Day 9: Swan Valley to Alpine, Wyoming

June 8, 2023

Today is relatively short, but also hilly. I got away from the cabin at 9:30 and pedaled 4.5 upstream miles east to the only restaurant open for breakfast. I don't like going that far before breakfast. I was the only customer.

The first 10 miles of today's ride is gentle upstream in a wide valley with a few irrigated farms and scattered houses. I saw a small community church, the first non-Mormon church I saw during this tour.

In the wide valley near the village of Swan Valley.

I started noticing mosquitoes after breakfast. They were swarming all around me. I could often get 2 or 3 mosquitoes with one swat. I was riding down the road waving my arms and swatting mosquitoes for maybe 4 or 5 miles in the wide flat swampy area below Palisades dam.

The mosquitoes decreased as I pedaled up the steep slope to get to the top of Palisades dam. The south facing slopes are hot and dry, not good habitat for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes weren't a nuisance after that, even on steep forested slopes. I will have flat swampy areas ahead, but I should gain elevation fast enough to pass those areas before the mosquitoes hatch.

Steep climb to the top of Palisades dam.

I went past the gate and No Trespassing sign to go onto Palisades dam. It's a very large pile of dirt and rocks built by the Bureau of Reclamation. This dam has a hydroelectric plant but the main purpose of Bureau of Reclamation dams is always water supply to irrigate farms. The reservoir is filled during winter and spring (when possible) and drained during summer to boost the river flow downstream. Right now the reservoir is nearly full and the surrounding hills are green. In August and September the reservoir is emptier and the hills and non-irrigated areas are all brown.

I spent most of the day pedaling along Palisades reservoir. But almost never close to the shoreline. The road is mostly high above the lake, and is kind of a roller coaster. 4 big hills. Fortunately the hills are mostly 4% grade, with one short 5% grade. Not too punishing.

US 26 is not a perfect cycling route but the views are good, traffic is moderate, and the shoulder is usable. More motor homes than big trucks. US 26 has much more traffic than the farm roads in the valley below. I'm following the Snake river and this is the only road now.

I didn't get rained on but it was cool and cloudy all day. Temperature in the 60's. Wind was gentle. I wished for a stronger wind to deter mosquitoes.

The land around Palisades reservoir is all Federal land owned by Bureau of Reclamation and US Forest Service. It has a few recreational facilities, but they are all far below the highway. No houses, no fences, no billboards, no driveways, no major cross roads. Natural and unspoiled.

US 26 is a roller coaster along Palisades reservoir.

The road flattens for the last few miles to Alpine, along the upper reaches of the reservoir. Now the water is not very wide or deep. Late in the summer this area is a big mud flat. The reservoir is nearly full now.

Descending towards Alpine. Prescribed burn visible ahead.

I entered Wyoming about 2 miles outside of Alpine. The dark clouds in the photos make it look like I arrived very late, but I actually arrived at the motel at 2:45 PM.

Tall sign because of deep snow? To deter graffiti?

On the edge of Alpine I stopped on the bridge that crosses the Snake river at the upper reaches of the reservoir. It's a lake now, but the reservoir wouldn't have to drop very much for this area to be flowing river. The photo below shows the confluence of the Snake river (left) and Grey's river (right).

Looking upstream at the mouth of the Snake river canyon in Alpine.

I arrived early enough to take a 2 hour nap before pedaling 1.4 miles to dinner at Melvin Brewing. It's about a mile out of town.

They have outdoor seating, but I sat indoors. It's very windy outside, threatening to rain. I had a huge salad and a full fish and chips dinner. And of course two IPA beers. After 9 days I'm finally in a different state and outside the Mormon Belt.

At Melvin Brewing I told my young waiter that I pedaled here from Twin Falls. His reply was "where is Twin Falls?" You know you have pedaled a long distance when your waiter has never heard of the place where you started.

Dinner at Melvin brewery. I have escaped the Mormon Belt.

Rain was just starting as I pedaled back to the motel. It rained enough to get the streets wet, but not enough to make big puddles.

I stayed here during a bike tour in 2013, traveling south from Missoula to Salt Lake City.

Mosquitoes were a huge surprise below Palisades dam. I wasn't thinking or planning for that. I didn't have insect repellent. This is high desert!

Today didn't have a lot of scenic variety or interesting towns. But the scenery was quite nice. I wonder how much better it would be if the sun was shining. It was cloudy all day.

I will stay two nights at Three Rivers Motel. Tomorrow is a rest day. I feel much better than I did before the previous rest day, but I am sticking with my decision to end the tour in Jackson Hole.

Distance: 33.0 mi.
Average Speed: 8.5 mph
Ascent/Descent: +1344/-988 ft.

Today's ride: 33 miles (53 km)
Total: 362 miles (583 km)

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