DAY 11 – Diagnus Well to Rawlins (112.2miles)

The only shade for over 100 miles today is an old water tank about half way at a road junction. We are all still together here and have a well earned break in the shade. It’s not long before I close my eyes and drift off as nobody is shouting to press on. The wind is cooling in the shade and we wait out the heat of the day. Somebody’s snoring keeps waking me up, which I find out later was my own.
From the tank there is a headwind along the last of the dirt road, but then its pavement stretching all the way 40 miles into Rawlins. Although I have plenty of water, I’m not drinking enough for what I’m losing and after 90 miles as the final climb of the day rises up in front of me I’ve had enough for today. The mental effort increases ten fold and I know I should take a rest to hydrate but just want to get to Rawlins so push on.

In Rawlins I find a great smoothie shop in town and drink about 4 pints of chilled smoothie and feel the life coming back to me. A huge ice cream later and I’m feeling good to go again. Not a bad main street but the rest of Rawlins is a dump! I check a few motels but all are full or very expensive for tat. Bruce and Matt find one but it seems that’s the last reasonably priced room in town.

Josh and I head back into town and get a great Thai meal, resupply at the supermarket and call in to MTBcast. Dark and getting late we consider the options of which ditch or bit of wasteland we are going to sleep in/on. It doesn’t feel safe in this big town so we find Bruce and Matt’s room and crash on their floor. I have a very restless night and wonder if I slept at all. Rawlins is just giving me bad vibes, and apart from a great smoothie shop and Thai restaurant I wish I’d carried on through.