Introduction
High Desert
This tour wanders through a vast region known as High Desert, a term with a somewhat vague definition. High Desert has elevations between 3000 and 6000 feet above sea level (915-1830 meters), but with isolated lower river valleys and isolated higher mountain ranges. High desert receives less than 15 inches (38 cm) of annual precipitation, except for the few mountain ranges that receive more precipitation.
Changing Plans
In 2022 I planned two bike tours in the High Desert region. The first tour would be west of the Continental Divide, going up the Snake river from Twin Falls to the Grand Tetons. The second tour would follow several rivers east of the Divide from Lander, Wyoming to Billings, Montana. During the winter I decided that the two tours are so far from home but so close together that I should combine them. So I came up with a plan that connects the two routes by crossing the continental divide at 9500 foot Togwotee pass.
The grand plan was 933 miles (1500 km) starting May 31 in Twin Falls, Idaho and finishing June 25 in Billings, Montana. My longest tour since 2017. I knew it would be a high risk plan because I don't perform well on long tours lately. To compensate, the plan included 6 rest days. I booked lodging for the entire tour in January, 2023.
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A few days into the tour I decided it would be wise to cut the tour in half. So I ended the tour in Jackson, Wyoming and cancelled lodging reservations for the second half. I ended up following my original Snake river plan. Here's the route that I actually pedaled:
The high desert rivers east of the Continental Divide will have to wait until next year.
Snake River
This tour goes 400 miles up the Snake river from Twin Falls, Idaho to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. From 3100 feet elevation in the canyon below Twin Falls, to 6800 feet elevation at Jackson lake.
The Snake river is the longest and highest tributary of the Columbia river which flows to the Pacific ocean.
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Two States
The first 9 days of the tour are in the state of Idaho.
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1 year ago
The state's official nickname The Gem State dates from territorial days, and is mostly a statement of aspiration. Idaho has many mines (especially silver) but is not a major source of precious gems.
1 year ago
Idaho has almost 2 million people but nearly half of the population is in the Boise metro area. Most of the state is uncrowded. Northern Idaho is extremely mountainous while the dominant feature of southern Idaho is the wide Snake river valley which has thousands of irrigated farms.
The Idaho portion of this tour is an extension of last year's Brigham Young's Promised Land tour because the population is mostly Mormon. The culture is strongly influenced by the LDS church. Extremely conservative, polite, and tidy. The route passes LDS temples in Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and Rexburg, and through the campus of Brigham Young University-Idaho.
Southeast Idaho is the northernmost part of the Mormon Belt, the region where more than half of the population is Mormon. Madison County, home of Brigham Young University-Idaho, is more than 90% Mormon. The remainder of Idaho is merely the Mormon diaspora zone. The Boise area has many LDS churches but is less than 20% Mormon.
The final 4 days of the tour are in the state of Wyoming.
It's the authentic American wild west, the least populated U.S. state with only 580,000 people. The culture is libertarian conservative, relatively secular, with a flamboyant western style.
The portion of Wyoming that I see during this tour is not typical of most of Wyoming, though. The Jackson Hole and Grand Teton area is extremely wealthy. It's a hideaway for multi-millionaires.
Ancestral Home
The entire route is in the ancestral home of Shoshone indigenous people. Shoshone tribes were part of the northwest U.S. version of the Trail of Tears. The nomadic northwest Shoshone tribes were moved to the Fort Hall reservation in Idaho. The eastern Shoshone tribes were moved to the Wind River reservation in Wyoming.
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Transportation
This is an A to B tour far from home. One way car rentals are not available in this region due to enduring car shortages. I drove my car from southwest Oregon to Twin Falls airport and utilized their free long term parking for 13 nights. The tour started at Twin Falls airport.
The bike tour ended at the U Haul dealer in Jackson, Wyoming. I drove a U Haul 10-foot box truck from Jackson back to Twin Falls. Then I pedaled from the U Haul dealer to the Twin Falls airport and drove my car back home. Total time away from home was 16 days for the 13 day bike tour.
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2 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
The TransAmerica segment is likely to be the only area I see traveling cyclists. I could also encounter a stray cyclist or two in Jackson, Cody, or Red Lodge. Most traveling cyclists seem to go east-west. Not so many go north-south.
2 years ago
While you're in Twin Falls, go see the site where Evel Knievel made his Snake River Canyon jump attempt. You can see the dirt ramp from the Perrine bridge (Hwy 93), but it's possible to drive all the way to the actual jump site.
1 year ago
1 year ago