Unexpected circumstances

I was hoping this day would not come.

On the evening of my last blog on June 10, after landing in Silverthorne Colorado, I was made aware of some developing circumstances back home. These circumstances are of a serious enough nature that I have been left with no choice but to indefinitely postpone the remainder of my trip and return home immediately. 

I put the bike and all the equipment in storage in Silverthorne yesterday(June 11) and this morning early I took a shuttle 100 miles to Denver Int'l Airport and flew home. The last couple of days have been quite an emotional drain.

Whether I will be able to return this year and finish the trip remains to be seen and will depend on variables not even known at this time. I am sad and disappointed at this turn of fate but can't help but feel somehow lucky for the opportunity I had while it lasted. 

However events lend themselves to evolve from here on, I want to thank each and every one of you who followed along on this trip with me. The daily show of support from so many of you was nothing shy of tremendous and I am so glad I had the opportunity to share some of my experiences and stories with you. I have saved every blog comment, every trackmytour app comment, every text message and every email from all of you throughout this adventure. They are a reminder for me of what great friends I have. Thank you.

If I can't get back to finish my trip, I am left with the choice of having the bike and equipment shipped back here, or.....................................One of you can fly up there, adjust the seat height and get her done!!

Thanks again. It may not have ended the way I planned, but it was still one of the greatest experiences of my life.

June 10, Day 35, Silverthorne Colorado - 60 miles

The only place to eat in Hot Sulfur Springs is a cafe called the Glory Hole. I walked in at the stroke of 7 AM and was surprised to see the place was packed. A group of cyclists and their support staff from Sweden were in Colorado to do some training in the Rockies. They  were all very nice people and most spoke English(I don't speak Swedish). They also had the odd habit of taking a picture of their food. There were probably 25 of them in the restaurant all together and not one of them was overweight. They must wonder what the hell is going on over here in America.

Riding with the Colorado River

I rolled outta town and joined the Colorado River and a set of train tracks set up against the steep walls of a canyon. The legs felt surprisingly fresh and lively and I guess I would have to credit the hot springs for that! The first 18 miles today finished the remaining gradual descent in a westbound direction down into the town of Kremling. It was a little odd biking toward California for 18 miles when Virginia is in the opposite direction! I corrected things with a southbound turn in Kremling and all was right again. After that it was 42 miles of gradual incline in the Arapaho National Forrest up to the the town of Silverthorne at about 8800 feet of elevation.

I had a couple of scary moments today along a section of elevated roadway which was winding around and above a lake. Road crews had closed one lane of traffic and were alternating the vehicle flow. When my turn came to go I got caught in a narrow gully with no room to go in either direction and a big rig was barring down on me. As he tried to get past me the roadway edge I was riding disappeared and became loose, deep gravel. My front wheel dug into the gravel as I braked frantically to stop, but all it did was cause my front tire to pull right and into the guardrail, which was the only thing keeping me from plummeting 75 feet down the cliff. I leaned my right thigh out into the guardrail and came to a stop. Not funny.

Coming into Kremling

An hour later I was going through a short but winding section of climb. A motorcycle coming from the opposite direction was going way too fast, caught the turn wide and was coming right me. He leaned hard right and I leaned hard right and we missed by each other by about two feet. I have had relatively few close calls so far and consider myself lucky. Some days it happens.

Entering Arapaho Nat'l Forrest

I reached the town of Silverthorne just as the forecasted dark storm clouds formed overhead. The weather had been picture perfect all day up until that time and I have been told by locals that PM Thunder storms are a common occurrence at this altitude, which was about 8,800 to 8,900 feet, depending on what part of town you were in. Silverthorne is a prominent winter resort destination, but they pull out all the stops to lure crowds here during the summer, which according to the hotel lobby guy is about two months long.

With views like the one below, I have decided to take a sight seeing day tomorrow. The bike stays in the room and gets a good chain lubing.

Mountain in Silverthorne

June 9, Day 34, Hot Sulfur Springs, Colorado-61 miles

Ate dinner last night at the same place I had lunch, The River Rock Cafe. The menu bragged about their Chicken fried steak and how it received mention in the National Geographic Travel Guide so I took a break from my pasta ritual and ordered it. Bad decision. Won't solicit Nat Geo for food advice in the future either.

Colorado Rockies

In the morning I walked out the front of my hotel room and discovered that nearly everything was frozen. It was 27 degrees outside! I slid back into my room, threw some more clothes on and got breakfast.

I thought I was about done wearing cold weather gear on the bike but I was wrong. Just before riding out of town I snapped this picture of the mountains while standing in front of a cemetery that was across the street from the hotel.

Today was about 60 miles. The first 30 were all uphill, leading to another Continental Divide and the top of Willow Creek Pass at just over 9600 feet of elevation.  Exactly at the point when I reached the summit, a two other riders coming from the opposite direction arrived also. They were a husband and wife team from England coming crossing the pond to attempt the TransAmerica Trail in the USA. We exchanged scouting reports for both directions and wished each other the obligatory safe trip. I enjoy listening to British people talk.

The Brits

The 30 mile descent down the other side was a beautiful ride filled with wonderful scenery as I followed the Willow Creek down the canyon. Open prairies backed by snow capped mountains made for picture perfect vistas.  Seven miles outside of my destination of Hot Sulfur Springs I transitioned west along a different state route and joined up with the Colorado River as it makes it's way toward the Gulf of Mexico. I followed the Colorado right into Hot Sulfur Springs and the end of the day's ride.

I walked into the Glory Hole Cafe for lunch. A woman named Nancy was the only other person there besides me and we talked at length about my trip. Nancy was completely fascinated with the whole "doing it alone" concept. As I went to pay my tab, the waitress informed me that Nancy had paid it already. She looked over at me with a grin and said she wanted to help make my trip enjoyable. She sure did.

Wonderful Nancy

I have never experienced hot springs before so I figured it was about time. Hot Sulfur Springs Resort has 12 different pools to enjoy, each one has a different temperature and/or some special mineral solution for your healthy soaking soaking experience. I wasted no time with the namby pamby warm pools and went directly up the hill to the hot, hotter and hottest pools! I plopped into the 108-110 degree pool first and had a chat with Pam from Ohio. Pam took her whole family except her husband(cant handle altitude) for a two week swing around Colorado resorts and interesting venues. She snapped this picture for me while we talked.

Next was the 110-112 degree pool. It was pretty dam hot but I worked my way in after the highly suggested 10 minute out of the water interval between soaks. The water was green due to chemical reactions to the sulfur at that temperature. Five minutes was good enough there and I went to the mother of all pools, the 112-114 degree pool. Nobody was in it, but three people were lying in lounge chairs right next to it and they all said they had gone in all the way. Well then that was that. I inched in slowly and painfully over a period of about a minute until fully submerged up to my neck. I managed about four minutes and got out. that was hot!

Soaking it all up

I returned to one of the lesser temp pools and finished my experience. I did come away very relaxed and I will be curious to see how my legs react tomorrow on the bike.

Tomorrow and the next several days are going to be tricky for me. I am ahead of schedule for my rendezvous with my wife on the 16th in Pueblo, Colorado. We are planning a four day mini-vacation around Colorado before I start off on the second half of my journey east. As of this moment I can't seem to make up my mind where I plan to have a couple of sight seeing days. I guess we shall see!

June 8, Day 33, Waldon, Colorado-50 miles

Sometimes one just walks into the wrong establishment. I did just that yesterday evening when I rode a mile down to the tiny town of Riverside and entered a bar called the Mangy Moose. My famous Spidey senses started tingling the second I walked through the front door. The bar was packed and everybody had a cigarette going, a cheap beer in their hand and looks on their faces that can only be derived from a lifetime of miss spent opportunities and questionable decision making. I walked over to the only open seat at the bar and sat, realizing that nearly everybody in the place was looking at me, and they were not looks of love.

After the bartender walked past me numerous times without even looking at me I figured that my presence here, for whatever reason, was not going over well with the regulars. Four particularly edgy looking looking blokes, sleeved out and leathered up were giving me some serious hard looks. I was just about to get up and leave when a rough neck looking person, whom I believed may have been female, walked up to my right and asked me if I was a cop. She said people around here don't trust cops and If I am a cop, this is the not the best place to be. I told her I was actually a bicycle rider passing through town, just looking for some food and maybe a beer. I pointed to my bike out front and asked her how everyone here feels about bikes that you pedal. She(I think) either didn't get my humor or didn't appreciate it and after a moment of reflection, I decided this was the wrong bar to be in. I gave the tough boys a smile and walked, half backwards out of the bar. Silver and I walked 50 yards down the road and into the only other bar in the area called the Bear Trap. Better clientele, non smoking and nice monitors to watch hockey. I ate a plate of pasta and downed two large Shock tops while relating my experience next door to the waitress. She told me everyone in that place has been in prison or will be at some point.

I rose bright and early to get going today, just like the last few days. The weather is a big motivator here for travel purposes and I knew that major and severe thunderstorms were slated to arrive in the early afternoon and carried the possibility of tornadoes. I was moving by 7:20 AM and decided not to mess around for the first three or four hours. I only had 50 miles to ride today but most of them were uphill. I rode hard and had the wind at my back so I made great progress. I also entered the state of Colorado.

I encountered a couple on loaded bikes coming the opposite direction and we met at a turnout. Kevin and Susan, two young adults from Kentucky were doing the majority of the TransAm route from Kentucky to Oregon. They related that they had camped out in Waldon the previous night at the city park, but they didn't realize that Saturday night was outdoor movie night and the while town came out to the park to watch the movie, "Frozen" on a huge outdoor screen. The noise kept them wide awake so they found a heated public bathroom at the edge of the park, went inside, put up their tent, locked the door and slept in the bathroom all night. Yuck.

Kevin and Susan, Potty campers

As I got within about 10 miles of Waldon, the air became very cold and I changed back into my cold weather gear. Low hanging ominous looking clouds began developing and the winds picked up significantly.  I could see some scary looking cloud formations over the area near Waldon and I wondered if I was going to ride right into them. I pulled the ponies out of the barn and turned it up a couple of notches in an effort to beat the storm clouds into Waldon. I rolled into Main Street just minutes before the rain and lightning started. By then I was sitting comfortably at the River Rock Cafe sipping hot coffee and warming up.

News reports were coming in at the restaurant that tornadoes had touched down in the towns of Aurora and Fairplay Colorado. It looked like most of Colorado was dealing with severe weather.

Colorado Rockies near Waldon

The town of Waldon is situated in an area of Colorado called North Park. At 8,200 feet in elevation, it is surrounded on all sides by high peak mountains and sits just outside the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge and the Routte National Forest. Waldon calls itself the top Moose watching area in Colorado, but upon further investigation by yours truly, it is actually the Arapaho Refuge where most sightings occur. This area of Colorado is a popular rafting, fishing, camping, hiking and snowmobiling location. Today however,its just pouring rain.

Today also happens to be last day of the third 10 day riding section. The totals for the last ten riding days are as follows:

Mileage- 605 miles                        trip total- 1780 miles

Elevation gain- 27,373 feet            trip total- 80,040 feet

Calories burned- 45,706                trip total- 132,754 calories

Thus far there have been 30 days of riding and three days of rest for a total of 33 days.

June 7, Day 32, Encampment Wyoming-60 miles

Wyoming is rich with panoramic vistas and stunning mountain ranges in the west. It's beauty to the east lies in it's bare naked roughness and incredible geographic rock formations. Rawlins, Wyoming however, has nothing in any direction. I'm sorry to say that Rawlins is a dusty, dirty, windblown, barren pitiful looking town. I can't say it any other way. Rawlins lies right along Interstate 80 and heavily used train tracks. An oil refinery sits to the east and that's it. Fast food restaurants are the only evening fare options here. I ate at McDonalds.  To make matters worse, harsh winds blow continuously day and night. It dirt and shrubs. Its Rawlins.

I woke this morning to dark thunder clouds and high winds. I figured payback was coming after two relatively easy days on the bike. A cold system was coming down from Canada to lower the temps and the winds were supposed to be blowing from the NE. I suited up in my cool weather garb and got rollin by 7 AM. I figured the winds would slow me way down so I wanted to get out there and start sucking up some miles.

More wide open spaces

Today I  traveled for about 14 miles on Interstate 80 . This is a rarity for the TransAm route but there were simply no other roads going that direction until the southbound exit on SR 130. Truck traffic was heavy but the shoulders were wide and more or less clear of debris. The route today consisted of a long gradual climb to the town of Saratoga and more gradual climbing into my destination for the day, Encampment. For the next four or five days my routes will be uphill as I gain elevation heading toward the highest point in the TransAm route, Hoosier Pass in Colorado at over 11,500 feet in elevation.

It turned out  to be a rather uneventful ride for the most part. I saw no other riders today. The wind that looked to make me miserable early on let up significantly after only about an hour and was a non factor from then on. The clouds dropped a little rain then broke up and the sun took over.  I escaped again!

I made good time for most of the morning so I stopped in Saratoga for a late breakfast. The continental crap at the hotel just didn't get the job done. I ate at a neat little restaurant that had a patio area right on the North Platte River, which was only about two feet from flooding that very patio. Sandbags were lined up all around and nobody seemed overly concerned about get swept away in a torrent of water. The North Platte is about the width of the Sacramento River but carries much more water at a much faster pace.

I rode easy into the town of Encampment, which I quickly discovered was another ghost town. It did have the only hotel in the area and the sign said it was open but nobody was inside. There was a cell phone number to call but no cell service at all. The one couple staying at the hotel saw me and agreed to call the owners down the road in the small town of Riverside where cell phones work. twenty minutes later I was getting my room key and coughing up $40.00. That's the going rate for ghosts towns hotels. If I want to eat I have to ride a mile to Riverside, which has two bars that also serve food.

Trees!

The terrain slowly changed its look as I made my way further south today. The terrain got decidedly greener and trees returned. I think I will be transitioning into yet another climate zone when I enter Colorado tomorrow.

June 6, Day 31, Rawlins Wyoming-45 miles

****I added the pictures to yesterday's blog*****

The gas station and convenience store here in Muddy Gap did not open until 8 AM. The nearest coffee was 45 miles away at my destination of the day, Rawlins Wyoming. This did not sit well with me so I dressed bright and early, ate a Tweety bird breakfast of a muffin, a trail mix bar and a banana, filled my water bottles with bathroom faucet water and got the hell outta there. I knew with a relatively short day and my early start that I would be in Rawlins before midday. I didn't care............I wanted my coffee.

Climbing Rawlins Plateau, looking back.

The ride was pleasant and the wind was primarily at my back. I had one 6 mile climb up to the Rawlins Plateau at around 7200 feet and during the course of the morning crossed the Continental Divide twice more. I think I have crossed the divide now 7 times during my travels through the Rockies.

Early morning 

The scenery was nearly identical to the last two hundred miles but the uniqueness of some of the hills and rock formations kept me entertained enough to get through it. its hard to adequately illustrate with just small blog pictures just how vast and wide open this part of the country is. Harsh winters and constant winds make this part of Wyoming a challenge to call home, but some do.

I crossed paths with three more touring riders while traversing a long, never ending straight stretch of roadway. Kevin, a young kid out Fort Collins Colorado was a doing an 800 mile out and back trip to the Big Horn National Park. Shortly after, I encountered Phillip and Nash, a father and son team who also hailed from Fort Collins. Their goal was to bike from Colorado to the Oregon Coast. Nash had recently graduated from college and they decided to do this trip together as a celebration.

Kevin from Fort Collins

Phillip and son Nash

Thanks to all of you who have been inquiring about the state of my health lately. Do you know something I don't? Considering my age and the fact that I am held together primarily by scar tissue and rust, I'm doing quite well! No real injuries so far, just some bruises on my body from the day when I had to drag my bike through the snow for hours. I am fully acclimatized to the elevation and my physical conditioning is really starting to show itself as of the last several rides. I will utilize that conditioning after my four day break in Pueblo with my wife to get some miles behind me in Kansas and Missouri. My body weight has stabilized after a period of dramatic weight loss early on. It looks like I finally found a way to get rid of that spare tire!

Riverside Wyoming tomorrow.

June 5, Day 30, Muddy Gap-81 miles(June 4-rest day)

Today turned out to be an interesting and eventful  day on the TransAmerica Trail from start to finish. It had a little bit of everything and none of it planned.

Silver was back in fine form, sporting a new rear tire, a new chain and a general tune up that had her rearing to go.

I made quick work of the hotel's Continental breakfast fare and squirreled away some Otis Spunkmeir muffins and oatmeal packages for later. I intended on departing early so I was already dressed in my riding clothes. An Indian woman who was nearby came up and initiated a conversation with me regarding my trip and some of the specifics. She admitted to a fascination with some of the transcontinental cyclists who come through town and came off to me as a very social, engaging person; nothing like the treatment I received previously in the Cantina at Fort Washake. She was an Arapaho Indian and I enjoyed our brief but pleasant chat.

View from Beaver Rim

My ride today was 80 miles of cycling through some of the most remote areas I have ever seen in the United States. It was as if somebody picked me up and plopped me down on the surface of Mars. I had one long 23 mile gradual climb up to Beaver Rim where the views were stunnning and it was during the long climb that I saw the first of what would be three different transcontinental cyclists in one day, in one hour and within just of few miles; all out in the most isolated and barren country one could imagine.

The first was Zane, a 27 old college grad from Eugene oregon who quit his job to cross the country and figure out what to do with his future. I caught Zane on the climb and he did a double take when I pulled next to him and he saw how old I was. We decided to ride together, kind of like Dorothy and the straw man agreeing to go off together to see the wizard, Zane and I were headed to Muddy Gap.

Zane

Tony from Slovenia

Andrew

Not 2 miles later we crossed paths with another young man named Andrew who was going the the opposite direction, or west. After intros, Andrew, all of 26 years,  related that he was from Washington DC and was headed to Seattle Washington to relocate after a life altering event occurred for him that we didn't go into. He stayed at Muddy Gap the night previous and informed us that the, "hotel" listed on the map is nothing more then a trailer behind the gas station ad there was virtually nothing else there but a convenience store. We took pictures and said our goodbyes.

Not a mile later we encountered another cross country trekker on a three wheeled recumbent bike who was also heading west. He introduced himself as Tony from Slovenia and he was crossing the country and then heading into Canada. Tony had a sharp Slovenian accent and we were entertained with his description of his journey thus far in the United States. His three wheeler had specialized gearing that included reducers, which allowed him to climb over peaks and passes at speeds as slow as 1 mile per hour. he admitted to being very slow but said he made up for it by riding 10 hours a day! He looked like an older guy but it was hard to tell.

Nobody likes a snitch!

Zane and I finally got rolling again and 57 miles into our ride we entered a ghost of a town called Jeffrey City. We were both told the day before in Lander that there was a small bar/resturant that was open and had food. We found it becuase it looked to be the only building not boarded up and some beer sings were lit.

We walked in and sat at a table and announced our presence. Nobody was around. Aftr a few moments a short heavy man named Marving came out from the back. he said the cook was off dong other things today but he could make us something to eat if it wasn't too hard. Burgers and fries it was with a mason jar full of water. OH......Marvin was drunk.

We ate our food and left in short order. Marvin was starting to lament about past life decisions that resulted in his current situation working in a ghost town. Jeffrey City used to be a booming town for many years because of the discovery of Uranium in the surrounding hills. When the Uranium became depleted(pun intended) everyone left.

Zane and I rode the next 22 miles in relative comfort, a side breeze was present but not difficult and at the 80 mile mark we came to a T-bone intersection that we were surprised to learn was the town of Muddy Gap! One building, some gas pumps and a trailer on the side with a sign on it that read, "Hotel." Holy crap.

My room is the trailer to the left!

Kim, the manager of the station told us we could pitch our tents in the gas pump area after closing time at 9 PM for $10.00 or we could stay in the hotel room for $70.00. Zane decided to ride on for 11 more miles to a campground that might or might not be there. I talked with Kim for a few minutes and we agreed $50.00 was a mutually agreeable room cost.

Zane and I swapped info. He was a good kid who was looking for direction when his college degree didn't do him any good. I wished him all the best and we parted ways.

The signal is so weak here I cannot upload photos. I have some good ones that I will add tomorrow when I get back to the world.

June 3, Day 28, Lander Wyoming- 75 miles

A large sign on the outskirts of Dubois calls themselves, "The town of warm winds," which is entirely understandable considering the wind has not stopped blowing since I got into town the day before and it is warm here. I have entered a new climate zone. Everything in Dubois seems to have the word "wind' in it's name. The Wind River runs through town and meanders right into the Wind River Indian Reservation. Wind is big here in Wyoming.

After the usual widow maker breakfast plate and three cups of coffee at the Winds Cafe, I eased my way out of town. A movie crew is in the area making a film called, "Cardinal Matter." I know this because at the Outlaw Saloon where I had satisfied my daily two beer allowance last night, that's all the locals could think to talk about; and they were none too happy that the actors and crews were not hanging out with them in town. I rode past some of the crew members loading up a bus and some utility vehicles just outside of town at the entrance to a big ranch.

The winds of Wyoming were blowing at 7:30 AM when I left and never let up. Fortunately for me the wind was primarily at my back and I rode surfed for nearly 60 miles. I knew though that these winds were fickle and could turn on at any time without warning or any apparent reason so I just relaxed and enjoyed it while it lasted. It lasted until lunch.

Seventy five miles of this

The scenery in this part of Wyoming is beautiful but barren and almost completely uninhabited. I would go for an hour at a time without seeing a car coming or going. I was on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The view was endless and uninterrupted for a hundred miles in every direction. The Adventure Cycling Association strongly advised carrying extra water during this part of Wyoming so I stowed away  64 extra ounces of fluid in my panniers, in addition to the 60 I carry in my bottles. The weather was warmer here and I was able to ride with just my normal bib and shirt for the first time in a while.

I climbed a moderate bluff and descended down into another valley floor nearing the town of Fort Washake. My direction of travel changed just a few degrees but it had a dramatic effect on the wind direction. Now all of a sudden I was cycling into a 30 mph crosswind. I got spoiled for most of the morning and didn't care for this change one bit!. My body was telling me it was time for some hay and
I located a tiny Mexican cantina hiding behind a church in Fort Washake. It was open and I was hungry.

The burrito I ate was huge and cheap. It was surprisingly busy and with the exception of one other person, I was the only pale face in the place. Nobody was particularly cordial or polite to me and I wondered if there were some "issues" going on I was not aware of. I didn't ask, but when I left the tip on the table and started walking out of the restaurant, two older Indian woman who were seated closest to me barked out in a disinterested, mildy annoyed tone "the tip doesn't go on the table, it goes in the tip jar up by the counter."

And this

Now about the other person in the restaurant. PC warning here!!!! Alert ! Alert!  The other person sitting in the restaurant was a black male. I say this for one reason and only one reason. As an observation that I think needs to be made. This young man, who came into the restaurant with an Indian woman, was the first black person I have seen since I was in Eugene Oregon. I have not seen a black since May 10th. Not in eastern Oregon, not in the state of Idaho, Not in the state of Montana, and not in Wyoming up until today. No opinion, no comment, just an observation. Phew....

Things went screwy after lunch. The winds churned up to ludicrous speed and for the first 7 miles I could hardly keep my bike under control. The winds were coming at me from the right with brutal velocity and I was forced to lean into the wind in order not to get thrown into the highway. Several severe gusts actually caused my rear wheel to chirp off the pavement an inch or so which caused certain circular muscles in my body to tighten right up ! I looked down to my rear wheel and noticed my tire was losing air. I pulled off the road and discovered that part of my tire was actually peeling off and I could see the cords under the tire in one area. I had about half the air left in the tire and manually put about 25% of it back with a pump. I was about 8 miles outside of Landers. I knew there was a bike shop there because I had already planned to take Silver in for a check up.

I rode for about three more miles riding at a 5 degree tilt to the right when the wind just up and decided to change direction again and fortunately for me it was a tailwind again. I wasted no time getting my rumpus into lander and over to the bike shop. The bike guys asked me to sign their TransAm log and they took my picture. The techie looking over Silver glanced over at me with a look of amazement and commented that my rear tire should have detonated on me miles ago.

Chalk one up to luck. Fenders are a must riding long distance but they also tend to hide the majority of your tire surface from view and if you don't take the time to check regularly, which I didn't, then a surprise could be waiting. Another lesson learned.

Spending a day in Lander.

June 2, Day 27, Dubois Wyoming- 67 miles

leaving the Grand Tetons was not easy. I spent a good deal of time the evening before sitting by the marina and just staring at the majestic and strikingly bold mountain range. I will certainly return here with spouse at some point to fully experience this part of the country.

My route today was primarily a 20 mile rolling build up to a 3,000 foot climb up Togwotee Pass, which is the second highest peak along the Trans America route at roughly 9,600 feet in elevation. The other is waiting for me in Colorado. Togwotee Pass was about 1,000 feet higher then I have ever ridden a bike up to.( never end a sentence with a preposition like I just did)

Two minutes after pulling out of the resort area I saw another full pack rider standing along the side of the road taking pictures. I rode up and introduced myself and asked where he was headed. His name was Wally and he was 56. And he was headed to Alaska!! before I could ask where he started he flatly blurted out, " I started in Sarasota Florida back in March." Holy mackerel. Try to imagine me at a loss for words. Wally had been at it for about three months(winter months!) and figured he was approximately halfway.  told him where I was headed but it just didn't seem to carry the punch. I took a flick of Wally, my new idol, wished him the best and we parted. lesson in perspective complete.

The amazing Wally!

The climb to Togwotee pass took almost three hours but I eventually got there. I made yellow snow and started 25 miles of gradual downhill nearly all the way to my destination, Dubois(pronounced Due Boys) Wyoming, a windy little rough and tumble town with an edge. From the awe inspiring Tetons to Gun smoke in one day. I arrived on the precipice of starvation due primarily to having missed lunch. There was simply no place to eat for 66 miles! I managed to grab a Snickers bar and a frozen burrito at a RV park store 20 miles from Dubois but it was no where near enough calories to replace the gazillion or so I burned. Now I know why they refer to people like me as Clydesdale's. I need hay all the time!

Leaving Buffalo Creek Valley and starting the climb
to Togwotee Pass.

I checked into the Trails End Lodge and met the owner and his wife. The male half was a former cage fighter long ago and actually watched my son Jeremy fight Rob McCullough in Southern California years earlier. That connection got me the owner's special rate and a room right next to the WiFi antenna!

Togwotee pass was the last major climb that I will have to deal with for awhile. The terrain over the 200 miles or so is more subdued and the major element will be winds.

I am beginning to plan my eventual arrival into Pueblo Colorado mid month where my my wife and I will re-unite for two or three days. In order to time my arrival to match her scheduled arrival date I will need to stall for a couple of days over the next two weeks. I will use one such stall day after tomorrow when I reach the town of Landers. There is a bike shop there and Silver needs a physical and some loving attention. I need a haircut and a massage from somebody named Helga.

June 1, Day 26, Colter Bay Village, Wyoming-58 miles

I walked out of the Old Faithful Lodge and into the brisk 31 degree morning air at the stroke of 7:00 AM. I had no intentions on leaving this early but there was little else to do and the restaurant was not open for breakfast yet. Today was going to be a mixed bag of ups and downs while crossing the continental divide three times. The weather called for rain but at departure time it was dry. Tourists whom I spoke with the evening prior told me thee was lots of snow up where I was headed. Lots of snow.

One of three Continental Divide crossings

I didn't get to the top of the first pass before it started raining. The rain felt very cold and was probably more like sleet. Snow accumulations were already piling up and as I passed the 8,000 foot threshold I was fully surrounded by that wonderful white stuff and it was cold! The rain continued on and off over the next couple hours as I cleared the second and highest peak of the day. The temperature felt like it had dropped into the 20's.

After clearing the peaks I began my up and down descent down toward the south exit from Yellowsone and into the Grand Teton National Park. When the mountain opened up to the Tetons I almost passed out from the stunning views before me. I could not believe my eyes. With all the fabulous views I have been witness to over the last three weeks, these were the greatest ad most stunning. I don't think I went more than a mile at a time without stopping to take pictures or video. Unbelievable...........

Grand Tetons

After lunch at Flagg resort just outside of Yellowstone I caught up to a three person cycling group slowly climbing the last of the days hillls. They all stopped just in front of me and next to a mini van that was waiting for them.

View from the road

They were three young Asian adults who were on the same route as I and left Astoria three days earlier then my departure date. The parents of one of the riders were in the mini van and were travelling along with them the whole way as a support crew. We exchange info and promised to stay in contact as we both progressed across the country.

I eventually made it to Colter Bay Village, which sits on the lake in the shadow of the Grand Tetons. It is a gorgeous place.

Tomorrow I climb the second highest peak of the TransAmerica route, Togwottie pass. At roughly 9400 feet, it will be test my lungs and my legs. The weather forecast looks ok.