Hi Pete. That's a great map. It's strange how "science" (the map) sometimes declares one thing, and yet, sometimes our own experiences (anecdotal evidence) tells us something else. In '06, when heading eastbound from Pueblo on the TA, we had favorable winds from the SW from eastern CO, KS, and MO. We were often able to effortlessly ride at 18-20 mph and more, while quite often the poor folks we met who were heading west were struggling and exhausted. We very seldom experience headwinds in the middle of the country. However, when afternoon storms would blow up, the winds would reverse direction.
Then again, in 2009, while riding a modified TA from south of Denver up to Montana my friend Paul and I often faced headwinds, especially from Rawlins, WY to the Tetons. (That's a predominantly NW heading.) To be fair, this was mid to late August and the wind mostly seemed to be coming from the west, but shifted a lot, always feeling like a headwind. Wyoming was/is amazing, regardless of direction traveled.
I will say that that first glimpse of the Tetons when descending the west side of Togwotee Pass was awe-inspiring and a special treat for west-bounders. Unfortunately, there was enough of a westerly wind that kept us from experiencing what should have been a nice downhill into the national park. Stunning nonetheless.
Of course, there are occasional days into the wind no matter which direction one travels. The main thing is, just get out there and do it--one stroke of the pedals at a time.
Just my experiences on the road,
Ted
