July 19, 2006
Day 48: Dubois, WY to Colter Bay Village, WY
64.81 Miles, 5:44:38 Ride Time, 11.49 Average Speed, 35.3 Maximum Speed
I was up early (early for me, anyway), ate some granola bars for breakfast, and rode out of town by 6:50. I had hoped that the winds from yesterday wouldn't be as bad this early in the morning - they weren't as strong, but they were still bothersome. It was chilly when I rode out, although that changed in a few hours, and it became hot.
Most of this morning was dedicated to slowly making my way up to Togwotee Pass (elevation 9,658), thirty miles from Dubois. Not long after leaving Dubois, I saw the first Road Construction sign. I had already been warned by several Eastbound cyclists that there was 14 miles worth of construction on the way up to the pass, so this wasn't a surprise.
After several miles, I encountered a line of stopped cars. I rode around them to the head of the line, where the guy holding the Stop sign said that I wouldn't be able to ride through the construction for the next couple of miles - I would have to ride in one of the pilot trucks. I wasn't thrilled with this arrangement, and the two guys who had to drive me didn't seem too happy either (when they asked me if there were any other cyclists behind me, I briefly considered telling them, "Oh, 25 or 30"; instead I answered truthfully - there might be four or five later in the morning).
I wanted to sit in the back of the pickup truck, where I could keep an eye on the bike, but they made me ride up front. As we rode over a couple of miles of bumpy dirt road, I glanced back through the rear window several times; I was worried that the young guy riding in the back with my bike was letting it bounce around. Sure enough, the driver stopped, muttered something like "Josh is slacking off again", got out of the truck, and returned with my rear view mirror. It had fallen off when young Josh let the bike bounce around.
Soon enough they let me out, handed me my mirror, and I was on my way again. Could I still say that I rode my bicycle across the country, after the two mile ride in the truck? I think so.
The rest of the ride up to Togwotee Pass was uneventful, with one exception: I was bothered by fat black flies for a few miles. I remembered reading somone else's journal, and they had the same problem along this section. I really haven't been bothered very much on the trip by mosquitoes, gnats, etc. These flies were pretty bad, though. I was glad when they finally left me alone.
The descent down from the Pass was fun, as it usually is when you can ride 30 mph without pedalling. I stopped at the Hatchett Motel and Restaurant, the last "commercial" place to stop before entering the Grand Teton National Park. I had an an overpriced lunch there, complete with the indifferent service that is a hallmark of these kinds of tourist-y places (at least in my experience). Even though I had only come 40+ miles, I briefly considered staying at the motel (I hadn't been able to find a room in Teton Park when I called last night). When I asked the lady what rooms they had, she cheerfully said "We're all booked up." "Uhh, why does your sign say Vacancy?" "Oh, I guess we should change that." I guess so. Sheesh.
I paid $12 to ride into the Grand Teton National Park, and soon was looking at the mountains, wich are indeed as awesome as everyone says. I stopped to take a few pictures, careful to avoid being run over by the motor homes that would be a constant presence the next couple of days. When I reached the entrance to Jackson Lake Lodge, I decided to ride in and check it out, even though it was way, way out of my price range (I hadn't even called there last night when I was looking for a room).
As I rode up to the lodge, I was surprised to see "The Family" (as Bill Lowe calls them): Eugene and his two kids, Brandon and Heather. They are riding from Virginia to Oregon; I met them in Jeffrey City a few days ago. They were taking a quick break before heading to Yellowstone, where they were going to stay for a few days. After we talked for a few minutes, they rode off, as did I.
Several miles later I arrived at Colter Bay Village. This consisted of a gas station, store, cabins, campground, etc. I had called there last night and had been told that they were completely booked; still I thought it was worth checking one more time. To my surprise, they did have a cabin available - apparently a lady who had reserved ten cabins (for a family reunion or something) had just cancelled all of them. That had to cost her, I thought, as I filled out the paperwork.
It was only 2:45, and I couldn't check into my cabin until 4:00, so I rode down to the convenience store that is part of the "Village." I bought my usual Gatorade and Little Debbie snacks, and a USA Today, which I hadn't seen in a while. Eugene, Brandon and Heather happened to be there, so we talked some more before they left again. While I was standing outside the store, a 40-something woman asked me if I was riding across the country. It turned out that she had done the TransAmerica back in 1980 when she was in college. It was cool talking to her for a while about our trips.
I rode around Colter Bay Village for a while until my cabin was ready. It was rustic (no television or telephone or air conditioner) but nice. After I had a burger and fries at one of the two restaurants in the "Village", I went back to the cabin, where I read my USA Today and listened (on my new laptop) to music I had downloaded a few days ago.
Except for some loud squirrels right outside my door, and some overheard conversation from the couple in the cabin next door (the wife was nagging her husband about his various failings), it was quiet, and I went to bed at a reasonably early hour.
Today's ride: 65 miles (105 km)
Total: 3,009 miles (4,843 km)
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