Steamboat

Today I get back on the bike to continue the journey south, but before I do, an adventure update is in order. First, the riding portion from Pinedale, WY to here in Steamboat, CO. I'll do a separate post for my time in the Denver area. 

Riding out of Pinedale towards the Wind River Mountains was boring for the first 20 miles or so as I was on pavement, but it soon turned to dirt. At this point a strong headwind also greeted me, making for tough progress. The night before I had setup a meeting with a friend from back home who happened to be doing some ranching near the trail (actually, the trail runs right through the ranch). Colin rides for this outfit 2 or 3 days a week moving cattle from horseback. With little cell service throughout the day, we had to setup a time and place beforehand. We decided to meet at the crossing of Lander Cutoff Road and Little Sandy Creek at 7pm. It was nice to arrange a meetup the old fashioned way, a time and geographic location, as opposed to a cell phone call 10 minutes beforehand. Just goes to show that the world probably would keep spinning even if we didn't all have cell phones and internet. 

 Everything went according to plan, and I met Colin on the road. He pulled up with his truck and trailer and we only had a short wait until Kyle, Lauren, Mike, and Amy showed up. He drove us back to the ranch house and we had a great time relaxing and cooking a nice dinner. 

Horse, meet bicycle

Our trusty mounts

The top picture features the Wind River Range in the background. If there's a place on the route so far that I can see myself going back and spending more time in, it's here. The terrain just seems to match my idea of The West and the route mainly skirted the mountains, leaving lots of opportunities for further exploration. 

 We left Colin's place headed for the Great Basin. This is a desert in central Wyoming and an anomaly along the Continental Divide. Water that falls here doesn't ever make it to any ocean. Instead it is held captive in the Basin until it eventually evaporates. My map and guidebook both suggested carrying large quantities of water in case usual sources were found dry. This was also a potentially 3 day stretch of flat riding into strong headwinds and brutal sun. My experience was different than most I suspect. I did face sections of strong winds, but mainly from the thunderstorms that followed me for two afternoons. The first day in, a very strong storm stopped my progress and I actually setup my tent to take shelter. The lightning thankfully stayed away, but the hail didn't. I was pelted for about 15 minutes. The storms did keep the sun off my back for the most part, but they also obscured the night sky. I'd been looking forward to some epic stargazing, but it wasn't to be. For the majority of the ride I'd avoided rain, but then I get to the desert and it follows me everyday, go figure.

 

Quick shutter finger

The Basin is home to a large population of wild horses which I was lucky enough to see some of. I think I ended up seeing about 9 or 10 of them. The Basin also encompasses the intersection of the Oregon Trail and Pony Express route. Riding these trails was interesting because the landscape is virtually unchanged from those days. The pace of a bicycle also closely matches that of the pioneers, so I could easily imagine myself on a wagon creeping along through the sage (though I was headed east).

I spent the night in Rawlins after climbing out of the Basin and got my chores done. Out of Rawlins, the first big climb in quite a few days greeted me. Yet again, a thunderstorm boiled up near the summit, but blew by with no rain. Soon after cresting, I got my first flat of the trip. Somewhere I had run over a thorn and it was more than the BOB could handle. A sense of cautious optimism was beginning to creep in that I might make Mexico with no punctures, but no more.

Approaching the Colorado border, the groves of Aspen started to dominate the landscape. I rode through well known 'Aspen Alley', but honestly wasn't that impressed. I'm sure it would have been better in the fall when everything was gold, but there are plenty of roads back in Virginia with a better tree canopy, especially in the fall. 

Aspen Alley

My entry into Colorado was the least impressive yet. If there hadn't been a 'Leaving Wyoming' sign, I wouldn't have even known it happened. I had to settle for the next post office sign for my Colorado self portrait. Again a thunderstorm chased me into the evening, but just as it hit I happened to make Brush Mountain Outpost, and ducked in to avoid the rain. 

The next day I woke up to a steep 4 mile climb with Steamboat waiting on the other side. The last 2 miles were STEEP and I had to push my bike over the top. I'd obviously been looking forward to the descent, but the road was in terrible shape and the ride down was almost as rigorous as the ride up. I was surprised to find my trailer still attached at the bottom the vibration was so bad.

View from the top

I'd never seen Beavers so close before

Yet another fortunate trail coincidence greeted me in Steamboat. I met Sarah on the bike path as I was trying to figure out where to stay for the night. I gladly accepted her invitation to stay with her and Rich. They are touring cyclists themselves and provided a great meal to end the day as well as a soft bed. They also let me store my bicycle in their shed while I was in Denver. Thanks again!

Here's the post office schedule for the second half of the trip should you desire:

Salida, CO 81201          August 29th
Abiquiu, NM 87510        September 8th
Pie Town, NM 87827     September 15th
Silver City, NM 88061    September 19th

Homebaked goods are always appreciated as well as protein bars. Thanks in advance!

Out of time for today. SPOT back in action!

Boulder

I've pedaled as far as Steamboat Springs, CO where I was picked up by Rachel and Kali for off bike adventures. Today we're in Boulder, after visiting Rocky Mountain National Park yesterday. I plan to put up a full post sometime in the next few days when I have a spare hour. I also won't be providing SPOT updates until I'm back on the bike next week.

Pinedale

Coming to you today from Pinedale, WY, a little (well, decent sized by Wyoming standards) cowtown beside the Wind River Mountains. I've even gotten a hotel for the night to wash off a week's worth of dust and sunscreen. I'm actually sharing the room with 4 other cyclists on the Divide, all of whom have appeared elsewhere in the blog.

I had been riding solo for about three days before I ran into Kyle and Lauren again at the Jenny Lake campground in Grand Teton NP. I thought they would be well ahead of me, but some bad pizza in Macks Inn set them back two days. The next day I rode north from Jenny Lake to Colter Bay campground to relax for a day before getting back on the route. If you follow the SPOT coordinates you may have wondered if it got screwed up, but no, I did in fact ride 50 miles south to Jackson Hole, then another 50 back to where I started at the top of Teton NP. Almost to the campground, I happened to run into Mike and Amy at a gas station getting supplies. We have paced and camped with each other for the past four nights since then. Good company makes the miles easy. I feel like I could write an entire post about the crazy coincidences that happen out on the route. Maybe next time.

The day hike from Jennys Lake in Teton was amazing! Very, very tiring, but very rewarding. To avoid the crowds all you really have to do is walk a mile past the parking lot. I hiked up to Lake Solitude which sits to the west of the Tetons, up Cascade Canyon. Saw two bull moose at close range (~50ft.) and they didn't seem to even notice me. Nearing the lake, the canyon opened up into a spectacular alpine valley. I've never been to the Alps, but from all the pictures I've seen, this come pretty close.

 

All three Teton's framed

 

 



The climb up Togwatee (say Toe-guh-tee) Pass was the first big one in a while but conveniently there was a bar halfway up to get a cold one. That really pushed me over the top (actually I probably should have chugged more water). This was also the most exciting CD crossing. A random minivan of people stopped at the summit, piled out, and fashioned a finish line for us! They all cheered as we finally got to the top. Their adventure was just getting started. They had driven 22 hours from Cincinnatti and were going to look for 2 million in buried gold. Supposedly they had some clues to its whereabouts, and even if they strike out, I'm sure they'll have a damn good time doing it.

 

Amy breaking the tape



 

Yesterday we crested Union Pass, an ancient route used to traverse the CD in the Wind River Mountains. The last four miles were seemingly endless, and very steep at times. Atop the pass, there were no less than three wildfires visible. The largest of the three was behind us and downwind, but the other two were on ridges we would skirt later in the day. Luckily, these were also downwind of us, so we didn't have much to worry about. Still, a wildfire is a wildfire, and it did add a bit of an edge to the day, which I quite enjoyed. Much like a good thunderstorm, potentially dangerous weather events are exciting to me.

 

Large fire to our north. That's not a cloud.



Smaller but closer fire to our east

 

Now for the random image portion of our show:

 

 

Yeah Wyoming!

 

Not sure I've ever seen a grey cow, but there she is







Idaho!... Now Wyoming!

So long Montana, it's been a beatiful ride. I just crossed into Idaho today through Red Rock Pass which also happens to be my sixth CD crossing. It was a short climb (in comparison) but I was being chased by a thunderstorm the whole afternoon. It finally caught up to me on the last five miles into Macks Inn, ID but blew on through quickly. I'm sorry to see Montana go, it seems like the wildest and most remote part of the trip if only in my mind. The Alaska of the lower 48.

Turns out Idaho only lasted for 2 days. The memorable parts were riding along an old Union Pacific railroad grade alongside the Warm River. This part is locally referred to as a 'recreational trail'. Translation: ATV trail. The small tires make great little washboards that are perfect for mountain bike misery. The scenery made up for it though. 

 

Crossing into Wyoming was much less dramatic than the Idaho border. You could miss this gunshot sign in the woods if you weren't crawling along at 6mph. I have to say this road, the stretch between Ashton ID and Flagg Ranch WY, was probably the worst yet. Washboards and large loose rocks made for a long 30 mile stretch. BUT, it did get me into Grand Teton NP by the evening. 

Which is where I am now. Well actually Jackson Hole (very nice library) just to the south. While I haven't felt quite as isolated from people as I thought I would for most of the trip, rolling into this very popular NP has made me realize I was. So many people! The last time I was here I was 12(?) so I don't remember that much about the whole area, just that we saw a moose, but it seems more like a resort than a national park to me. Being on a bike has really allowed me to see how almost everything caters to the automobile. Drive, stop at overlook and maybe get out for 2 minutes, drive to the next overlook and so on. Most people don't actually spend much time IN the environment, just watch it through the windshield. My route brought me around from the west side of the mountains, so I got to see them from both sides. Impressive either way. I was a little worried about getting a camp spot for the night since I hadn't reserved anything, but their sites are huge and it wasn't a problem.

Tetons from the west

Tetons from the north

One of many I've seen here in the park

 I can also thank the last two campgrounds I've stayed at for one, keeping me awake at night with RV generators, and two for waking me in the morning to the sounds of a Harley patrol rolling out. Rolling thunder right. 

Backtracking a bit (I realize it's been a while since I've posted here) I was also in the fine city of Butte MT for a day. My visit happened to coincide with the annual Evel Knievel festival! One of those serendipitous things you always hope for on a ride like this. Butte was his hometown and he definitely still has a presence there.

Me and my boy Evel

Turns out the the Evel festival is kind of a mini Harley rally (not really surprising). Maybe a little local warmup for Sturgis in August. It was a great time watching guys do stupid things on motorcycles. The Wall of Death act was great, a little pit of testosterone and gasoline (as seen below). It's like one of those wooden roller coasters, you know they're safe, but you still think it might fly apart at any moment.

Afternoon and evening thunderstorms have become the norm. There's so much space out here and the vistas so big, you can see them coming from a long way off. That also allows you to see the whole thing (sometimes) which makes them seem more intense. I do love a good storm, so no complaints here. This is one that ended up going around us for the most part as we camped beside the Lima Reservoir (we being myself, Kyle, and Lauren). I only spent that one night with them, and haven't seen them since, but we may cross paths again. Such is the Great Divide. 

 

 I'm running out of time here at the library, so now for random images:

He's talkin to me

Headwaters of the Missouri River

The ol double

That's how they roll

Sunrise on the CD

Adventure!

 

Helena

Public internet at last! It's been a challenge finding libraries number one, and second finding one open on the day I happen to roll into town. I've been out in the wilds of Montana for 11 days now and pedaled about 400 miles. Helena is the first and maybe the biggest city (?) I'll visit so I'm going to spend a day here taking in the historic sights and hopefully a brewery tour.

For the past few days I have been pacing, and usually camping with two other groups doing the GDR. Mike and Amy from England who are planning to do the entire route, and Tess, Lynn, and Chuck who are doing this section down to Butte. It's been nice having people to talk to and share dinner with after long days in the saddle. Yesterday was the hardest day yet, as I summited two continental divide passes. Typically the suggested day's ride only includes one long ascent, then directs you to a campground to rest up for the next day. I wanted to get a little more time here in Helena, so I pushed on up mountain #2. I think total climbing for the day was around 4000 ft. Last night was also the first fire I have had the entire ride. I'm usually just too tired to mess with it, but it was a great complement to the full moon over Montana. I might have even done a little howling.

Mike and Amy





Campsite at Cedar Creek

There has been only one thunderstorm the entire time out here and that lasted for all of 30 minutes. It's been nice not having to get out my rain gear at all. Some 30 miles further south, that same storm produced very strong winds and knocked over quite a few trees along the route as I saw the next day on the ride through. Glad I was a day behind that.

Overall, I've been very surprised by the friendliness and hospitality of folks along the way. Two nights ago we camped at a B&B in Lincoln free of charge including the luxuries of a hot shower and flush toilet. This is the longest I've spent 'on the road' and the first time without a car. It's a great feeling of freedom packing up everything you need in the morning then seeing where you end up at the end of the day (with a general plan of course). When I return home I definitely think I'll make an effort to accommodate travelers along their way (Blacksburg is on the transamerica bike route). A cold beer from a stranger at the end of a long day on the trail is worth its weight in gold.

Also, at the same B&B... check out this treehouse! It's their summer home while they rent out the main house for events.

 

I still haven't seen any bears! I did see a pair of elk at a lake I camped at on night 8. Besides deer, those are the only large animals I've seen so far. The good news is I still have 2150 miles to go.

Clearwater Lake at sunset



This next bit will be a bit random as I'm just going back through the journal looking for observations worthy of remembering.

On day 4 a group of about 7 motorcyclists passed me on the road. The last one stopped to chat for a minute. The best part of it? The introduction:

'Hey, where you headed?'
     'Mexico.'
'Yeah, us too.'

Just like it ain't no thang. Where else, but on a trip like this would something like that be so ordinary.

Logging out here is so easy. All the trees grow perfectly straight!

If you want an old truck, come out west. They are everywhere and usually in good shape. No road salt in the winters will do that for ya.



I swam in the Blackfoot river which I've always had an affinity for but never seen.

One step closer to a jetpack for everyone.



Here is some random scenery from the trail. I try to take one representative shot of the terrain everyday, so at the end I can watch it all change in a matter of minutes.

Tricky bit of singletrack

Beautiful bit of singletrack

Equine roadblock

 

Close to a CD divide summit

Atop a CD summit
  



Cowboy! (s) still exist!



Montana!

The biking has begun! I've been in the saddle for 4 days now, so everything is still new and there's plenty to talk about. Some first impressions:

It's easy to fall in love with the West if you like being outdoors. Everything is set to a grand scale including the adventure. My first day of riding was from the train station in Whitefish up to the border crossing at Roosville. I took the quickest most direct route, highway 93, which turned out to be full of log trucks and RV's flying by at 70mph. It seems like the local party happens in the mountains every weekend. Everyone hooks up their big ass camper trailer or boat to their big ass truck and hauls ass for the mountains. Most know what they're doing, but it's the tourists (and there are plenty of them here this time of year myself included) who've never even towed a lawn mower that can really scare you. I had a couple of nervous moments that first day up the highway. This parade happens every weekend and the closest thing I can compare it to is gameday in a college town but instead of heading for a piece of asphalt to party, they go to the mountains.

Here's me and my rig at the border on day 2. So if nothing else, at least I started this Canada to Mexico trip right and started in Canada! With food and water fully loaded, I'm pulling about 60lbs. plus the daypack on the bike rack which adds another 6 or 7lbs. So hills can definitely be slow going.

 

Physically, I'm getting used to long days in the saddle by now (will I be able to have kids?) and my legs aren't too sore. The first big climb happened at Whitefish divide at the end of day 2. Up until this point I had been on paved roads and pretty close to civilization. It was nice to finally hit dirt and set the tone for the majority of the remaining route. First night I had to worry about Grizzlies as well, so I had to string up a bear bag with all of my food in it. This can be a real pain trying to find a branch to get a rope over in a coniferous forest (very dense and lots of close branches). Guess it's probably worth the effort, though I would like to see how well the spray works... not really.



 

 

Haven't seen any large animals yet (deer don't count). No bears, elk, sheep, etc. I have seen plenty of birds though. Two nesting osprey on day 1 had their nest on a power pole right next to the highway. I don't think they see too many bikers come their way because as soon as I got near, they both left the nest and circled me until I left (but didn't care a bit about the cars and trucks whizzing by). The highlight of the trip so far was two nights ago when I was camped at Red Meadow Lake. I spotted a bald eagle across the lake and watched him for a little while. He then left his perch and flew directly over me, about 15 feet off the ground. I could hear the wind past his wings. America! The only thing that would have made it better is if he dropped a fish into my lap for dinner on his way by. Here's the best shot I could get with my little camera. 

 

Day 3 introduced me to the kind of road I'll be riding for the majority of the trip. Lots of rocks and washboards! The fingers on my right hand started to go a little numb. We'll see if that persists. This is the climb up to Red Meadow Lake with a peak in Glacier National Park in the background. I would have liked to get into the park and do some hiking, but when you're on a bike you can only go so far for side trips. I can't figure out how to rotate this image at the moment... I'll work on that.



 

 

Until next time, I've got 40 miles to put in today.