Day 45: Rawlins, WY to Jeffrey City, WY

July 16, 2006

69.02 Miles, 4:49:17 Ride Time, 14.56 Average Speed, 30.3 Maximum Speed

After the rest day yesterday, and the short ride the day before that, I was anxious to get going this morning, and was riding away from the motel fairly early.

I would be travelling through some very deserted country today. My only options were Jeffrey City, at just under 70 miles, or Lander at more than 120. I decided that Lander was a possibility only in the unlikely event that I had a tailwind.

The first part of the ride was North, slightly uphill to another crossing of the Continental Divide. I saw a man walking with a full backpack and two walking sticks, so I slowed down and asked where he was going - "Canada", he said. I told him I was going to Oregon, and rode off. I don't feel as silly telling people my destination anymore; after coming this far, it does seem like a realistic possibility that I'll finish this thing, despite a couple of difficult days recently.

It continued to be an enjoyable ride - fairly cool, not too windy, traffic not too heavy - as I rode toward the "town" of Lamont, my first stop of the day. Just before I got to Lamont, I met two Eastbound women. I asked them about Jeffrey City, my destination for the day. They said that it seemed so deserted and eerie yesterday that they rode another 20+ miles further to Muddy Gap and camped instead of staying there. Hmmm.

When I got to Lamont, which apparently consisted soley of Grandma's Cafe, I saw four loaded bikes in front of the place. Two of the bikes belonged to Gordon and Wendy from New Zealand, who had just had breakfast at the cafe. I had first met them on the day I rode from Guffey to Breckenridge, and had last seen them at Hartsel. They had gotten ahead of me after I'd taken the rest day yesterday in Rawlins, and were planning to stay in Jeffrey City tonight.

After I said I'd probably see them later, I walked in and ordered pancakes from "Grandma." Mike and Gloria from Rochester, NY, the owners of the other two bikes outside, were finishing their breakfast. They were also headed for Jeffrey City.

After I finished my pancakes and filled my water bottles (it was the kind of laid-back place where the lady just let me to go back in the kitchen myself and fill them up), I rode North for 11 miles to Muddy Gap, where the gas station/store was closed on Sunday. There was a creepy, junk-filled "campground" there, and I couldn't believe the two girls I had met earlier had found this preferable to Jeffrey City... just how deserted was the place, anyway?

I rode West for a while, into the wind as usual, and soon caught up with Gordon and Wendy and Mike and Gloria. We all stopped at Split Rock Historic Site to take pictures, and then started the twelve or so miles to Jeffrey City.

The others were riding a little more slowly than me, so I arrived in town first. Jeffrey City is now a ghost town with only 50 residents, but at one time it was a booming place with thousands of people. The town was formed near a Uranium mine, but the place went bust after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident. The town is now full of abandoned, decrepit buildings. The only places open are the motel and a bar/cafe. The motel, which has obviously been there a while, is known variously as the JC Motel, The Top Hat, the Motel 54, or the Green Mountain Motel.

I went to the motel's office, which was not open. There was, however, a hand-lettered sign on the door with a few telephone numbers. I called one of them and talked to Fay, the manager. She said a room would cost $35, "if I only used one of the two beds in the room." I told her it sounded good, and she said she would be there in 15 minutes. She arrived, I paid her, and then checked out the room. The inside was very old and plain, but seemed clean - and there was an air conditioner! The television was 1970's vintage, and I could only get one channel (4 - PBS), very fuzzily. Still, I felt fortunate that the place was even open.

After I checked out the room, I rode down to the only other active business in town - the Split Rock Bar. Gordon and Wendy and Mike and Gloria were there, having caught up while I was checking into the motel. I finally met three other Westbound cyclists I'd been hearing about for a while - A father-son-and-daughter team: Eugene, Brandon and Heather. They weren't staying in Jeffrey City, but were headed another twenty miles down the road to camp. I also met Bill Lowe, who is keeping a journal on this site; he had gotten to Jeffrey City before me, and was also staying in the motel.

Gordon went over to check out a "campground" nearby, and returned indignant - the guy wanted $20 to pitch a tent there, and there weren't even showers or bathrooms. "You might as well camp out there," he said, gesturing towards the desolate desert all around us. Gordon, Wendy, Mike and Gloria all decided to get rooms at the motel too.

Later, around 6:30, the five us went down to the Split Rock Bar for dinner (Bill had already eaten there; he wasn't exhibiting any signs of food poisoning, so I decided it was safe...) Joe, the crusty, bearded old guy who worked at the place, gave a lengthy speech explaining that if we heated up the frozen pizzas ourselves, he wouldn't have to charge us sales tax. He also mentioned several times that rather than "working" at the bar, he was just "helping out the owners".

The pizza was actually pretty good, and dinner and conversation with the two couples was a lot of fun. When we got back to the abandoned-looking motel, I wondered how it would feel staying in the place by myself - and how it would feel staying there on a dark, stormy night. I decided it would feel like an episode of the Twilight Zone.

I watched a show about killer whales on the fuzzy channel 4 for a while, then went to bed fairly early, after reflecting that this had been an unexpectedly enjoyable day, due in large part to the camaraderie with the other cross-country cyclists I had met.

Wendy and Gordon, From New Zealand. They are riding from Yorktown, VA to Oregon.

Modern-day ghost town Jeffrey City, Wyoming

Virginia-to-Oregon cyclists outside the Split Rock Bar in Jeffrey City: Eugene and his son Brandon and daughter Heather; Gordon and Wendy from New Zealand

Mike and Gloria from Rochester, NY. Another couple riding from Virginia to Oregon

The only motel for many, many miles. This place and the Split Rock Bar were the only open businesses in Jeffrey City.

Needless to say, no one was there, but Fay did come pretty quickly after I called.

I got one of the highly desirable rooms on the end of the building...

I could only get one (fuzzy) channel on the 1970s-era television.

Helpful informational sign inside the Split Rock Bar. Everything you ever wanted to know about Jeffrey City, including the fact that there is one girl and eight boys in the school...

After dinner of frozen pizzas at the Split Rock Bar: Mike, Gloria, Wendy and Gordon

Today's ride: 69 miles (111 km)
Total: 2,811 miles (4,524 km)

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George HallYou wrote "When we got back to the abandoned-looking motel, I wondered how it would feel staying in the place by myself - and how it would feel staying there on a dark, stormy night. I decided it would feel like an episode of the Twilight Zone."

That's interesting to say the least. I stayed in the church hostel outside of town - I think you may find my description of that night rather amusing; https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/buddy/day-65-lander-to-jeffrey-city-wy-whos-afraid-of-a-spooky-church-3b0/
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1 year ago

Jeff LeeTo George HallOh yeah - I remember reading your riveting account of the church in Jeffrey City. I left you a comment about it back when I read it.

And check it out: The motel where I stayed in Jeffrey City is apparently open: https://www.facebook.com/greenmountainmotel/

And there are Google reviews of it in the last six months.

Was it not open when you stayed at the church?
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1 year ago

George HallTo Jeff LeeJeff - thanks for jostling the memory of this old guy - I do remember your comment now. I have really enjoyed reading your journal because it's almost eerie how similar your experiences were to mine - we stayed in a lot of the same places (I haven't commented about them all cause it was getting old- but, for instance, same hotel in Lander and Wisdom). I understand what you mean about not offending the locals in your journal, I have struggled with that as well. I haven't finished your journal yet, anxious to see how many other similar experiences we shared. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
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1 year ago

George HallTo Jeff LeeOh - regarding the Jeffrey City hotel - I think it was undergoing some renovation or was closed for other reasons, not certain of that, but I think someone at the bar told me that - I was riding west to east on that half of my journey, so I wouldn't have encountered the hotel until leaving the next day - by the time I had cycled down the dirt road out of town a bit to reach the church I sort of felt committed to stay there anyway. Despite my experience of that night, I would recommend others consider staying at the church hostel, especially if they aren't traveling solo.
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1 year ago