Thank you Good Samaritan Mission

STATS:Hatchet Campground, WY to Jackson WY

Miles: 45.6 miles

I woke up with a slight hangover, after never drinking on the trip to having four beers, somehow it hit me more than expected. The temperature upon leaving the tent was low 40’s. During the beginning of the trip, that was extremely cold for me, but now I’m kind of use to it. I can wear my bike shorts and rain jacket and be alright, especially because you warm up relatively quickly once the pedals start turning. I packed up, and ate my oatmeal with 1 small package of jelly I snagged from a diner as my flavoring agent. At this point, I needed a grocery store, so Jackson was the perfect city to resupply before the trek through Yellowstone National Park.

We only had 45 miles to go until Jackson, and 33 miles of that was on a solid bike trail along the Grand Tetons. This route to Jackson isn’t on the Trans America Trail, but it’s a neat tourist town. Plus, I had a free blizzard with my name on it. We made our way to the bike trail, and it offered such incredible views of the Tetons. You’re as close as possible by road bike as you can be, and it was easily the coolest bike path I’ve ever been on. The wild flowers were also in full bloom, which makes the scene so damn beautiful. We basically had the path to ourselves, and took our time arriving in Jackson.

Our first stop was the bike shop. I was ready to just buy a new derailer, but being my bike is from the 80’s, they didn’t have my parts. I had seen on YouTube to just move the whole derailer up the seat tube, which is definitely not a permanent fix, but would get me to where I needed to be. To the mechanic’s and I surprise, it worked! I was feeling happy to be able to correctly ride again, but my stomach was saying EAT DUDE. We hit up a sweet little breakfast shack and ordered ”Jackson’s Best Breakfast Burrito”, and to my surprise, it was pretty ballin’. Chugged a coffee with the burrito, and moved onto Dairy Queen for the free Blizzard from Daryl. Unfortunately, he wasn’t around, but I still received a grilled cheese with fries and a Reese’s Blizzard on the house. I happily shared the meal with Tim because Daryl offered a kind gesture to me, why wouldn’t I share that good fortune with others.

After this, we toured the town a bit, and quickly got tired of the amount of tourists around. Can’t complain though, cause with tourists come breweries. We stopped in a split a flight. Delicious selections, I must say. Favorite was just the simple English ale.

Tim went off to meet up with a friend, and I split to search for somewhere to stay for the night. My first idea was knock on church doors. Literally, the first church I knock on, my prayers were answered. The church was called Good Samaritan Mission, and they offered lodging to those who worked in Jackson, but couldn’t afford the crazy expensive options in town. They allowed me to stay the night in the men’s dorm room with a bunk bed, showers, wifi, and dinner! I settled in, and consumed a delicious burger, salad, pasta salad, and a donut. They receive many donations from various food establishments in the town. I couldn’t believe how blessed I was to have stumbled upon this church. I relaxed the rest of the night, met Tim for a bit to meet some of his friends, and headed back to the church before the 10 AM curfew. I set up the bed with sheets and blankets, and climbed into bed reflecting on yet another crazy outcome to a day on the trail. The stories I’ll have after this trip will be remembered for ever, and I am so damn lucky to have the opportunity to take this trip. The support I receive from Liz, family, friends, and coworkers is incredible. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	0
Comment on this entry	Comment	0