Day 61: Grant Village to Moran, WY

August 31, 2015

Notes:

1.) If you select the “Comment” link near the bottom of the page you can leave a message for me. I enjoy getting them.

2.) Climbing Today: 1,959 ft Total So Far; 145,975 ft

3.) Average Speed While Biking Today: 10.2 mph

4.) Mechanical Issues Today: none

5.) Miles Remaining to Canon City: about 613

6.) Miles Traveled to Date on This Half of the Journey: 1,387

7.) Money Found Today: $.01

8.) Total Money Found: $.0.43 (Will I find enough to buy a cup of coffee?)

9.) Current BAR (Bicycle Altitude Record): 8,392 feet, Unnamed Pass in Yellowstone

It got really cold last night. I had water in the bear box, and it didn’t freeze. I was later told that the temperature dropped to 33 degrees Fahrenheit, so that’s about as cold as it could be without freezing. Being an old guy, I tend to wake up and make a bathroom visit several times a night. I was afraid to just step outside my tent and take care of business, because wouldn’t that be a smell that might attract bears? So each time I woke up I had to slip on shoes, get my headlight, and trudge over to the restrooms. I was careful to shine the light towards the bear box as I stepped out, and then to illuminate the bear-proof trash can outside the restroom before I got there, just in case any of those pesky bears were milling about. So it was a long cold night without much sleep.

When I commenced milling about in the morning to make breakfast, my fingers were so cold they were numb. There was a light breeze making things even more unpleasant. So I marshaled everything into the restroom, which had windows I closed to block the wind, and I was able to pack my panniers in there and more comfortably change into my riding clothes. My tent is what they call a 3-season tent, and there is no way to close off the open netting surfaces. It is covered by the rain fly, but the wind can get under the rain fly and circulate in the tent; and that’s what it did all night while I hid inside the sleeping bag as best I could. Camping is great.

Once I had everything packed as well as I could, I moved the whole shebang back out onto the picnic table, then I disassembled the tent and packed it and the remaining gear in the panniers. Finally, I got the bike prepped and loaded and off we rolled. It took me 2 hours after the alarm to get rolling; when I’m in a hotel I can do it in an hour. I usually do it in 1.5 hours when camping, but the lack of sleep had me moving slower than normal.

Shortly after I rolled out of Grant Village, I crossed the Continental Divide for the 4th time on another unnamed pass.

Continental Divide Crossing #4, Unnamed Pass

My path this day followed the Lewis River downstream. First, here’s a photo showing the tree-lined shore of Lewis Lake;

Next, here’s a pic of Lewis Falls, a 30-foot drop of the river;

And here’s a photo of the river itself. I know it’s getting old to hear me say it, but these mountain streams are just unbelievably beautiful and my poor attempts at photography can’t do them justice.

The Lewis River canyon area was ravaged by wildfire in 1988.

Pictorial Story of the 1988 Lewis Canyon Fire

Here is a photo of the canyon itself;

Tourists continued to plague me with their oftentimes impolite and aggressive behavior. I stopped to shoot a deer in the woods and a car pulled over to see what I had spotted and scared it off. No big deal, I’ve shot a ton of deer photos on this trip, but it bugs me that these folks can’t at least try and be a little stealthy; did they never hunt when they were younger? Maybe not, most folks don’t really do that anymore. I don’t hunt anymore either; I don’t need the meat for sustenance and the woods are way too crowded with crazies these days.

I decided to try a little experiment. Truth is, I was feeling a little mean toward all these gawkers. So I pulled over into a turnout parking area along the Lewis River Canyon. There are lots of these turnouts for folks to stop and enjoy the view. No one was there but me, and a couple of cars passed by while I was just straddling the bike. Then I pulled out my camera and zoomed the telephoto out to its longest setting so the camera had the biggest presence it could have. I pointed the camera down into the canyon when I heard a car coming, and sure enough, they pulled over and got out to see what I was looking at. And I repeated this each time another car came, but once a couple of cars had stopped and folks got out it became automatic; everybody that came past now pulled over into the turnout just to see what was going on. Was there a bear down there? Had I spotted a moose? The cars were parked 2 deep now, and I was surrounded on 3 sides by cars and by the cliff on the other. Satisfied with my experiment, I nosed Harvey between 2 parked vehicles and we rolled on. These people are like sheep; they can’t or don’t think for themselves, they simply do what everyone else is doing for fear that they may miss out. “Beware of the tourists,” the gate attendant had said. Yeah, I get it now.

The road prior to Grant Village had a 1.5-2 foot shoulder that made it at least tolerable for cyclists. After Grant Village there was no shoulder until one gets out of Yellowstone;

No Shoulders From Grant Village to Teton National Park

Here’s a view showing the Grand Tetons ahead. Still no shoulder;

Nearing Grand Teton National Park, I was getting rather low on fuel. This sign was quite tempting, so I stopped to indulge myself with some “restaurant gas.”

I Was Low On Fuel; Restaurant Gas Sounded Good

Now fueled up and content, here I am inside Grand Teton National Park;

If you click on any of the photos it will cause them to be displayed full screen. If you click on the above picture, you can see what became my first and only loss of this entire journey. I was preparing to set Harvey up and use him as a tripod stand for a DSLR selfie when a couple walked up to photograph each other in front of the sign. I volunteered to shoot them both together with their camera, and they happily accepted. Then they offered to shoot me with my bike if I wanted. And that’s where I screwed up. I have a process that I always follow to be certain I don’t leave anything when I stop and park the bike using my flickstand (a portable cane-like pole that folds out like tent poles with shock cord). But in my haste to roll Harvey over for the picture, I didn’t follow the process; instead of folding the flickstand up and replacing it in the bracket that holds it, I just held it in my hand while the photo was being taken. You can see the top part of it in my right hand sticking up over the saddle. Then, when the picture was done and I was saddling up to roll on, I must have leaned the flickstand against the bike or elsewhere and forgot about it when I rolled off. I didn’t discover the loss for another 15 miles. I can replace it, but they are custom made for each bike so I wouldn't be able to replace it until after the journey was complete. In the meantime I would simply do what everyone else does and lean Harvey against a wall or something whenever I stop.

The Tetons are magnificent, especially when viewed over Jackson Lake. Here’s a couple of shots that way, and another just of a part of the mountain range;

The Tetons and Jackson Lake - I Couldn't Get Enough of the Beauty

Wood is being used as a retaining wall here. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just a bit unusual in my part of the world;

Wood Used As A Retaining Wall; With Steel Pylons

This is a nice pastoral scene in Wyoming. It may not seem like much to you, but I was simply overjoyed that there was no smoke in the background.

And here’s where I stayed that night;

Best Photo Of A Bear I Had Taken On This Journey

That may be the best photo of a bear that I get on this adventure while this may be the best shot of a moose that I get;

I stayed in a “primitive” cabin tonight. After last night’s experience with camping, anything inside sounds good to me.

My Primitive Cabin Was Quite Nice After Camping Last Night

Actually, I liked this little cabin. It was primitive in the sense there was no running water, but there was a nearby bathhouse and laundry. If insects were bad, this cabin wouldn’t be good as there are lots of ways for them to get in.

The Door Was a Bit Drafty; But I Was Happy to be Inside

But the insects weren’t a problem on the last day of August; perhaps the cold nights had already driven them away for the season. Here’s a peak at the inside of my little place;

Dinner tonight has to consist of food I have brought with me.

Couple of Sliders With Peanut Butter, Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee From The Can, An Apple Pie, And a Fanta Orange Soda Made For a Good Meal

It wasn’t bad at all. If you want to really enjoy your food, try cycling all day long first. Or try doing any form of exercise for the entire day. You will enjoy whatever food you have to eat after that, I guarantee it. Today was a good day. It was my 3rd continuous day to breathe clean air, I found a penny to add to the end-of-journey coffee fund, and Harvey and I were both inside tonight. All was well in my world, and I wish the same for you…

Today's ride: 55 miles (89 km)
Total: 3,684 miles (5,929 km)

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