It Keeps Getting Better: Yellowstone National Park

Monday 7-12 day 69. A second layover day in West Yellowstone. Just relaxed and caught up on things.

Sunday 7-11 day 68 Layover day in West Yellowstone. Took a bus tour of Yellowstone National Park. This is a great way to be introduced to the park. The driver/guide was very knowledgeable and told us a lot about the history and geology of the park. Took lots of pictures. Following are icons of Yellowstone:

Yellowstone Falls

BetterBill and Yellowstone Falls

Elk With Rack

Old Faithful

Hot Spring

Mudpot

Fumarole

Geyser

Bison - Buffalo

Old Faithful Pale Ale

Saturday 7-10 day 67 - 65 miles 3170 total miles, Ashton to West Yellowstone, MT. Another new state day, and we will be in Montana for several more days. I had a nice scenic ride today, but hurried along because I could see storm clouds building. I was the first rider into West Yellowstone and missed all but a little rain. Most of the others got dumped on with torrents of rain and large hail. It's good to miss the storms.

Teton Range from Idaho

Friday 7-9 day 66 - 84 miles 3105 total, Jackson to Ashton, ID. A new state day for a day, and ugh what a day. I started the day out with a wrong turn and went 4 miles off route before realizing my mistake. I got back on route and was confronted with a 5.5 mile 10% grade climb over Teton Pass. Later was caught out in the open in a rain/hail storm with marble to pea size hail - ouch!What was supposed to be a difficult 70 mile day turned into a tough 84 mile day. I slept very well that night.

Top of Teton Pass

Million Dollar Cowboy Bar - Jackson

Ray, James and Bill at Snake River Brewing Company

Hydration is important to a cyclist.

Cycling Along The Spectacular Tetons

Wednesday 7-7 day 64 - 43 miles 3021 total miles. Colter Bay to Jackson. This was the coldest morning of the trip. There was frost on the table and the shorts James had hung out to dry were stiff. The sun arose and warmed everything up. Sunny day, little wind, mostly downhill ride into Jackson and drop dead gorgeous views of the Tetons made this the best day I have had on a bike so far! We now have a layover day in Jackson Wyoming.

Kayaks at Jenny Lake

The Cathedral Group

Grand Teton and cyclists

Reflections in Jackson Lake

BetterBill and Mt. Moran

Tuesday 7-6 day 63 - 65 miles, 2978 total miles. Dubois to Colter Bay over Towgotee Pass. There is construction on top of the pass that kept traffic to one lane. The construction people actually loaded our bikes up into pickups and drove us 4 miles up and 4 miles down to avoid traffic delays. I was a little disappointed in not being able to cycle over the top, but did save time and leg. There was a great view of the Teton Range on the downside of the pass.

Snake River Pale Ale another local beer that must be sampled.

Teton Range backdrop from Togwotee Pass

Pinnacle Butte

Monday 7-5 day 62 - 80 miles, 2913 total miles. Lander to Dubois, 50 miles of nice ride to Crowheart, then 30 miles of the worst headwinds of the trip - tough day! I guess if you have the Wind River Mountains on the right of you and the Wind river on the left, you should expect wind.

These guys were Strutting their stuff along the road 5 miles out of Lander. Where they came from and why they were strutting in mid July is a complete mystery to me, but there they are.

One last shot from the Cowfish Brewing Company in Lander.

Lander 4th of July Parade

Lander throws the best 4th of July parade I've ever participated in. The entire town and then some turn out. Following are just some of the fine shots I got:

4 wheel bike

Beauty Queens

ACA on parade

The Unicyclist!

ACA on parade

BetterBill rides!

At the post parade picnic:

This young couple supplied the buffalo for the buffalo brats.

Dancing Dogs

Into Wonderful Wyoming

Saturday 7-3 day 60 - 58 miles 2833 total, Jeffery City to Lander. Another great day on a bike. Wind has subsided and the first 20 miles uphill led to the rest down. Wyoming is full of beautiful, grand desolation.

Beaver Creek Vally and Wind River Range

Friday 7-2 day 59 - 70 miles 2775 total, Rawlins to Jeffery City. Nothing memorable through this area except Split Rock Historic Site on the Oregon Trail. Had a fierce headwind the last 20 miles and a storm came up just as we arrived. The motel in Jeffery City is the worst we have stayed in so far, but I was glad to be there.

Jack, our fearless leader is back on the bike.

Antelope

Pretty cactus flower

Thursday 7-1 day 58 - 48 miles, 2705 total, Saratoga to Rawlins. There seems to be no way to get to Rawlins from Saratoga without a brief stint on Interstate 80. The 13 miles were on it was very nasty. This is the only time on the tour we are on an interstate, thank goodness. We camped at a very nice RV park in Rawlins, but a fierce wind/rain storm with 40+ mph winds about blew us off the hilltop. Except for a few anxious minuets everyone came through it just fine. Lost no tents.

Cowboys working the herd

Ranch with mountains

Wednesday 6-30 day 57 - 69 miles, 2659 total miles. Walden to Saratoga, Wyoming, a new state day, only three to go. Just another day in paradise. There is no way to appreciate this terrain from a car on an interstate, it must be experienced close and personal like on a bike. This evening I had the best Ice Cream and Shake on the trip so far at Lollypops Ice Cream Parlor in Saratoga.

Breakfast at the Moose Creek Cafe - Walden, CO

Tuesday 6-29 day 56 - 62 miles 2588 total miles, Hot Sulphur Springs to Walden. Rode over Willow Creek Pass and the Continental Divide at 9621 feet. A very scenic and enjoyable ride. A typical late afternoon thunderstorm disrupted dinner, but didn't last long. That night the temperature dipped down to 41 degrees in the tent - chilly!

Willow Creek Pass

Barn and mountains

Monday 6-28, day 55 - 78 miles 2526 total miles, Breckenridge to Hot Sulphur Springs. Another great day on a bike! I took a wonderful bike path from Breckenridge to Silverthorne stopping in Frisco fro breakfast at the Butterhorn Bakery, best breakfast on the trip so far. Then it was a mostly downhill ride through the Blue River and Colorado River valley. Spectacular scenery and great riding.