June 25, 2022
Day 35 - Dubois, Wyoming to Hatchett USFS Campground, Wyoming
Over Togwotee Pass
Exhausted after yesterday’s monster ride we awoke to a kind tailwind. After taking care of breakfast and our on-road snack inventory we headed northwest to tackle Togwotee Pass at 9,600+ feet, a 30-mile climb of about 3,000 feet.
We made decent progress for the first hour or so. The last 7 1/2 miles were serious work, especially considering how tired our legs were.
The scenery kept us diverted. Wyoming is just crazy amazing. The geologic wonders on one side of the road, differ markedly from those on the left. For a long way we saw millions of trees that had been turned gray by blight. It would have been all the more beautiful if the trees were green.
We made the pass after hours of grinding away. Oddly the continental divide was about 30 feet higher in elevation a couple of hundred yards later.
To our chagrin our tailwind disappeared and a rather unwelcome headwind replaced it. Instead of screaming down the mountain at 40 mph, we were held to the high 20s. At least my rims didn’t overheat from braking.
After only six miles the descent ended. Nooo! No worries. After some annoying climbing we began a nine mile, 6% descent. And our headwind was gone!
And we had spectacular views of the Grand Tetons. Wow! Just Wow!
Signs on the road warned drivers not to stop for bears hanging out in the road. Being a bicyclist not similarly constrained, I stopped to pet a grizzly cub.
I’m kidding
We had intended to ride 70 miles to a hiker/biker campground in Colter Bay. We settled for a Forest Service campground 20 miles to the east. The price was a whopping $6.
Tomorrow Yellowstone.
Miles today: 49 Tour miles: 1,878
Today's ride: 49 miles (79 km)
Total: 1,882 miles (3,029 km)
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