I traveled to Wyoming in September of 2026 to ride the Medicine Bow Trail. Wyoming was the 46th state I have cycled in. The trail was similar to many rail-trails, not paved but reasonable smooth. It didn’t have any hills but was a gradual incline from my starting point at the Pelton Creek Trailhead near the Colorado/Wyoming border to my turn around point a dozen miles away. I had planned on riding a bit further but there was a wind advisory and I felt the wind increase significantly at the same time the trail surface got a bit rough. It may smooth out in a short distance but I was concerned I might get a strong headwind during my return. That turned out not to be the case or at least I didn’t notice it going downhill. My start was at approximately 8.5k elevation and I turned around at 9k elevation.
I was expecting a very remote trail and it was in may ways. I didn’t have cell service on or near the trail (Verizon). The Pelton Creek Trailhead was on a dirt road. This part of the trail didn’t even show on Google maps bike layer. Parts of the trail were fairly close to a road, not close enough to be distracting but close enough to feel I could get help if needed. I only saw a couple of walkers while riding and no other cyclists. There were also a surprising number of dwellings within sight of the trail. The dwellings seemed to be a mix of seasonal cabins and twelve month homes. There were pit toilets but no water and certainly no stores along the portion of the trial that I rode.
The landscape next to the trail was interesting due to some recent fires. Some parts were untouched while other sections showed various stages of regrowth. Fires burned in the area in 2003, 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2020. Perhaps a result of these fires, I didn’t see any large wildlife such as deer. I was riding during midday so that may also account for the lack of wildlife sightings.
More from the Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/arp/recreation/trails/medicine-bow-trail
Here are some video highlights of my ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment