Lander, Wyoming: A Weekend Away

Keith and I traveled to Lander, Wyoming, for the WYO 131 bike race and decided to extend the trip to explore more of the area. It was a great weekend away and a mini vacation!

Arriving in Lander

Lander, WY, is about a 5-hour drive from our home in Utah. This makes for a perfect weekend away. We each worked a half day on Friday and then headed out. We stopped in Evanston, WY, at GiGi's Coffee House to break up the drive and give me a chance to walk around since I'm still being treated for a blood clot.

After the second leg of the trip, we checked into our room at the Inn at Lander, Travelodge. The hotel is old, but our room was quite large, which was great for Keith's bike/gear. Next, we headed to Pushroot Brewing Company so Keith could check in and collect his race packet. We really appreciated how well the race was organized, including the emphasis on both the local community and the biking community.

We ended the evening with dinner at Bali Rumah. The sushi appetizer was fantastic, and we each really enjoyed our main courses. Keith spent the rest of the evening preparing his bike before going to bed early since that 4 am alarm would be a bit shocking.

Race Day

We arrived at the Lander City Park around 5:00 am for the 5:30 am race start. Keith rode his bike from the hotel as a short warm-up. The WYO 131 is a 131-mile race with 10,000 feet of elevation gain. According to their website, it's an "untamed adventure - a legendary test of endurance through Wyoming's rugged backcountry." Keith will be writing about his experience during the race.

After I cheered him on at the start of the race, I went back to sleep for a couple of hours. It was way too early for me.

While Keith was Riding

Keith expected to finish in around 12 hours. I would have little to no contact throughout the day, so I planned to be back at the park around 4:00 pm just in case he was faster than he thought. The town was celebrating the race and Oktoberfest as a combined first-ever event called Biketoberfest. The event featured live music, contests, food, and vendors in the park.

For most of the day, I made my own plans, starting with a coffee shop. Even though Lander seems like a small town, there were several coffee shops and restaurants, all with great reviews. I chose to have breakfast and coffee at Crux Coffee. I sat to read my book for a while and even eavesdropped on a few locals.

Next I drove to Worthern Meadows Reservoir, which passes through Sinks Canyon State Park, up the famous S-turns, and then becomes an unmaintained road to the reservoir. I was caught off guard by how beautiful the drive and reservoir would be! I was in awe the entire time and pleasantly surprised that the unmaintained road wasn't too bad. I originally planned to paddleboard, but after more research a couple of days before, I knew it likely wouldn't happen. The reservoir is at a higher elevation, so it's cooler and windy. My idea of paddleboarding is more floating and relaxing, so this was not ideal for me. I was glad I did the drive, though, and planned to bring Keith if his race didn't take him to the reservoir. I spent the rest of the day at the hotel pool reading my book until it was time to head over to Biketoberfest.

Biketoberfest

I arrived at Biketoberfest just in time to see the stein-holding contest. I enjoyed walking around to see the vendors, and the live music was a real plus. It reminded me of small-town festivals back in Indiana. Everyone knew each other and was having fun.

There was plenty of entertainment while I waited for Keith. It was fun to see the race finishers and large groups of people cheering them on as they crossed the finish line. Keith crossed the finish line at 12:01:34, 12 hours and 1 minute! Boy, was he accurate in his estimate of a 12-hour finish time! He was happy to be done, in really good spirits, ready to tell me about the highlights of his day.

The event included a meal for Keith, and I could purchase one so we had dinner together. This was a big plus because some races offer food, but if you don't finish quickly enough, you miss out. Again, the whole race and Biketoberfest were so well organized and thoughtful to all racers. After dinner, we explored the festival for a bit, then headed back to the hotel so Keith could get cleaned up.

Later in the evening, we grabbed a celebratory beer and more food at the Lander Bar and Grill. Keith ran into a couple of racers he met earlier in the day. It was nice that he could spend more time chatting in the relaxed environment. One of the guys actually lives in Salt Lake City in the winter and works at Alta Ski Resort. We're hoping to see him during the upcoming ski season. It really is a small world when you start talking with people!

Upcoming Post

Next time, I'll share more about the long weekend, which included a wild horse sanctuary and a hike in Sinks Canyon State Park!

Have you visited Lander, Wyoming? What did you do while you were in the WY area? Let us know in the comments section below.👇 💬