STATS
Miles: 30.36
Calories: 3,128
Top speed: 32.0
Average speed: 9.4
Elevation: 6,945
We slept well despite scratching our wounds (bites) and got up early to get out of the mosquito hell. As I packed up my tent and gear I noticed I was talking in a hushed voice as if not to wake the mosquitoes…too late, they found us! Lisa gave me her mosquitoes pants as she was still wearing her long sweats which saved me from more bites. We were not the only ones grumbling about the skeeters, campers with trailers and RV were openly complaining about the price they were paying for their sites and the influx of skeeters made sitting outside impossible. We were happy to be on our way brushing skeeters off us as we hit the road and gained some speed to out run them.
I knew today would be a beautiful ride as we were traveling through Teton National Park. We started the climb and I was awe-struck by the beautiful mountains before me.
Since we left camp early we got ahead of the influx of traffic (motorcycles, trailers, trucks, and RV’s). made our way to the park entrance, paid our $12 fee (cyclist rate for Teton National Park and Yellowstone)
I was struck by the beauty and enjoyed the historic and informational signs along the way. One such sign described the Shoshone who dug Camas root for a food source. The sign stated they would wait for the flower to bloom for identification as there is another type of Camas that is poisonous. The Camas bulb would be dried and ground in to flour or roasted.
By 10am the traffic had increased significantly; it was nearly non-stop and loud. Occasionally there would be a break, a pause, and I could hear the birds chirping in the forest, I clung to their song as long as I could. If people were hoping to spot a Bison, Moose, or Elk, they were nowhere to be found as I suspect any respectable Bison, Moose, or Elk would have run for dear life to get away from the traffic noise.
We stopped for a late breakfast/early lunch at the Teton Lodge; a beautiful setting with the Teton’s making a strong presence through the full glass windows of the lodge. The café/grill has an interesting set up of counters and stools winding much like a snake. Old pictures and paraphernalia from early trappers and mountain men lined the walls. The menu was more like what I am used to with Hot Quinoa with honey and some GF items. The best part was they carried Seattle’s Best Coffee, I think we drained the pot as most often the coffee we have had along the way in restaurants has been more like coffee from reused grounds.
By mid-afternoon we were at a midway point having ridden 30 miles and the next campground was 20 more miles down the road and into a canyon with a winding up hills. Some caring employees at the Teton Lodge suggested we wait until the morning when there would be minimal traffic to tackle the canyon as it had no shoulder. We agreed and called it a day around 3pm at the Flagg Campground..
We set up camp, started a load of laundry and walked over to their lodge that included a bar, restaurant, and gift shop. Lisa decided to stay for a drink and dinner so I walked back to put the clothes in the dryer. Back at camp I met a woman at a neighboring site. She and her husband had a motor home and I discovered, it really was their home, at least for now. Not sure as to where she wanted to lite, they traveled to and fro sometimes staying in parks for a few months.
My food option for dinner was to scrape from the bottom of my bag and ended up with: a handful of GF crackers, a small cup of peanut better, and a small can of mandarin oranges. An odd combo, but it worked.
As the evening wore on the mosquitoes made an appearance so we took to our tents and welcomed sleep.
….I’ll keep you posted.
The Long and Winding Road - TransAmerica 