Distance: 59.1 mi, Climbed: 1,804 ft
Completed: 2,930.6 mi, 130,691 ft
At 6:30 in the morning, Rich and I were on the road. It felt wonderfully cool at only 59º, and we were grateful for the early start knowing temperatures would soar above 100º later that afternoon. What we didn’t know is that this would be our most scenic ride to date.
Jeffrey City is a place with quite a past. Once a booming uranium-mining town with several thousand residents, the collapse of the uranium industry in the early 1980s left this once-busy community nearly empty. Today, only a handful of buildings downtown remain, including one weathered motel and a well-worn restaurant. While eating dinner there last night, we met Jimbo and his wife, Brenda, from Mississippi, who spend their summers in Wyoming, working part-time at the restaurant.
Rich was excited to hear they were from Mississippi because we’ve been playing the license plate game throughout this trip. Our goal is to photograph license plates from all fifty states. We had already spotted a Mississippi plate once before, but the picture was too blurry to count. Jimbo happily told us where they were staying and said we should stop by the next morning to photograph his boat trailer.
So before leaving town, we pedaled over to the big white apartment building he had described. Sure enough, there it was. Rich snapped a clear photo, and just like that, we had number forty-seven. Only three states remain.
As we were rolling out of Jeffrey City, several pronghorn were grazing just outside town. They hardly seemed to notice us as we pedaled by.
Throughout the morning, cattle ranches, expansive grazing land, and Wyoming’s broad valleys reminded us just how vast this state is.
The landscape kept becoming more dramatic as jagged mountain ranges began filling the horizon. The wide shoulders made for comfortable riding and gave us plenty of room to take in the views around us.
One of our stops came at the Willie Handcart Historic Site at Sweetwater Station Junction, where we met Sister Batty. She and her husband, Elder Batty, are serving as volunteer missionaries there for eighteen months, helping maintain the facilities. Sister Batty explained that this area is deeply connected to Mormon pioneer heritage.
During the mid-1800s, thousands of Latter-day Saint pioneers traveled through central Wyoming on their journey west to the Salt Lake Valley. Many families made the trek pulling handcarts—small, two-wheeled carts loaded with nearly all of their possessions because they could not afford wagons or oxen. River Camp is the Church’s campground at the Sweetwater Station complex. It is used primarily by youth and family groups reenacting the Mormon pioneer handcart journey.
Passing through this very region demanded remarkable faith, endurance, and determination. Today, the Church preserves these historic sites so visitors can better appreciate the sacrifices those early pioneers made. Our conversation with Sister Batty gave us a deeper appreciation for the Mormon history in this part of Wyoming.
As we continued west, we followed a section of highway marked as both the Chief Washakie Trail and the Historic Mine Trails. These designated scenic routes celebrate the history of the region we were riding through. Chief Washakie was a respected leader of the Eastern Shoshone who guided his people through a period of enormous change, including negotiating with the United States government to protect a place for the Eastern Shoshone on what became the Wind River Indian Reservation. The trail bearing his name is a reminder of the deep Native American heritage of this land. The Historic Mine Trails commemorate another chapter of Wyoming’s past, when prospectors and miners were drawn to these remote areas in search of gold, copper, and other valuable minerals. Riding through this area gave me an even greater understanding for how many layers of the past are woven into this corner of Wyoming.
About twenty-three miles into the ride, we came upon a beautiful horse standing completely alone in a vast Wyoming meadow with the mountains rising behind it. There was something striking about seeing it so content in such an open, seemingly empty landscape. It was one of those quiet moments that made us stop and simply appreciate where we were.
Then came a short but steep 1.5-mile climb. It was a tough stretch, but reaching the top felt incredibly satisfying. As we crested the hill, we stopped almost immediately. Neither of us had expected the breathtaking panorama that suddenly unfolded before us. Layer upon layer of mountains and open country stretched to the horizon, and for a few moments we simply stood there, catching our breath and taking it all in before beginning the descent.
As the road dropped away, the landscape suddenly opened before us. Far below stretched Wyoming’s vast basin, while the rugged peaks of the Wind River Range rose dramatically in the distance. Red rock cliffs framed the descent, and mile after mile of open country seemed to go on forever. Rich and I found ourselves stopping several times, not because we needed a break, but because we simply couldn’t ride past views like these. Of all the scenery we’d experienced on this trip so far, Beaver Rim was the most stunning. It was one of those rare places where every turn seemed even more beautiful than the last, and I knew it would remain one of my favorite memories of Wyoming.
The heat was becoming relentless when a pickup truck pulled over beside Rich. The driver hopped out, handed Rich two bottles of ice-cold water, wished us a safe ride, and continued on his way. It was such a simple act of kindness, but on a sweltering day like this, it meant so much.
By now, the heat had really settling in. We were thrilled for the only shade tree we had seen and happily took advantage of it for a much-needed break.
While we rested, I noticed an unusual caterpillar crawling across the ground. It flipped itself over in a way I had never seen before and then continued on its way. Even our rest stops sometimes come with unexpected discoveries.
About eight miles before Lander, Rich and I stopped at Twin Pines RV Park across from Dry Lake. We had been told by other TransAmerica Trail riders that this was the place to go for cold water and ice cream. There, we met Andrea and Bill. Andrea is the property manager and grew up on the nearby Wind River Indian Reservation, where much of her family still lives today. She spent several years in Arlington, Texas, working as a school cafeteria cook before deciding Wyoming was where she truly belonged. Andrea’s friend Bill had spent time working in various states, but Wyoming always drew him back. Hearing their stories reminded us how powerful a connection to home can be.
Rolling into Lander felt especially satisfying after a day that captured so much of what makes bicycle touring special. The riding itself was outstanding—from Wyoming’s long, open highways to a memorable climb and the unforgettable descent through Beaver Rim, where the views of the Wind River Range were simply spectacular. Traveling by bicycle lets Rich and me experience places in a way we never could from a car. We notice how the terrain changes mile by mile, learn the stories behind the places we pass, and have the opportunity to meet people whose kindness and generosity continually remind us how good this world can be. That’s what makes this adventure so rewarding.
