By Jamie Wolf
THIS IS A REMINDER TO WYOMING OUTDOOR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FRIENDS that everyone is invited to our Ride the Red bike tour in the Red Desert this Saturday, August 28.
We are co-hosting this outing with the Bureau of Land Management’s Rawlins office as part of the agency’s Take It Outside initiative, which is part of its Stewardship and Outdoor Ethics Program.
In every Ride the Red tour the Wyoming Outdoor Council tries to explore a different and especially scenic part of the Red Desert, and this year we will be riding the Powder Rim!
Bring your mountain bike and helmet. (Many local gear and bike shops will rent out mountain bikes, so please check around if you do not own one but are interested in joining the ride).
When: Saturday, August 28, 10:30 a.m. — (flexible departure time)
Where: We will meet at 10:30 a.m. at the Lariat Quick Stop gas station in Baggs, WY . We will caravan approximately 8 miles north on Wyoming Highway 789, and then go west on a scenic and well-maintained dirt road for approximately 20 miles to our trailhead and parking area. Click here for a basic map.
Who: Everyone is invited! Experienced and amateur bikers welcome; you are free to go at your own pace, but please be prepared for some exercise in the outdoors.
What: The bike tour will be a 14-mile loop on a two-track trail along the Powder Rim. There are both steep and gradual uphill areas, as well as some downhill and flat terrain. Some portions of the trail are rocky, others are fine gravel, and others are bare dirt. There is one area (less than a mile) that could be considered technical (we will flag this spot, and you are welcome to walk it if needed).
If you are up for an extra challenge, you can choose to bike all the way from the BLM road to the loop, rather than driving, but please contact Jamie if you are thinking of doing this.
Powder Rim offers spectacular views of colorful badlands, juniper woodlands, and opportunities for viewing ferruginous hawks and other unique wildlife. The southern portion of the loop is part of the Cherokee Trail and overlooks the Skull Creek Rim and the southern tip of the Adobe Town Wilderness Study Area, one of the Wyoming Outdoor Council’s Heritage Landscapes.
We will provide a shade tent, extra beverages, basic first aid supplies, and an unofficial emergency exit vehicle where the loop begins and ends.
There are opportunities along the loop to stop off for lunch and to walk from the two-track to enjoy alternate views of the landscape.
Open, dry camping is allowed on the BLM land that surrounds the area if you wish to stay the night before or after the ride. Please contact Noelle Glines-Bovio, Recreation Planner with the Rawlins BLM, for more information if you are interested in this option: 307.328.4310 or Noelle_Glines-Bovio@blm.gov.
What to bring: PLENTY of water, a sack lunch, and any snacks you need to fuel you along, sun protection, binoculars, a camera, and your mountain bike and helmet.
And don’t miss these other upcoming events!
Saturday, September 11: River restoration & willow cutting with Laramie Rivers Conservation District. (RSVP by 9/4)
Friday, September 17, 6 p.m.: The annual member picnic at Rotary Park in Casper. (RSVP by 9/15)
For more information or to RSVP contact Jamie Wolf at 307.721.7610, or jamie@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org