Over the Mountains

7.6.11 - Alpine to Signal Mountain Campground (Grand Teton Nat'l Park) - 73mi

Fantastic ride. That's the first and really only thing you can say about it. We started the day by heading into Snake River Canyon where we followed the River upstream as it wound through Bridger Nat'l Forest. A spectacular ride filled with distant snow-capped peaks, lush valleys covered with wild flowers and wildlife. Although we were headed uphill for the length of the canyon, we never knew because the beauty of the canyon wiped all thoughts of struggle and fatigue from our mind.

We rolled into the town of Jackson around noon and began exploring the picturesque mountain town. While Jackson has grown into a major tourist destination, it still remains true to it's western routes manifest in the cowboy overtones and wooden sidewalks lining the stores of the historic downtown, which itself could have been pulled straight from a John Wayne classic.

Our purpose for stopping in Jackson was two-fold. First, we wanted to check out the town and do a little exploring but it also served as the perfect rendezvous point for us and Larry, one of the owners of RideOut Technologies. Larry and his partner Jerri founded the company after Jerri, a long time cyclist, felt unsatisfied with the bike saddles on the market and decided to make her own. Together, they developed a bike seat called Carbon Comfort that's more ergonomically designed for comfort. James contacted this company before we set off on our trip and they generously donated seats for each of us to use. James and I decided to use the seats while Greg felt more comfortable on his own seat. Both James and I loved the seats but while in Alpine, one of the supports on mine snapped, leaving me sitting lopsided as I roded and looking like I might at any minute topple over onto the shoulder of the road. We contacted Jerri and told her of the problem and after trying to figure out where she could send a replacement, Larry decided that it would be easier for him to just bring us one. In person. He rode his motorcycle over 350mi from Idaho to meet us in Jackson just so he could swap out my broken seat for a new one. The weather was beautiful and the ride couldn't have been any more scenic so I'm sure he wasn't too put out by having to come all the way to meet us, but all the same, I especially was incredibly grateful for the care he showed us. We had eaten an early dinner while we waited for him but Larry offered us dessert and we weren't about to pass that up so we hung out with him for an hour or so and talked with him. He was an incredibly nice and friendly guy and we could have spent the whole evening enjoying his company, but unfortunately, we had about 30 more miles to go before the sun set and the temperature dropped.

Our original plan was to bike to a nearby campground but when we called to check their vacancy, they had none so we scrambled for a back up plan and found a campsite that had spots. We parted ways with Larry, wishing him a good journey back home, and continued our ride north into the Grand Teton Nat'l Park.
Just after leaving Jackson, we climbed a small hill and came round a corner which brought us into view of the stunning Teton Range. The rocky peaks of the mountains look as if the crust of the earth, wanting to enjoy the beauty of the lakes and valleys of the area, burst through the thin skin of grass and stood towering over the land in silent observation.
The soft glow of the setting sun behind the peaks held us in silence as we rode.

We made it to Signal Mountain CG and the CG manager, John, showed us to an overflow spot where we could pitch our tents. In a dense cloud of mosquitoes, which could have easily brought down a moose, we threw up our dents and swatted at the flying pests as they came in for a bite. Looking like chicken pocks sufferers, we retreated to the safety of our meshed havens.

7.7.11 - Signal Moutain CG - Grant Village (Yellowstone Nat'l Park) - 50 mi
We woke early to catch the dawn sun casting its first rays onto the Teton Range across Jackson Lake. We sat by the water and watched as the orange glow slowly pushed back the vestige of darkness while the lake water gently lapped on the shore. It was a true moment of peace.


After, we brought our things down to the water's edge to escape the marauding mosquitoes and while we gearing up to leave, a camper from down the road alerted us to a small Grizzly strolling through the campsite. He wasn't interested in us so we watched as he moved through the wooded grounds, disappearing into the foliage. We weren't about to follow so we headed out north to the South Gate of Yellowstone.

We had another day of spectacular riding as the rode wound around Jackson and Lewis Lake and several miles south of our destination, we crossed the Continental Divide, the separation between waters draining into the Pacific to the west and the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean to the east. We were disappointed to see that we hadn't crested above 8000ft, so we thought we would improvise a bit.

Our wildlife spotting for the day included a field of elk with foxes darting through, to the annoyance of the elk. We were hoping for a bit of action between the two, but after no movement from either camp, we decided to move on.

At the Grant Village CG, a ranger named Susan was kind enough to donate a campsite to us out of her own pocket. We set up our camp and headed down to Yellowstone Lake to enjoy the a late afternoon lunch by the water. Back at camp, we were joined by two other long distance cyclists, Carlos and Harvey and we shared our campfire with them and talked through the sunset and into the evening. Early mornings awaited all so we retired to our tents, eager to explore the park the next day.

7.8.11 - Grant Village CG to Bridge Bay CG (Yellowstone) - 20mi
Our goal for the day was to head to the Upper Geyser Basin, which housed Old Faithful and numerous other geysers but to get there we would have to cross the Continental Divide twice and twice again on the way back (the Divide isn't just a straight line, it follows the peaks of the Rockies and thus twists and turns with the range so that the road to Old Faithful followed such a route that it passed across a tight bend in the Divide resulting in two very high, very steep, very long climbs). Realising that this would consume almost all of our day, we decided the best bet would be to lock our bikes up at the ranger station and hitchhike the 18mi out to the Upper Geyser Basin. With James' rugged good looks on offer (owing to the 3 week beard he's been working on), it was only a matter of minutes before a van pulled over and offered us a ride. Inside were Joe, Evan and Dana, employees of a local adventure company who had just dropped off a van-load of kids and were on their way to Old Faithful as well. They were great company for the ride and James, Greg and I left them feeling slightly envious of their summer occupations.

We entered the park and made our way to Old Faithful, which was scheduled to erupt soon. According to the rangers, Old Faithful erupts roughly every 60-90 min. If the previous eruption is greater than 3min30sec, the next will be about 90min later. If the previous eruption is less than 2min30sec, the next will be about 60 min later. We waited patiently, eyes glued to the spout looking for any spit or gurgle that may signal an eruption. Then the long awaited splutter and bubbling began and Old Faithful let loose a towering column of steam and water. The power and force of which was simply incredible. The eruption lasted long enough for our photographic demands and soon the steam retreated to its subterranean dwelling and we moved on to explore the outer regions of the Basin. There were dozens of other geysers, each with their own eruption schedule, though some were more frequent than others. The bubbling pools came in a rainbow of colors, each dependent on the type of bacteria growing in them and said bacteria depending on the temperature of the water. The hottest waters are home to cyanobacteria giving the water a clear or blue appearance while the cooler waters are home to protozoa which give it a more orange-brown appearance.

The three of us were struck by nature's power and the forces that we at play under our feet. Yellowstone itself sits atop a MASSIVE volcano (called a caldera) which is the source of the geothermal activity and its sheer power was not lost on us. Nor was the smell. Sulfurous fumes lingered in the air, lending the area a smell reminiscent of eggs long past their prime.

While we were there, we had to grab lunch and it was while we were ordering that a couple, Ryan and Rachel, overheard us talking about Lea's Foundation and the purpose for our ride. Without any hesitation, Ryan walked over to us and made a donation to the cause. We were taken aback by his generosity and thanked them heartily.

To get back to our bikes required another hitchhike and again it wasn't long before we were picked up, this time by a family on the move from Indiana to California. They decided to make a summer vacation of the move and were taking in Yellowstone and graciously offered the spare room in their van to us. We enjoyed the ride back and their kids entertained us with stories of their experiences and which animals they saw and liked. The youngest, a preschool aged girl, loved the horses and had so much to say about fish, animals and her shoes that lit up when she walked, however, most of it was lost on us and only her brothers and mom were able to decipher her language.

With the help of the traveling family, we made it back to our bikes and with afternoon storms rolling in (quite common for Yellowstone)we saddled up and began the short trip to the next campground. We had only ridden a mile or so before the heavens opened up and for the next 19mi (which took about an hour and a half) we were beset with waves of heavy rain and moments of pea sized hail. The temperature dropped into the 50s and we arrived at Bridge Bay CG soaked to the bone and shivering cold. We hurried to the campsite which was, of course, at the distant end of the grounds and up a short but very steep hill and, during a brief pause in the weather, set up our tents and took refuge inside as the rain fell for another couple of hours.
When the patter of raindrops on our tents finally ended, we poked our heads out and were surprised so see the clear blue skies of the late evening.

With a bit of the evening left, we cooked a bit of dinner (packaged camping meals and heated chunky soup) and wandered down to the amphitheater to enjoy the ranger presentation on coyotes. Honestly, we went more for the campfire that was set up there (where we dried our shoes - luckily downwind from the rest of the attendees), but we enjoyed hearing about the history of coyotes in Yellowstone.

7.9.11 - Bridge Bay CG to Cody, WY - 80mi
Today we left Yellowstone. A sad day. We had barely scratched the surface of what the park had to offer yet we were forced by time constraints to leave. We agreed that we had unfinished business with the park and that a future trip would be necessary. We exited through the East Gate and as we followed the north shore of Lake Yellowstone, we would occasionally catch drifts of the sulfurous fumes that served to remind us of the geothermal activity under our feet (or tires, as it were). We left the lake and began climbing up through the mountains following the twisting road as it wove across valley and hill, rising high above the lake until it pressed on through the range and the lake was lost behind a peaked wall of grass, pine, brush and rock.

We eventually crested Sylvan Pass at about 8500ft, the highest point of our entire trip and were greeted with a wonderful ribbon of tarmac that wriggled down the mountainside over 2000ft to the East Gate. Of course we raced down that again topping 50mph; the thrill of a winding road, the wheels spinning wildly under you and the wind tearing at you never wanes.

From east gate, we had another 50mi to get to Cody, but with a tail wind and nothing but a downward sloping road ahead of us, we cruised in no time to the city limits.
Along the way, we followed the Shoshone River as it traveled through the National Forest of the same name and marveled at the canyon walls of red rock and brown stone, at times towering over us and at others simply watching over us from a distance. Towers of rock formations rose in clusters like chimneys of underground dwellings. We lunched by the river and enjoyed a quick nap while the river calmly swept by.

The Shoshone emptied into the Buffalo Bill Reservoir, created by the Buffalo Bill Dam, which at the time of its erection was the tallest in the world. We stood on the walkway overlooking the 325ft drop, buffeted by the howling winds trying to force their way into the downstream canyon.

In Cody, the owners of Moose Creek Inn kindly donated a room and for the first night since Alpine, we enjoyed a nice hot shower and each had a bed to ourselves. For that, we are eternally grateful.

7.10.11 - Cody to Shoshoni, WY - 118mi
We had the three H's today: Heat, Hills and Headwind. The result: a long, tiresome day. We passed from the Rockies (sadly) into the foothills and plains of Wyoming. The highlight of the ride came when we entered Wind River Canyon between Thermopolis and Shoshoni. The towering walls seemed to arch over the road and their steep rise gave the illusion that the road was running downhill, when in fact it was a steady, slow climb along the entire length. The confusion was compounded by the fact that the river flowed in the opposite direction to our travel and while we thought we were riding downhill, that meant that the river was flowing uphill. It was one of the tripiest moments of our trip. The only thing I could do was assume I was suffering from a heat-induced hallucination and the only means of escape I had were the two wheels upon which I sat. We pedaled on, trying to ignore the magic river and focus on the beauty of the canyons. I'd like to take a moment here to thank the caretakers of the canyon because they have thoughtfully added signs along the way, next to specific rock formations, indicating the time period in which they were formed. The result is that as you move through the canyon, you move through time. It was such a fascinating experience. Very nicely done.

We arrived in Shoshoni weary, exhausted and drained. We were eager to eat but all that Shoshoni had to offer were two gas stations. One had a built in fast food store so we went in and a girl named Ashley was kind enough to give us a few burgers and burritos that had been sitting under the heat lamp for a while. We set upon those like starving men before limping down to the motel where we stayed for the night.

7.11.11 - Shoshoni to Casper, WY - 103mi
A surprisingly easy day. The road was mostly flat with a few hills thrown in for fun and the last forty or so miles were a net downhill. We passed through the grasslands of central Wyoming without much to note, except an amazing area called Hell's Half Acre, a small valley or basin that seems to have been formed by some unholy being. Jagged spires rise from a withered and torn floor, the rocks bleached by the sun. The name was quite fitting.

We managed to escape the hottest part of the day which saw temperatures in the high 90s. Our first stop was a UPS store where we picked up a very welcomed package. James had managed to secure a donation of sports drink powder from a company called Shaklee. They had given us a sizable amount to start the trip but our supplies had dwindled and were in need of refilling. Shaklee kindly sent us provisions which will keep us well fueled for the looooong days of riding we have ahead.


We were kindly given a hotel room at a nearby Holiday Inn (one of the nicest we've had to date) and at the recommendation of Ryan from Yellowstone, we headed to Applebees where the manager, Bos, and the General Manager John Allen, very, very kindly donated a meal. Having eaten camp food and gas station food for the better part of a week, we felt like kings as we filled ourselves with the great food.