Welcome to my reflection on states #3 & #4 in our northbound journey through the middle of America (and Canada). Six months ago, my best friend Will Reynolds and I embarked on a life-changing experience on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. The Wyoming and Idaho portion of the GDMBR rocked our worlds with ungodly headwinds, but we managed to capture the most content between these two states. This is the third of 4 blog posts outlining the characters we encountered and the adventures we experienced.

All photography was taken by Will Reynolds & Mitchell Connell. Videography was captured and produced by Mitchell Connell.

Chapter 12 Alex, The Motel Guy:

We woke up to the sound of four-wheelers and .22s after a restful night's sleep at Ladder ranch. Will and I arrived on time at 7:30 am sharp for breakfast and filled up to a Brady bunch-style buffet. We visited with Pat Ladder, his son, and his wife, swapped a few stories and they wished us luck as we made our way up and down the rolling hills of southern Wyoming. The ride to Rawlins, WY was memorable, each time we enter a new state we're filled with hope and excitement as a new landscape emerges and the mountains take form. That hope is soon crushed by piercing winds and cow sh*t covering the pothole-filled roads. We arrived in Rawlins around dinner, crushed some average Thai food, and stumbled upon the Roadside Inn. 

The Roadside Inn is exactly what you're picturing, a budget motel right off the interstate with an outdated paint job and no one in the lobby. At this point, I have an instinct for safe motel lodging and enter the front door. We are greeted by a lovely man named Alex who informs us that the rate is $85 per night. Will and I make eye contact, subconsciously determine that it is too steep, and plan to visit an alternate location. Alex informs us that his brother owns the inn across the street and the rest of the motels are either run down or similar to the Country & Family Inn we experienced in Del Norte. We still decided to explore other options and leave the Roadside Inn. Shortly after Alex invites us back to the lobby for a discussion. He says that he is not legally allowed to do this, but he'll lower the rate to $65 because we're nice dudes. Alex rings us up and says "what was the rate I said? $55?". After this mostly non-verbal negotiation, we enjoy Oceans 11 and complimentary coffee. 

We wake up and decide to hit a Walmart resupply, a nap in the park, and a viewing of Top Gun: Maverik (highly recommended). The Red Desert is ahead and we're killing time for our first night ride. 

Chapter 13 Not So Wild Bill:

Rumor has it that the most challenging section of the Great Divide is called The Great Basin (also referred to as The Red Desert). This section consists of 134 miles of headwinds, sun, and sparse water sources. We leave Rawlins at 11 pm after a motivational speech from Tom Cruise, a midnight snack, and carry 4 liters of water each. The winds had calmed and Will and I were maintaining a 15mph average across sandy, dark roads. The moon emerges over the desert causing us to stop our bikes and soak in the beauty. We both catch pronghorns, cows, and chipmunks crossing the road through our headlamps. We're the only humans out here, we haven't seen a car in hours and our first all-nighter is more glorious than we could ever have expected. There is so much peace in solitude. Around 4 am my headlight begins to read low battery, Will and I turn our lamps off and ride for an hour using the moon as our light. 8 hours passed quickly and the sun began to emerge over the basin. We pull over and make coffee and oatmeal and add layers as the dessert reaches its lowest temperature. We're 50 miles or so from Atlantic City and spirits are high. 

Precisely at mile 104, we're blasted with the full force of Zephyrus and quickly realize why this is referred to as the hardest section of the Great Divide. We take turns fronting the wind, but it's hopeless and seems to be blowing from all directions. It's taken us 4 hours to go 20 miles and motivation is at an all-time low. The wind gets stronger as we near our final climbs... Will gets off his bike and is immediately blown into a ditch. Yeah, his full body and bike were seemingly picked up and placed into a ditch. I break down and start laughing hysterically, my drool blowing all the way back to New Mexico. 

We made it to Atlantic City, WY where we were greeted by Let's Go Brandon and Trump 2024 flags. Luckily there is a mercantile where we fill up on chicken sandwiches and coca-cola. A few locals join us at the bar and light up their American Spirits (I guess you can still smoke inside). We're too tired to care about our surroundings and make our way to Wild Bill's Cabin. Wild Bill was not so wild…but he was surrounded by firearms, with an office that doubled as a gun shop. We settled into our cabin and fell asleep from 5 pm - 8 am. 

Chapter 14 Don Weissman:

We joined Bill and his wife for breakfast along with another northbound rider, Don. Don and Bill chat as Will and I take down 20+ pancakes. The conversation centers around immigration rights, healthcare, and the great American dream. I am really just focused on the food and coffee. We decide we like Don and agree to ride together that day. The forecast is clear but the wind is still gnarly. It's unfortunate, but I'm desperate to get out of Atlantic City and onto Pinedale, WY. The start of the ride is great, Don is in his 60s and holds a quick pace. We cruise along for 20 miles and take a break at a rest stop, where the ride really begins.

We turn off from the rest stop, Will and I put on layers and Don takes off. We see dark clouds in the distance, but think nothing of it as mountain weather is unpredictable and we trust the almighty Apple forecast. The sprinkles set in and our raincoats come on. These sprinkles soon turn to sleet and we lose sight of Don's neon yellow windbreaker. 9 miles in the sleet turns to snow and the temperature drops. Our entire bodies are soaked and neither of us wants to admit we might be in trouble. We see a bright yellow figure headed back towards us and Don lets us know he's headed back to the rest stop. He informs us this is where people get hypothermia and we'd be wise to turn back. 

Will and I stare at each other for a solid 10 minutes. We decide to press on, and two minutes later we lose feeling in our hands, turn around and head to the rest station. 40 minutes later we make it back, strip all of our clothes and take a shower under the hand dryers in the public bathroom. Will plops on the ground and sticks his hands in his armpits while Don (fully recovered at this point) is scheming a way to get back to Atlantic City. We both warm-up and apologize to the individuals using the bathroom for its intended purpose. We make small talk with each rest stop user and try to get an idea of where they are heading, full hitchhike mode has kicked in. 

A classic Wyoming rancher enters the bathroom and comments on our helpless situation. He informs us of his route and offers us a ride, this resurrects Will from the dead. We look at the map and determine we can ride with the rancher man for 40 miles, get dropped off at a junction, and ride 20 miles to Pinedale. We load our bikes into his trailer (covered in cow dung from this morning's transfer), board the F-350, and make our way north. We learn a bit about Colin's life, his political views, and his resentment towards stoplights and crowds. We are refreshed by his warm truck cab, generosity, and conversation.  We make it to the junction and Colin leaves us. Will and I lay our things out in the sunshine and fill our bellies with M & M's. 20 miles to Pinedale. 

Chapter 15 Reed:

We arrive in Pinedale after dark (10 pm sunset there in WY) and snag the last motel. It’s overpriced but we feel we’ve earned it. Snow is falling and our bodies are ready for a warm shower. We pass out to microwaved meals, m&m’s, and Oceans 12. We wake up late and begin our rest day routine. We call loved ones, hit the library, buy overpriced coffee and search for a hot tub. We kill time at the Pinedale Aquatic center, warm our bones and slide down the slide. 5 pm comes quickly and Will’s girlfriend, Reed, and her father are rolling through town on an RV trip. Reed treats us to dinner and we enjoy new faces, alcoholic beverages, and hearing about their road trip. 

Due to bad weather north of Pinedale, we pointed the GPS West toward Jackson, WY. We pushed it for 30 miles and reached the top of a peak for a sweet descent into Jackson where friends and refreshments awaited our presence. 

Chapter 16 Mitchell & Jesse:

Jackson hits like another planet. We’re surrounded by Gatlinburg Esq storefronts with a flare of billionaire. Our dear friend Jesse treats us to pizza and we make camp. In the morning we drive Jesse to work and she lets us use her car for the day. We use this time to pick up our hommie Mitchell in Idaho Falls who has worked day and night to find us on the trail. It’s so refreshing to have an experienced bike packer with us. Will and I hug Mitchell and make our way back to Jackson (we see a moose).

We hang with Jesse and her friends and learn more about Jackson, including its overpriced housing, food scene, and decent coffee. We’re eager to hit the trail and depart after a nice rest day. Mitchell is reviving our souls with fresh energy and thought-provoking questions. We’re taking it slow, pulling stunts on curbs and admiring the Tetons. We make camp and share stories of life back in Tennessee and our time on the trail. 

The next day is filled with threatening showers and grade-A gravel. Were introduced to mosquitos, flowing streams, and quaint towns. The rain starts to fall and we make it to Connie's Bar & Grill. We kill time playing pool and chatting with fellow riders filling the bar while making plans to cross into Montana. (We were in Idaho for a grand total of 70 miles.)

The next day, the roads start turning to mud, and the trail changes to jeep track. We’re having a blast splashing through the puddles and exchanging tricks. The state line switches from Idaho to Montana after a gnarly wet pass and our sights focus in on southbound riders (FYI most individuals choose to start the Great Divide in Canada and ride south). We inform the riders of what’s to come and they share what's in store on our route. We stop for lunch and fill our bellies with pepperonis and tortillas as we plan for Mitchell's departure (which you'll find out about in the next update).