kremmling for lunch and supplies and then continue on to the first campsite en route to Steamboat Springs, about 120 km away. That way we could make it there the next night and only camp once.

The detour was quick and we stopped at the first restaurant we saw, a Mexican one with three bikes in front. We talked with the SOBO trio who had just come from our target, Radium Campground. They told us about the water and the road condition and we told them about the route to Silverthorne.

While we were eating one of the guys mentioned to me that my back axle was partially unscrewed. Now the shifting and slight brake rubbing problems were explained! I went outside and sure enough it was loose. The mechanics in Salida forgot to tighten it and it lasted quite a way but was no match for the continuous washboard. I fixed it quickly – lesson learned.

Then Wytze volunteered to do the shopping while we relaxed at a Coffee/Ice cream place. We took that offer for sure! Andrew and I enjoyed root beer floats and Daniel had a nap on a bench. Wytze returned soon with dinner and food for tomorrow, and even a bottle of Malbec from Mendoza strapped to his frame where a water bottle normally goes!

We shared out the groceries and headed back onto the track. We had 30 km with 500m of climbing left and it went well. 11 of my 12 gears worked perfectly, not sure what’s up with the 42 (second gear). The initial climb was hot and steep but then the route changed enormously. We went over a pass we barely noticed then were on a fancy road (even paved for a little while), looking down at a beautiful gorge with the Colorado River and the Amtrak tracks. We stopped at “Inspiration Point” for photos.

Then more descent, another climb, then a final super fast descent on unpaved road, but smooth enough to hit 80 kph, unheard of! The gusty wind slowed me a little but boy did that feel great!

We had a last four km to the campground, right on the Colorado River. It was “reservation only”, but almost empty of people so we just paid and occupied a site by the river. Tents up, we settled in to dinner. We filtered about eight liters of Colorado River water.

Dinner was two liters of Broccoli/Cheddar soup followed by a cheese platter even Ype would be proud of. The Malbec was delicious and reminded Andrew, Wytze and I of the amazing days we spent in Mendoza in 2019. After dinner it was 7:30, our usual bedtime (we’re such party animals!) but the very loud generator across the river was still going. Luckily it stopped soon and we settled down for another long night of sleep. I tried but failed to read first…

Hartsel to Silverthorne

Strava: 110 km, 1265m, 6:31,  277 shifts, 58.6 kph max

We got up before 6 and packed up in the barn. I slept at least 9 hours maybe more. We could hear the wind howling outside but the Windy app told me it was in a favorable direction.

Breakfast was yogurt, fruit and granola in large enough quantities that we all stuck our breakfast burritos into our jersey pockets for lunch (adding to the leftover pizza). We headed out in cold temps, very cloudy, very windy. But the rain held off and we just kept going up and down the dirt roads. After maybe 40 km we stopped at a fire station and they offered water and cookies. Very friendly guys.

Then we rode to the historic town of Como, and checked out their post office with its free stuff shelf. Andrew added a jar of peanut butter he was tired of carrying.

Then the main event of the day: climbing Boreas Pass. It was only 14 km with 600m climbing and started out pretty nicely. But as we got higher, the headwind got stronger and the road surface got rougher. We had a little rain but not much. Up at 3500m at the summit, it was somewhat hard. We had pizza and burritos on top. Boreas Pass is the second highest pass on the whole Great Divide, after Indiana Pass that we crossed a few days ago. So everything should be easier from here?

The descent was relatively easy, coasting a long way, eventually onto a paved road. We took that switchbacking down to Breckenridge. Then more paved roads to a large system of bike paths we took to Frisco (coffee/ice cream stop), then finally to Silverthorne where we had booked a room.

We checked into the Block Hotel [Never make the mistake we did; stay somewhere else!], and right away I rode with Wytze to a bike shop. I needed some shifting adjustment and he needed some tire sealant. No luck for me but at the second store I got replacement sunglasses for the ones I lost in Salida. Sunday evening is definitely not the time to try and get your bike fixed.

After showers we sat outside the hotel with delicious hazy IPA and listened to some live music until it was time for dinner. We walked across the river to a great Italian restaurant and went big again! Many appetizers, then family style salad and penne alla Vodka. And the inevitable desserts and Amaro. Another typical kinda hard but super fun day on the Great Divide. It’s the day we hit 1000 miles too.

Now it’s midnight and our room at the Block Hotel is uninhabitable. Unbearably hot, windows don’t open, A/C 100% non-functional, staff don’t care. Should not be open for business.

Salida to Hartsel

Strava: 83.6 km, 1349m, 6:10, 224 Shifts, 50 kph max

Today the forecast was quite favorable with the strong winds of yesterday reducing. We ate up leftovers like yogurt, granola, fruit and a little of the pizza, packed up and said goodbye to our wonderful host in Salida, Liz. She was paying forward a ton of kindness and help she got from a cyclist last week. Now it’s on us to pay it forward to someone else.

We rode downtown to the coffee shop and had drinks and pastries. Then up the hill. The route starts out paved but quickly becomes gravel, but very smooth. We did the entire 800m climb in one push then had a break. There was another climb soon, and then we were up around 3000m again.

The scenery always changes, this time all the trees disappeared and we were just riding along next to fields. But always with mountains with some snow visible. Lunch was on top of another climb, Walmart pies and leftover pizza, delicious.

Then on and on, up and down. Most of this section was rough washboard, not really fun to ride. After 35 km of that I was no longer enjoying and just wanted it to be over. Sure enough, Andrew and I came to a pen with Bison (Buffalos) then turned onto a paved road for the last bit to town. The happening place is the gas station in Hartsel because it has a full convenience store. Wytze and Daniel were enjoying drinks, soon we were too, plus ice cream.

Then back to the main intersection and back onto the route which conveniently goes past the Hartsel Springs Lodge where I had arranged for us to camp. With a strong tailwind we were there quickly and they showed us the shower in the kitchen we could use, explained breakfast and the camping setup. We get a large barn and indoor camping is encouraged. Wytze and I waded in the river while the others showered.

After we all had showers and did laundry, we hung out in the lodge and they gave us free beer. Then the owner gave us a ride in her Ineos Grenadier to town. There’s only one restaurant, Zuccaro’s, only open a few nights a week but finally timing was in our favor and we had a wonderful Italian dinner: salads, garlic bread, ravioli, tortellini, spaghetti and pizza. Massive and delicious with a good selection of beers. Cannelloni for dessert of course. When I called to see about a pickup she answered, “Hartsel Springs Uber Service…” We got home before 7 and we’re all pretty hammered (not Wytze), and with a bigger day tomorrow, we’re headed for sleep.

June 12, 2026 was our second full rest day.

We’ve ridden 1493 km and climbed 19,336m from the border at Antelope Wells. That’s just over a third of the distance to Banff and about 42% of the climbing. We’re averaging slightly over our goal of 80 km/day not counting zero (rest) days.

It was a great feeling to have the bike shop maintenance done yesterday and laundry too. We planned tomorrow’s ride north then roughly sketched out the next few days after that. Amazingly, the Wyoming border is in our sights.

Wytze and Daniel went shopping in the morning and I got to talk to Katie, my mom, son and sister. Breakfast was yogurt with fruit and toast and eggs that Daniel cooked. The raspberries were so perfect looking that I wondered if they were 3d printed!

Today is also a really special day since it is the “Grand Depart” day for the annual Tour Divide race. You can do it any time, either direction, as an individual time trial, but if you’re racing, the real deal is to start in Banff on the second Friday in June, today. This morning, over 200 racers from over 20 countries started at 7am. You can watch their trackers at bikepacking.com. They are all headed for our starting point, Antelope Wells, NM. It will be exciting to see them come by although we’ll miss many by avoiding riding at night.

While we are aiming to have as much fun as possible and will take about eight weeks, to win the Tour Divide you have to go about four times that speed. It means averaging over 300 km per day, sleeping very little and being tough as nails!

Our host, Liz, who we first met at the Bunkhouse in Pie Town, arrived home in the afternoon and took me to the local pizza place to pick up an order of Take n Bake Pizzas. She invited her cyclist neighbor to join and we had a nice little dinner party. Between the six of us there were lots of interesting biking and other stories. Making connections like this on trips like this is just magic. Thank you Liz for your tremendous hospitality!

Sargents to Salida

Strava: 66.1 km, 768m, 3:54, 53 Shifts, 70.2 kph max

It seemed like none of us slept well. The cabin was too warm or something. Anyway, by 7 when the Trading Post opened, we were packed and ready for breakfast. They don’t serve anything, but we had breakfast burritos warmed up and juice. I had a nice video chat with Katie, back home from Guatemala.

Leaving Sargents, we headed up the dirt road towards Marshall Pass, 25 km away. It was a steady climb, beautiful really, cool and fun. We all did it in one push, a bit over two hours. It was great to be back over 3300m. I talked to a cyclist who had started five days after us – he was young and very strong. We relaxed with snacks from the Trading Post before starting the long descent.

The descent was sometimes smooth, sometimes rocky, but scenic and fun. Eventually we hit a paved highway and took it down to Poncha Springs at 60-70 kph. We stopped at a brewery for refreshment, then rode down the hill a few km to Salida. We are staying at our friend Liz’s house (we met her in Pie Town and again in Grants.) We let ourselves in as she directed and unloaded.

Pretty much right away we headed downtown to the Subculture Bike Shop she recommended. It felt so amazing riding without all the baggage! Really nice! We took the bike path a couple of km and spent some time at the bike shop. Andrew’s crank was tightened in 30 seconds. Daniel needed brake pads and his belt lubricated. Wytze needed brake pads and a new Garmin mount. I needed a new derailleur hanger and brake pads. We left the bikes and went to explore the town on foot.

Salida is small but really nice. It’s tourist oriented and we were able to buy a few small things we needed. We had a great lunch and later ice cream. We checked out the river then finally went back to the bike shop. Andrew and Daniel were done first and headed back; Wytze and I followed when our bikes were done. The shop is very professional and has everything you need.

After showers and laundry we ubered downtown for dinner at Shavano. There was one big nice table unoccupied by the window and we moved in. We started by ordering all four appetizers, plus wine and beer and cider. Later we ordered almost all the entrees and sides! By this time the waitress was very happy about her underdressed guests. We progressed to desserts and after dinner drinks for all. Wow we have not done anything like this since Italy in 2024! It is immensely fun to go this big at a really high quality restaurant after so many meals of instant mashed potatoes and tuna.

Salida just got Uber three months ago so we had the same friendly driver on the way home. What a fun day, sort of a rest day but we did climb one major pass. Tremendous shout out to Liz!