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1.START-END EAST:jct CR180 - CR173, immediately south of exit 23B on I80 2.profile stays left on CR173 3.profile stays left on CR`171 4.TOP, 7600ft, jct with gravel road heading south 5.START-END WEST ALT:profile turns north onto Wy150 6.START-END WEST:I80 entrance on the east side of Evanston

Approaches

From East. Exit238 on I80 seems to be in the middle of nowhere. But it is the start of a gently climbing, perfectly smooth surfaced dirt road that strings ranches together like pearls on a string. You can also get to this point over another gravel road that parallels I80, called Evanston Rd on maps (that was my route). There are no signs in the area.

From exit 238, the gravel road follows Muddy Creek, a very common name in Wyoming. But the valley is really something special - very gently, ruled by a wildly curving little stream bringing lots of water to the thirsty cows. Adjacent valleys  on both sides have a much more drier appearance. The road climbs almost imperceptibly but steadily. Piedmont is a site of three Charcoal Kilns, together with informational tablets that explain how they were constructed by an enterprising business man, to make charcoal with wood from the nearby Uinta Mountains, in order to sell railroad ties to the transcontinental railroad building effort, going on nearby.

Rather than staying on CR171 this summit route takes the southern path over CR173. Finally the road becomes fairly steep and climbs over large rolling plain above treeline. In the far distance the Uintah Mountains form a white rim to this sweeping grassy scene. The junction with Piedmont - Aspen Rd is immediately before the summit. These road names are often shown wrong on maps.

From West (described downwards) A first sweeping decent leads down towards a large breadloaf shape. At the next junction I had to study a large paper map may to clear up confusion about the current location. Actually it just created new confusion, because from a cyclist's point of view most options available from here are not really shown on the map. This was my first ride in this area and so the profile continues on whatever road appears to have the most usage, which was also the originally planned loop. CR173 continues. It works. It gets you back to pavement to complete the loop. Regular residences become more common as the road approaches pavement.

If coming from the other direction on Wy150 the junction with this gravel road is easy to recognize. But you have to look out for a special sign. Instead of a road sign, there is one saying "road closed - your gps is wrong". The profile includes Wy150 all the way back to Evanston. It has a wide, delapidated shoulder often with a badly executed rumble strip as wide as a Mormon push cart. However the shoulder is so huge, that riding on it is really no problem whatsoever, especially on a wide tires.