8/19/15
Last night and this morning confirmed that I’m quite content to do this trip alone. I set up my tent on one of the few level/flat spots which was about fifteen feet or so from Flavio and I could hear everything, the rustling of his sleeping pad, snoring and just after we went to our tents this lets out this big ole yawn. The conversation with other Divide riders was good but I yearned for the solo quiet camp spot that I’ve grown accustomed to.
Flavio was up very early breaking down camp and that meant no more sleep for me so I got up too. When Gesia got up she said did you hear that bear roar last night just after you guys went to bed? Didn’t have the heart to tell her it was Flavio yawing. They all had camp broke down and were on the trail about 20 minutes before I was, however, I caught up to them about seven miles into the ride.
Gisa had taken a spill on her bike when her trailer pushed the rear wheel of her bike out from under her on the downhill section of the trail. The older guy was helping tend to her scrapes. When I was convinced all was well with just a minor abrasion, I rode on. About a mile later I came across Flavio who was stopped wondering where his trail mates were.
A few miles after passing the trio I came to Flagg Ranch which has camping, a restaurant, and a little store to resupply. I was there about 15 minutes before last night’s camp partners showed up. There I also met three other divide riders going the same way and all were riding the same bike I am, a Salsa Fargo. Of course, we had to compare notes on what we thought of the bike, how well it has performed so far and different modifications each has made.
Flagg Ranch would mark the end of bumpy dirt road riding for the day and put me on the shoulder of a highway. This would be the busiest stretch of road I’ve ridden yet because it is the south entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The shoulder at times was decent, maybe 3 feet wide and for the most part the traffic was fairly conscious of me riding the shoulder providing plenty of room, but every single super mansion on wheels motor home was driven by absolute pricks! Even when there was nobody coming from the other direction they would not budge the lane, passing within an arm’s length of me. What the fricken hell? Pricks!!!
A few miles out of Flagg Ranch I entered Grand Teton National park. Unfortunately my view of the Tetons were completely obscured by smoke from wildfires to the west.
For lunch I stopped at Colter Bay but before I made the mile or so trip off the route to the many services of Colter Bay I stopped in the gas station located on the highway. There I ran into the Dutch couple I met the night before at Grass Lake Reservoir. Didn’t bring much comfort to me to know they too were having a similar experience with massive motor homes coming too close for comfort.
Tetons barely visible, obscured by smoke.
Missed my turn to tonight’s destination by a slight odometer error but it’s not big deal as the highway I got on two miles later was going in the same direction that I needed to go. The first was just more scenic and the error necessitated a 3-mile backtrack north on the intended road to reach my intended camp for the night. The mistake did allow me to grab some dinner at Moose Junction before backtracking. Probably would have ended up making a supply run there anyhow so it all worked out.
Tonight’s stopping point will be my first ever experience with staying in a Hostel (Climbers Ranch). Let you know in tomorrow’s entry just how that works out because supposedly there are three cabin mates I have yet to meet.
View of the Tetons from Climbers ranch
