July 6, 2012
Dillon to Jackson, MT: Double bump day
Two passes today made a challenging ride. The first is Badger Pass, and the second steeper one is Big Hole Pass. The ACA maps warn that there are no services at all between the towns, and suggest bringing extra food and water. I did just that, with quart of Gatorade strapped on my rear rack in addition to my 3 water bottles.
The ride was beautiful and it felt really remote.
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It was a bit cloudy, and I appreciated the cover. I was able to grind my way up Badger Pass without significant problems, enjoy the downhill flight afterward, and then start up Big Hole Pass. I stopped a couple of times on Big Hole to catch my breath. About a half or quarter mile from the top I was swatting bugs and lost what litle momentum I had, and ended up walking the bike for a bit. Just under the top I got back on so I could claim to have ridden to the summit. Just past the summit is a historical marker that was definitely worth the stop. It was a short walk off the roadway, and had an example of a hay stacker that had been invented and patented in the valley.
After the descent from Big Hole Pass the ride was gently rolling. I arrived in Jackson, and went into the Inn and had a late lunch. The food was really good! Then I asked about camping. It turned out that a "European Sleeper Room" (which is a room that really only has room for the bed, and has a shared bathroom) was just marginally more expensive than camping, so I went with that option. I was glad to do it, to (as you can guess) get away form the mosquitoes. I went into the hot spring, which is a cement swimming pool fed by a hot spring, not at all natural, and has no cover from the sun, but didn't linger because it was too hot out. I went to the bar and had a cold soda, admired the trophy heads, some of which came from Africa (the water buffalo head was the first clue) and then retired for the night. In general, I would not recommend staying in Jackson. The camping is expensive and the room and shared bath I had were not especially clean.
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Stats
dist 48.80
odo 6583.2
Max 41.3
Av 7.9
Today's ride: 49 miles (79 km)
Total: 717 miles (1,154 km)
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