John Aylward Photography

Today’s Highlights:
Last night I got out of my tent around 11:00. The moon had not risen and the sky was filled with millions of stars. I could even see the Milky Way. It was amazing. While walking to breakfast just before 6:00, the dawn light hid all the stars, but two bright planets where very close together at the eastern horizon. It was two of those little things that make camping out worthwhile. It was also a more comfortable night with temperatures in the 50’s, but with a strong breeze through the night. We woke to dry tents instead of dew-covered like we had in Teton Village.

Breakfast and braking camp went like clockwork, so I have the routine down now. I was on my bike at 7:05 AM. We rode through Victor (meaning we crossed main street – that’s all there is to it), and continued our trip through Teton Valley. The farms and surrounding mountains are beautiful. It was in the low 50’s when we left camp, but actually dropped to 45 degrees as we traveled through the valley and started climbing. After a bit of climbing to heat us up, we had a very long downhill. It was pretty, and it would have been enjoyable if not for the temperature. Riding 30 mph when it is 45 degrees is very cold. It took a bit of fun out of the long ride. Eventually, we reached Swan Valley, which was also very beautiful. We had a long, flat road through the valley, but we were unlucky to also have a very strong headwind for ten miles or more. Once we reached the Palisades reservoir, we started climbing again. The wind slowed down a little, but the sky was very overcast and the cold temps continued. At the 50-mile mark, in Alpine WY, we had a lunch stop. There were a lot of shivering riders there.

The next 22 miles improved a lot. It was still a bit cloudy, but we had a gradual climb that seemed to be just right for staying warm. We also followed the Snake River all the way to our camp in Hoback Junction. There were rafters in the river. I realized that my two brothers and their families had planned a rafting trip that morning and should be near the end, so I started to look for them. The highlight of the day for me was I actually found them! I saw a blue Barker Ewing raft filled with people approaching, and I recognized Mike’s hat. They also saw me (just a biker) high above on the river bank. So I called out and they all responded. It was quick a lucky coincident.

We are staying at a Boy Scoutcamp tonight, right along the Snake River. It’s a very nice spot. There is no internet here, and it’s even difficult to get phone reception. Eventually, I will get to post these entries and the pictures.

Pictures Of The Day: Click any thumbnail to see the photos in full screen mode.

Statistics: Zoom and pan the map to explore the route.

Time: 8/18/2014, 6:07:0

Duration: 06:32:39

Ascent/Descent: 2757 ft 3073 ft

Distance: 71.42 M

Today’s Highlights:
Sunrise was at 6:30 this morning and breakfast started in the dark at 6:00. I was up quite early and did some pre-packing before breakfast. Afterwards, I was able to break down camp quickly and start riding at 7:00, which was the earliest anyone was allowed to go. Many other riders got on the road too, but it was a slow stream of people rather than a mass start. It was a very cold start, below 50 degrees I think and I froze during the first several miles on the flats. My brother Jim, and his family – Joan, Taylor and Allison – came out to meet me as I rode by the Aspens condos. That was really nice since I will miss them for the rest of the visit in Jackson.

After the first several flat miles, we started the biggest climb of the week – Teton Pass. For that, the cold temperature was just right. I still overheated during the climb. For me, it was very strenuous. I’m sure it was the hardest climb that I have ever done. Not being acclimated to the altitude was certainly a factor, because later on the downhill runs, I still found myself breathing very hard. Actually, all day I couldn’t seem to get enough air.

After a brief photo op at the top of Teton Pass, I headed down the west side to Idaho. It was a very fast 3-mile ride down and very cold since I was soaked from the climb up. The decent brought us into Victor which sits in a large flat valley. The riding was much easier here. Between Victor and Diggs, we cycled on the local bike path, off the roads. It was very nicely paved. At Diggs, we turned east for the second huge climb of the day, up to Grand Targhee Ski Resort. This was not as steep as Teton Pass, but I still thought it was going to kill me. I made though. In fact, I was probably one of the first thirty riders out of 650.

The ride down from Targhee was fabulous – so good that I forgot how painful the ride up was. It was a much longer decent than the Pass, and very winding. Traffic was not an issue, so we could just ride down fast and long. This brought us back to Diggs where the GYC set up a lunch stop. I arrived there around 12:30 and took a short break for lunch.

The last 17 miles of the ride took us on back roads from Driggs to Victor. It is farm country, and there where very picturesque farms with the Teton Range in the background. The flat roads were pleasant, but I was quite tired from the climbs. There was a tailwind for the last five miles, which I really appreciated.

We are camping in a town park tonight. The lawn of the ballfield is very plush compared to last night’s field.

Pictures Of The Day: Click any thumbnail to see the photos in full screen mode.

Statistics: Zoom and pan the map to explore the route.

Time: 8/17/2014, 6:07:0

Duration: 07:20:59

Ascent/Descent: 4729 ft 4835 ft

Distance: 76.68 M

Today’s Highlights:
I left Poughkeepsie, NY at 4:00 AM on Tuesday, and after three days of 12-14 hour-long drives I reached Jackson, WY at 3:30 PM Thursday. I visited my father’s memorial in the small local cemetery on the local ski hill, and then walked around town for a while. Finishing there around 5:00, I drove to The Aspens condos and stayed with Mike, Nancy and Jenny for the night.

Friday morning I drove to the Teton National Park entrance in Moose, WY. Then I cycled the bike path from there to Jenny Lake. It was an easy 24 mile ride, just enough to wake up my legs after three days of sitting in the car. The morning was very pleasant – a typical summer day in the mountains. It was about 55 degrees at 9:00 with a clear blue sky, but I quickly felt the warmth of the morning sun at this high altitude of 6500 feet, making for a very comfortable ride. The Tetons looked magnificent as always in the morning light. Brightly colored wild flowers lined the bike path in contrast to the sagebrush plains that lead up to the forest and then to the granite mountains peaks. I also rode past Jenny Lake and stopped at some beautiful overlooks.

I finished my leisurely ride before noon and went back to the condo to relax for a while with Mike, Nancy and Jenny. Tonight I am staying in Jackson at the Virginian. I joined Mark, who I had met on last year’s cross country ride, and we had dinner together at the Gun Barrel restaurant. Following that, we drove to Teton Village and picked up our rider packets in preparation for tomorrow.

You can find information about the ride and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition at this link http://www.cyclegreateryellowstone.com/route/route_day1.html, and I will post actual route details and pictures as I go along. There will not be any internet access at the campsites, so there will likely be a delay in the posts, especially the pictures. I am looking forward to the adventure.

Saturday:
Saturday was the day which we all gathered at Teton Village to get organized, have dinner together, and discuss the route for the next day. There was no ride today, and although I could have ridden on my own, I chose to walk, see some sites, get organized in camp, and just relax. I also had a nice visit with my niece Sarah who works here at the resort.

Reality is hitting now. Our campsite is in a wild field of grass where the elk and deer sometime roam. It seemed a little primitive at first, but I am already getting used to it. I feel a bit disorganized, which is strange because I am living out of only one duffel bag worth of stuff which should be simple. I suppose that once I get the routine down the simplicity of living light will be very organized.

I’m sitting in my tiny tent in the dark typing on my laptop. I haven’t done that before. I think a solar powered battery pack is in my future.

Dinner was good tonight and the service was very well organized. After dinner, some leaders of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition spoke inspirationally about their cause and progress. They announced that we have 650 riders for the week. Our guest speaker was Chris Johns who is the head of National Geographic. He gave a brief history of the role that National Geographic has played in the park systems in this area. He also stressed how this area is still an important focus today. They are working on an issue of the magazine that in 2015 will be completely dedicated to Yellowstone NP. A photographer from NG also spoke about his work around the world, and about several projects in the Tetons and Yellowstone he is currently working on.

It is 10:00 pm and dark, and the camp is very quick. I think I will sleep well tonight.

Pictures Of The Day: Click any thumbnail to see the photos in full screen mode.

Statistics: Zoom and pan the map to explore the route.

Time: 8/15/2014, 7:51:0

Duration: 02:40:23

Ascent/Descent: 625 ft 590 ft

Distance: 24.64 M