8/13/15
Last night’s thunderstorm didn’t amount to much and the morning was looking good. After having my breakfast and breaking down camp I bid farewell to Bruce and wished him luck on his fishing adventures. Even though today’s ride would be nearly all highway I still had to start right out off with a hefty climb.
8/14/15
At roughly 6:00 am I was awakened by the sound of thunder. Got up and staked down the rain fly on the tent so it would do a better job of keeping me dry than it would have in its current state. However, it turned out to be a false alarm as the storm bypassed me. Today would end up being one of the most difficult yet, due to a long climb combined with a stout headwind. Talk about getting down on spirits, a wind in the face will certainly do it. One I was on the other side of the Big Sheep Pass I still had a headwind but at least I was heading downhill and that helped.
8/15/15
Didn’t sleep too well being just a couple hundred yards off the busy I-15. Not to mention the small business adjacent to the tiny park was busy early this morning. Does everybody in Montana just let their trucks idle forever? Poked my head of the tent this morning to discover the valley was filled with smoke from wildfires out west. Could not see the mountains that were clearly visible yesterday and there was a faint smell of smoke in the air.
8/16/15
Morning in Upper Lake camp was much better than the previous night, no wind trying to relocate my tent back to Canada. This morning’s ride out of camp would take me up over Red Rock pass making Divide crossing #7. Even though I was traveling due east, this crossing of the Continental Divide took me into the Pacific side of the divide and into Idaho.
8/17/15
Was awaken early this morning to a noise just a few yards from my tent. Let me note that I’ve become extremely cautious in Grizzly country to the point where strange noises just off the trail have magically propelled me up and over mountain passes after I was long ready to give up. Coming out of a dead sleep I can’t open the tent quick enough to exit with bear spray in hand ready to shoot with a shaky hand like Deputy Barney Fife. Once outside the tent I could see through the trees that the noisemaker wasn’t a bear, however, the legs I could see were just too long to belong to cattle.
8/18/15
Fortunately, the railroad tracks that went past my tent never produced a train. Took my time getting out of Ashton this morning, taking advantage of some good cell coverage to update the blog and read some email. Had a fairly uneventful ride through ID farm country on paved roads with the exception of a dog that had a serious issue with me passing his house and figured he would run me off.
A few miles after the route turned to dirt I stopped for some lunch at a nice lookout. I warmed up some soup sat on a huge rock and enjoyed the view. Only a couple bites into my lunch decided that I needed something off the bike. When I stood up, accidentally kicked over the soup that I had JUST started eating. Well, good thing I picked up two cans in Ashton.
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.
8/20/15 – 8/24/15
Sleeping in the Hostel cabin Climber Ranch, with eventually five other people, went well. All very nice people there to climb the Tetons. Interesting to hang out at the outdoor common area where all of the campers cook meals, hang out and let everybody else know just how much of an expert climber they truly are.
Left this morning to make the reactively short trip, about 20 miles, to the town of Jackson, WY only to keep my kiester in the area for a few day’s to see the sights and give my body a rest from the daily grind of peddling for hours every day. Very beautiful area and the very first time I’ve visited Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Not much to report until I start riding again, just a few pictures to share. Continue reading
8/25/15
Was off to an early start this morning and the 30+ mile ride through Jackson Hole to rejoin the Divide route had me feeling renewed and strong. The terrain is relatively flat so it’s truly hard to judge whether or not my renewed energy is the result of a few days off or just easy riding.
Later in the day, the route diverted off the highway, taking me up and over a mountain pass, this will be my true test of how ‘renewed’ I am. Pleasantly surprised to find I was able to tackle the grade much better than ever. The break from the route not only let me see sights I’ve only heard about all my life, but it reinvigorated me physically more than I expected.
8/26/15
After settling in my tent last night a very strong wind came up, making it difficult to sleep. The wind was blowing so hard hoped I wouldn’t develop a great desire to pee in the middle of the night. If I needed to exit the tent, which I had not staked down, would certainly blow away without me in it.