July 1 2023 – Lander to Jeffrey City Wyoming

Posted on by Dianna
July 1, 2023 Saturday Day 29. Lander to Jeffrey City
 
Miles: 59.84 – Total accent: 2,682
Totals:. Miles-1,456.01
Accent- 54,014 feet –  climbed 126.50 hrs in the saddle

Our day began by meeting Chuck and Cindy Kenyon at breakfast. Chuck taught IT at a community college, volunteered for the fire department and is the emergency management coordinator for the city of Torrington. Cindy retired from being the county clerk for Goshen County. We chat about the area and share our journey. After a few minutes, it’s evident they have a lot of knowledge of the area. We agree to meet in an hour for an interview. So interesting to learn how the area developed! Thank you Chuck and Cindy!

Afterwards, we head out on our way to Jeffrey City. More high desert, more long stretches. About half way through we start a 6 1/2 mile climb. Snow was still tucked into the crevices. It’s a slow slog up. On the roadside, was a deer that had been hit. It looked to be about 14 hands tall. Debris that looked like headlamps was scattered about. As we climbed further, we noticed the sky behind us growing darker and darker. Oh boy. It looked like a storm was chasing us!
Just keep pedaling! Just keep pedaling!!
We crest the climb and stop briefly to read the sign about Beaver Rim. And the Strom is coming.
Off again with diligent intent. We need to get to Jeffery City. There is no shelter of any kind until we do – no trees, no buildings, NOTHING!
We ride as fast as we can. Attempts to stop for a moment are met with extremely aggressive mosquitoes. We push and push. As we twist and turn along the road, the wind really kicks up. Oh, those side gusts! Grrrrh! It reminded me of Tour de Palm Springs when riders were blown off the road.
We turn again, this time placing the wind at our backs. We’re in our biggest gear, spinning at 100+ and moving at over 35 mph. We are literally getting blown down the road and into town.
We can see Jeffrey City-the buildings at a distance and it begins to sprinkle. Faster! Faster! Just as we pull up to the first group of buildings, we see everyone grabbing umbrellas, furniture and anything that can be blown to secure them. I try to dismount my bike but the side gusts are too strong. A man comes to help me.
We hunker down next to a building for a few minutes and decide to head for the community church where we will stay the night. The road there is sandy and the gusts so strong we have to walk. The bike is being pulled sideways. I had to hang on with all my strength. Finally, at the church, we get shelter from the wind. We enter and meet Teresa, a solo rider who is also spending the night. She helps us get oriented to rooms. Set up in a room, we begin the routine of charging devices, checking for reception (we have none) and prepping for the evening. Within 30 minutes, the storm has passed. The winds have died down and the sun is shining. Wow! That was an experience!
We go back to ‘town’ to see if we can find dinner. The local cafe is closed because of the potluck at the fire department. We enjoy a home cooked meal and the company of the locals. We learn Jeffrey City was a boom town in the 1980s. They had discovered Uranium so mining ensued. After about 20 years, the mine closed and the town suffered as a result. It reminded us of Slab City out by Salton Sea. (See description at end)
The mosquitoes here are the most aggressive I’ve ever come across. I have nicknamed them radioactive mosquitoes. lol! After the potluck, we decide to return to the church. The fire department is putting on a fireworks display this evening. I’ll watch through the windows of the church. Sitting at the upper level, the display begins around 9:30. What a great display! Not something we would expect to see in such a remote area.
It’s time to retire. Today marks our first month of cycling completed. We are grateful for all the blessings along the way: wonderful people, good weather, tailwinds, amazing bicycles and great life experiences. Oh the stories we’ll be telling!
 

Jeffrey City, once bustling with uranium mining prosperity, now lies abandoned and deteriorating in Wyoming’s harsh elements. Founded by Beulah Peterson Walker in 1931 as a humble homestead named “Home on the Range,” it evolved into a thriving corporate town named after investor Dr. C.W. Jeffrey when uranium was discovered nearby.

During the Atomic Age, Jeffrey City boomed with streets, homes, schools, and businesses rapidly constructed to support mining operations. By 1979, it was home to 4,500 residents. However, the collapse of the uranium industry in the 1980s led to mass layoffs and closures. The town descended into anger and frustration as residents faced joblessness and radiation contamination. By 1985, 95% of the population had left, leaving behind empty streets, abandoned buildings, and a desolate landscape.

Today, Jeffrey City is a ghost town where cracked asphalt streets and rusting streetlights stand as reminders of its past. Schools, hotels, churches, and shops lie boarded up and decaying. Nature has reclaimed much of the town, with empty home plots overgrown and discarded mobile homes scattered about. A few residents remain nearby, but the town itself is eerily quiet and abandoned.

Visiting Jeffrey City offers a glimpse into its haunting past amidst the desolate Wyoming landscape. A gas station/restaurant nearby serves as a lone outpost, where travelers can rest amidst the town’s eerie silence and crumbling infrastructure. While the nearby uranium mine has reopened, modern technology means it requires only a few workers, offering no hope of revival for the ghost town of Jeffrey City.

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