About Me
- Mary and Dave
- We are at it again. We cycled 1200 miles down the coast of Oregon, into California, over the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco. Then it was a ferry across the bay to Vallejo and a lovely side trip up the Napa Valley to Callestoga. That was the end of the bike portion of our trip.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Bellingham, Washington
Mission Accomplished!
As hard as it is to believe, our trip is over. We biked into Bellingham on Friday and have exchanged our biking clothes for "regular" attire, our tent for a bed indoors, and our daily question of "where will we be tonight?" is no longer relevant. We need a good dose of debriefing to gently make our way back into a less transient existence.
After leaving Sedro Woolley we biked to Anacortes where we spent the night before taking the ferry to Victoria, British Columbia. Victoria is the provincial capital of British Columbia and has a great harbor, spectacular mountain views, and a vibrant, active population of cyclists. There are bike paths everywhere which made it quite pleasant for us. We spent 2 days in the city, took the ferry back to Anacortes and left for Bellingham the next day. It's been great seeing old friends and enjoying the nice fall weather here. But it is a bit of a let down to have our trip behind us. We couldn't have asked for a better experience and nicer memories. My next step is to get the last of our pictures off the camera and onto this blog. So check back in a few days. Our trip through the Cascades was magnificent and the pictures will be fun to see.
As hard as it is to believe, our trip is over. We biked into Bellingham on Friday and have exchanged our biking clothes for "regular" attire, our tent for a bed indoors, and our daily question of "where will we be tonight?" is no longer relevant. We need a good dose of debriefing to gently make our way back into a less transient existence.
After leaving Sedro Woolley we biked to Anacortes where we spent the night before taking the ferry to Victoria, British Columbia. Victoria is the provincial capital of British Columbia and has a great harbor, spectacular mountain views, and a vibrant, active population of cyclists. There are bike paths everywhere which made it quite pleasant for us. We spent 2 days in the city, took the ferry back to Anacortes and left for Bellingham the next day. It's been great seeing old friends and enjoying the nice fall weather here. But it is a bit of a let down to have our trip behind us. We couldn't have asked for a better experience and nicer memories. My next step is to get the last of our pictures off the camera and onto this blog. So check back in a few days. Our trip through the Cascades was magnificent and the pictures will be fun to see.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Sedro Woolley, Washington
We have left the Cascades behind us. Yesterday we climbed and crossed Washington Pass and Rainy Pass in the Northern Cascades. The climb was long and steep, but the eastern side of the pass was even longer! The Cascades have their own special beauty. They are not as tall as the Big Horns or the Rockies, but are just as majestic. The final elevation may be lower, but you also start lower, so the climb is just as instense. We had picture perfect blue skies with not a cloud to be seen. But we also had the heat to contend with, in the upper 80's each day. We finished our day still within the North Cascades park area, camping along a beautiful lake. Our campsite was alongside a creek so we listened to the sounds of rushing water all night long.
Now we are on the west side of the Cascades. Today was the first rainy day we've had since Yellowstone! We put in 75 miles and about 60 of them were in the rain. Not a pounding, heavy rain, just that slow misting that lasts all day. We were soaked through by the end and decided to treat ourselves to a warm bed tonight. We've decided to make this an international bike tour and are heading next to Victoria, British Columbia. We will take a ferry from Anacortes to Sydney, British Columbia and then cycle into the city for a few days. After that it's time to hang up the biking clothes for a while and hang out in Bellingham. All good things must eventually come to an end! And this trip certainly qualifies as a GOOD THING!
Total trip mileage to date: 3950!
Now we are on the west side of the Cascades. Today was the first rainy day we've had since Yellowstone! We put in 75 miles and about 60 of them were in the rain. Not a pounding, heavy rain, just that slow misting that lasts all day. We were soaked through by the end and decided to treat ourselves to a warm bed tonight. We've decided to make this an international bike tour and are heading next to Victoria, British Columbia. We will take a ferry from Anacortes to Sydney, British Columbia and then cycle into the city for a few days. After that it's time to hang up the biking clothes for a while and hang out in Bellingham. All good things must eventually come to an end! And this trip certainly qualifies as a GOOD THING!
Total trip mileage to date: 3950!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Winthrop, Washington
We're doing laundry here at the campground and the people at the desk were nice enough to let me use their computer to "check my email". I think this counts, but I can't take long. Eastern Washington is very different than the coast. Very arid and open when you're not in the pine forests up in the mountains. It reminds me more of Wyoming! We have crossed a mountain pass each of the last 3 days and we have our last tomorrow! Wish us luck!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Colville, Washington
We have arrived in Washington state! Hard to believe that we have crossed into the final state of our trip. The weather continues to be beautiful ~ cool at night, sunny and warm during the day. Our arrival here in Washington has been eventful. Listen to this story!
Good Samaritans work overtime in Colville
Monday was a beautiful day to ride and we completed our first mountain pass of Washington with no problems. We were closing in on our destination for the day when Dave got a flat tire. We pulled into a side street and began the tire changing process. As soon as Dave pulled the tire off the bike he discovered that not only the inner tube needed patching, but the outer tire was completely shot and needed to be replaced. Well, that's not something you travel around with so a bike shop was desperately needed.
Within minutes an older gentleman pulled over to see if we needed any help. He was very interested in what we were doing and why he sees so many cyclists passing through his town. I explained to him our trip and the maps we were following. As I was talking him, another car pulled over on the other side of the road. I said good-bye and went over to start a conversation with the next person. Meanwhile Dave is working on changing his tire and I'm holding court with all the interested motorists! I repeated our dilemma to this car (Beth) and she confirmed that there were no bike shops in town, but proceeded to whip out her cell phone and use her numerous resources to solve our problem. She called the local sporting goods store and found out that although they carry bike tires, the one Dave needed was not in stock. But she was not deterred and continued on her quest for Dave's tire via several more phone calls.
Meanwhile... the older gentleman in the first car discovers that he has run down his battery while talking to me and his car will not start. So out comes Duncan from his house. He pulls his pickup truck around to jump start the car ~ that problem is solved and we all wave goodbye. Now Duncan comes around to me and wants to know how he can help our situation. I leave Dave and Beth to find a tire and go into Duncan and Katie's house to find a place to stay for the evening. Benny's Motel is right in the center of town and is happy to save us a room and my mission is accomplished. By the time I say good-bye to Duncan and Katie, Beth has arranged for Scott (the local anathesiologist in town) who is going into Spokane in the morning to stop by the motel and pick up Dave. They will make the 70 mile trip into town to pick up Beth's bike and Dave's tires!
As if this wasn't good enough, Beth informs us of a local community event at the city park tonight. There will be a poetry reading and a one man band show to raise money and awareness for a proposed bike path between Colville and Kettle Falls. Beth is planning on going and invites us along. It was a beautiful evening, the poetry was great and the musical entertainment was fantastic. I don't think I can even describe it. You'll need to check out this website http://www.that1guy.com/ to figure it out for yourself. We were mesmorized by the sounds and rhythms he was able to produce using a snare drum, a magic tube, magic saw, a magic boot and I'm not sure what else. It was amazing!
The end of a very eventful day that once again brings home to us the goodness in the people of this country. A good deed is never done in vain and we sure hope to be able to return the favor to someone else one day. We've got a lot of catching up to do when it comes to helping out our fellow man!
Tomorrow we continue on Highway 20 West, the road we'll be on until we arrive in Anacortes. Computer time is well over and it's time to go.
Good Samaritans work overtime in Colville
Monday was a beautiful day to ride and we completed our first mountain pass of Washington with no problems. We were closing in on our destination for the day when Dave got a flat tire. We pulled into a side street and began the tire changing process. As soon as Dave pulled the tire off the bike he discovered that not only the inner tube needed patching, but the outer tire was completely shot and needed to be replaced. Well, that's not something you travel around with so a bike shop was desperately needed.
Within minutes an older gentleman pulled over to see if we needed any help. He was very interested in what we were doing and why he sees so many cyclists passing through his town. I explained to him our trip and the maps we were following. As I was talking him, another car pulled over on the other side of the road. I said good-bye and went over to start a conversation with the next person. Meanwhile Dave is working on changing his tire and I'm holding court with all the interested motorists! I repeated our dilemma to this car (Beth) and she confirmed that there were no bike shops in town, but proceeded to whip out her cell phone and use her numerous resources to solve our problem. She called the local sporting goods store and found out that although they carry bike tires, the one Dave needed was not in stock. But she was not deterred and continued on her quest for Dave's tire via several more phone calls.
Meanwhile... the older gentleman in the first car discovers that he has run down his battery while talking to me and his car will not start. So out comes Duncan from his house. He pulls his pickup truck around to jump start the car ~ that problem is solved and we all wave goodbye. Now Duncan comes around to me and wants to know how he can help our situation. I leave Dave and Beth to find a tire and go into Duncan and Katie's house to find a place to stay for the evening. Benny's Motel is right in the center of town and is happy to save us a room and my mission is accomplished. By the time I say good-bye to Duncan and Katie, Beth has arranged for Scott (the local anathesiologist in town) who is going into Spokane in the morning to stop by the motel and pick up Dave. They will make the 70 mile trip into town to pick up Beth's bike and Dave's tires!
As if this wasn't good enough, Beth informs us of a local community event at the city park tonight. There will be a poetry reading and a one man band show to raise money and awareness for a proposed bike path between Colville and Kettle Falls. Beth is planning on going and invites us along. It was a beautiful evening, the poetry was great and the musical entertainment was fantastic. I don't think I can even describe it. You'll need to check out this website http://www.that1guy.com/ to figure it out for yourself. We were mesmorized by the sounds and rhythms he was able to produce using a snare drum, a magic tube, magic saw, a magic boot and I'm not sure what else. It was amazing!
The end of a very eventful day that once again brings home to us the goodness in the people of this country. A good deed is never done in vain and we sure hope to be able to return the favor to someone else one day. We've got a lot of catching up to do when it comes to helping out our fellow man!
Tomorrow we continue on Highway 20 West, the road we'll be on until we arrive in Anacortes. Computer time is well over and it's time to go.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Sandpoint, Idaho
We are taking a rest here in Sandpoint, staying at the best type of B&B ~ the house of a good friend! Our dear friend Judy lives in Texas and her mom, Jan lives here in Sandpoint so we are comfortably relaxing in Jan's guest bedroom being coddled and spoiled! Sandpoint is a great town with lots of indoor and outdoor activities so we've decided to extend our stay a few days. We're going to hear a blues concert tonight and will do the tourist thing with Jan tomorrow. We'll go up Schweitzer Mountain, visit the town of Hope and go over to the Sam Owens Deer Reserve ... all in one day! Travel by car is nice sometimes! Then it's over to the local winery for their Harvest Festival. But come Sunday morning it will be time to get on the bikes again and head into Washington. The Cascades and the Pacific coast are waiting for us!
Going To The Sun Road
This road is tauted as being "one of the most scenic drives in the US" and I have to say I agree. It is also the "must do" ride for cyclists in Glacier. The road is narrow, twisty, and steep and also has strict regulations for travel. Cyclists cannot be going eastbound on the road between 11 am and 4 pm so we were under a tight time limit. We got an early start and started up the mountain about 7:30 am after a hearty breakfast at the Lake McDonald Lodge. Luckily the traffic was very light so we did not have to worry about frustrated motorists behind us. As you go up the mountain you can look over the edge (carefully) and see directly below you the road you just traveled! The views were spectacular, but I now realize we didn't take many pictures. Our thoughts were focused on getting to the top by 11 am! We were successful and by 10:30 we had climbed almost 3,500 feet to the Continental Divide. We stayed at the top for a few hours, taking a hike up to Hidden Lake and then started back down about 2:00. There are no restrictions on the westbound lanes during that time. The descent was tricky and we had to be very cautious. The road has many lumps and bumps and those switchbacks look even tighter on the way back down! Luckily the traffic was still light and the motorists were very gracious and patient, there's not much passing room! We got back down, stopping a few more times to take some short hikes and were pretty much useless for the rest of the day. But what a good feeling to accomplish a ride like that!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Libby, Montana
This is our last day in Montana! We only have 100 miles to Sandpoint and northern Idaho is very skinny, so it won't take long to get into Washington from there. Hard to believe! In fact, according to the maps, it is only about 500 miles from Idaho to Anacortes, Washington and from there only about 30 miles north to Bellingham. But there are the Cascades standing between us and the west coast so our legs have some work to do before this trip is done!
Total Trip Mileage: 3300!!!!
Here's a quick run down on our route since Missoula. We left Missoula and biked in the Seeley Valley. We stayed in a National Forest Service campground outside of Seeley Lake. The valley had been socked in with smoke the previous weeks and many of the campgrounds were empty of tourists. We were the only campers in our park except for the two campground hosts and several bears (or so the hosts told us). We put all our food and toiletries in their RV and camped directly next to them just in case we needed a safe place to run and hide! We're happy to report that the bears decided to spend the night elsewhere and all was well.
Bigfork was our next stop and we camped along Flathead Lake ~the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi. Bear boxes were provided to store our food and the campground was packed with people, so again, no bear sightings to report.
Glacier National Park - west entrance. Glacier is too magnificent for words, you'll have to wait for the pictures. We spent 3 nights there and could have spend 3 weeks! After leaving the park we spent nights in Whitefish and Eureka (6 miles south of the Canadian border) and are now in Libby. Today we biked about 50 miles along a beautiful resevoir - Lake Koocanusa - on a lightly traveled road which wound up and down along the lakeshore. A quiet and peaceful sunny day, a turquoise lake with mountains every way you look. It doesn't get much better than this!
Total Trip Mileage: 3300!!!!
Here's a quick run down on our route since Missoula. We left Missoula and biked in the Seeley Valley. We stayed in a National Forest Service campground outside of Seeley Lake. The valley had been socked in with smoke the previous weeks and many of the campgrounds were empty of tourists. We were the only campers in our park except for the two campground hosts and several bears (or so the hosts told us). We put all our food and toiletries in their RV and camped directly next to them just in case we needed a safe place to run and hide! We're happy to report that the bears decided to spend the night elsewhere and all was well.
Bigfork was our next stop and we camped along Flathead Lake ~the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi. Bear boxes were provided to store our food and the campground was packed with people, so again, no bear sightings to report.
Glacier National Park - west entrance. Glacier is too magnificent for words, you'll have to wait for the pictures. We spent 3 nights there and could have spend 3 weeks! After leaving the park we spent nights in Whitefish and Eureka (6 miles south of the Canadian border) and are now in Libby. Today we biked about 50 miles along a beautiful resevoir - Lake Koocanusa - on a lightly traveled road which wound up and down along the lakeshore. A quiet and peaceful sunny day, a turquoise lake with mountains every way you look. It doesn't get much better than this!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Whitefish, Montana
We left Glacier on Sunday and are heading out of Whitefish today. Glacier was amazing, spectacular and every synonym you can think of for absolutely beautiful! Biking through the Montana valleys with mountains everywhere has been wonderful. We have also been very lucky with the wildfires. The smoke has cleared and the skies are blue. We are now heading toward Sandpoint, Idaho and then it's Washington state and the Cascade Mountains. Happy Labor Day!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Missoula, Montana
Tomorrow we leave and head north to Glacier. Missoula is a great small city and we've enjoyed our rest and relaxation. But it's time to get back on those bikes and carry on.
The Many Faces of Yellowstone
For every picture we took, there was 20 pictures we could have, should have wanted to have taken! Go visit Yellowstone to see for yourself.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Hamilton, Montana
We are biking through the Bitterroot Valley toward Missoula. We will hit the city tomorrow and spend a few days relaxing and enjoying. The University of Montana starts fall session on Monday, so the city should be hopping. Hopefully we'll be able to find a place to stay!
Time is very short on this computer so I'll list some of the places we've been and then fill in the details at another time. I hope to get more pictures posted once we get to Missoula. I think we took about 100 pictures just in Yellowstone, so choosing the best ones to post will be a challenge!
We biked over two mountain passes on Wednesday, Badger Pass and Big Hole Pass. Our legs were a bit tired going over the second. We also stopped at Big Hole Battlefield National Historic Site. It was the site of one of the Nez Pierce Indian War Battles. It is a sacred place to the Nez Pierce. We slept in Jackson, Montana that night at the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge. William Clark stopped by on his way east after the conclusion of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Soaking in 104 degree waters after a long day on the bike was heavenly!
Thursday we finally caught up with the Continental Divide at Chief Joseph Pass. We then had a one mile downhill to the Lost Trail Pass (that's the kind of mountain pass I like!) which is at the junction of Highways 43 and 93 in Montana. Looking to the south we saw a "Welcome to Idaho" signboard, but since we were heading north we didn't dip our bike tires in Idaho yet, that would be cheating. We'll be there soon enough!
Lunchtime here in Hamilton and then it's time to head north so we can get a little closer to Missoula before we call it a day.
Time is very short on this computer so I'll list some of the places we've been and then fill in the details at another time. I hope to get more pictures posted once we get to Missoula. I think we took about 100 pictures just in Yellowstone, so choosing the best ones to post will be a challenge!
We biked over two mountain passes on Wednesday, Badger Pass and Big Hole Pass. Our legs were a bit tired going over the second. We also stopped at Big Hole Battlefield National Historic Site. It was the site of one of the Nez Pierce Indian War Battles. It is a sacred place to the Nez Pierce. We slept in Jackson, Montana that night at the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge. William Clark stopped by on his way east after the conclusion of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Soaking in 104 degree waters after a long day on the bike was heavenly!
Thursday we finally caught up with the Continental Divide at Chief Joseph Pass. We then had a one mile downhill to the Lost Trail Pass (that's the kind of mountain pass I like!) which is at the junction of Highways 43 and 93 in Montana. Looking to the south we saw a "Welcome to Idaho" signboard, but since we were heading north we didn't dip our bike tires in Idaho yet, that would be cheating. We'll be there soon enough!
Lunchtime here in Hamilton and then it's time to head north so we can get a little closer to Missoula before we call it a day.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Twin Bridges, Montana
Oh the places we've been!
We are now in Montana! It wasn't so easy getting here, but here we are. On Saturday, we left Cody and cycled into Yellowstone National Park.
On Sunday we cycled across the park and camped at Madison campground near the west entrance. Then Monday morning we left the park, cycled through West Yellowstone and headed toward the Madison River Canyon. There was a devastating earthquake in the canyon on August 17, 1959. The valley was changed tremendously and there are many historical markers along the way to document the impact of that night. When we left that area we turned north and continued into the Madison River Valley with the Rockies all around us. The Madison range to our right and the Gravelly Range to our left. The winds were blowing quite strong out of the south so we had the ride of our lives! Our average speed for the day was 15 mph (we usually average about 10) and most of the time on Rt. 287 North we were cruising at about 18-22 mph! That's unheard of! We were losing elevation most of the day, but the downhill was so slight, it was the wind that gave us our momentum. Boy did it feel good and you make sure to enjoy every minute knowing that it is probably a once in a trip experience! AND at the end of the day the computer said 93 miles! A new record!
Today we rode from Ennis, up and over a mountain pass (elevation about 7000 ft) and into Virginia City and Nevada City, and into this cute little town. Tomorrow we turn south, head toward Dillon and then toward Big Hole Pass. The Rockies are spectacular. Once you ride over a pass the road empties out into a valley with mountains surrounding you. Not many roads run directly east/west so there is lots of time to ride parallel with the mountain ranges and enjoy the scenery before the next climb begins. Our next big destination is Missoula and according to Dave the ride through the Bitterroot Valley is incredible.
A day to remember
Let me tell you about our ride from Cody to Yellowstone. Talk about every cloud having a silver lining! We left Cody on Saturday after a nice hearty breakfast, wondering if we would really make it into the park on our bikes after all this time and planning. It had rained the day before, so the gate was open and the fire forecast was positive. At first the wind was quite strong and right in our faces, so I was fretting that we would never cover the 80+ miles we needed in order to make it to the nearest park campground. Luckily the wind subsided and we covered the first 50 miles pretty easily. The evidence of fire was everywhere. The National Forest campgrounds were all closed and a few were being used by fire crews. Many of the houses and lodges closer to the park had been wrapped with protective foil in case the fire came over the ridge. There was one lodge still open (Pasaska Tepee Lodge built by Buffalo Bill Cody)about a mile from the entrance to the park, so we stopped there to rest and have lunch.
As we were sitting there the skies opened up and the rain came down complete with good rolls of thunder and some impressive lightening. As we were getting ready to continue into the park, information came into the fire personnel stationed there that about 7 miles east of our location a mud slide had just occurred. There was now mud about 3 feet deep covering the entire roadway. Had we slept in a little longer, or eaten just a little slower, we would be stuck on the wrong slide of a huge mudslide!
So the silver lining for us (not the poor motorists stuck behind the slide) was a private road into the park. We had a mountain pass coming up on a road that was under construction and in poor condition. Instead of a white knuckle ride with cars kicking up gravel and stones, we had the entire road to ourselves! The pass was 7 miles away and it was much more maneagable since we were able to pick our way up through the rough road and not worry about traffic. At the top of the pass you could see where the fire had come over the ridge, and was heading toward the road. The rain put the fire out and you could see the line dividing the burned trees and the ones left untouched. We actually rode about 27 miles into Yellowstone National Park, on a Saturday afternoon and felt like the entire park belonged to just us! It was a little eerie after awhile.
Of course, the rainstorms were not over for the day and as we got to the top of the mountain, the rain started coming down. And the temperature dropped. We endured this for a while, but even with rain jackets on we began to feel the effects of the cold rain. So, it was another visit to the bathrooms! The only shelter around. You know you have to be desperate to spend 30 minutes in a pit toilet! But after we had dried off, warmed up and put on more clothes, we were ready to make the final miles to our campsite. But we first passed by the Lake Lodge and cabins which looked awfully good to two wet and tired cyclists. So we put on our best bedraggled looks, kept our bike helmets on and were lucky enough to get a most understanding receptionists who managed to find us that one last cabin that had not been rented for the night. The silver lining at the end of a long, hard day.
Bison grunt, snort and give the greatest evil eye looks
Riding across the park on Sunday, we got the chance to come up close and personal with numerous bison herds in the Hayden Valley and a few who just like to hang out along the side of the woods. The rule is, stay 25 yards away from any wildlife in the park and we really wanted to follow that rule, but the bison were not cooperating. As we were happily pedaling our way across the park we would see the lines of cars stopped ahead and know the game was on. How do we weave our way down the road and not make any large, wooly animals mad at us? So we would cautiously coast up to the scene and look for the safest path. If the bison were on the left, we stuck to the right and so forth, but often the bison were everywhere, so now what to do? We tried to enlist help from motorists to act as motorized shields, but if the bison started to move, we were forgotten as the paint jobs and collision insurance popped into mind. So there we were stranded in the middle of the road playing Red Light, Green Light with massive animals. Bison looks away, cyclist moves, bison turns around, cyclist freezes. This continues until the bison lose interest in hanging out along the road, or the cyclist makes it to the other side of the herd.
At one point, a HUGE bison lumbered into the middle of the road, turned his massive head directly at us and gave us the best evil eye I've ever seen (I'm not making this up!). We of course stopped dead in our tracks quite a ways from him and thought we'd just hang out there for as long as he wanted us to, we were not messing with this guy. He eventually took a big gallop down the side of the road (away from us luckily), causing cars to take off away from his path, turned, gave us one last withering look and sauntered into the woods. We were not sad to see him go, and continued on our merry way.
We were really never in any danger, but boy, do those animals command respect and they are so much more impressive when viewed from the seat of a bicycle instead of from the relative safety of a car.
Tomorrow another mountain pass.... time to go eat pizza!
We are now in Montana! It wasn't so easy getting here, but here we are. On Saturday, we left Cody and cycled into Yellowstone National Park.
On Sunday we cycled across the park and camped at Madison campground near the west entrance. Then Monday morning we left the park, cycled through West Yellowstone and headed toward the Madison River Canyon. There was a devastating earthquake in the canyon on August 17, 1959. The valley was changed tremendously and there are many historical markers along the way to document the impact of that night. When we left that area we turned north and continued into the Madison River Valley with the Rockies all around us. The Madison range to our right and the Gravelly Range to our left. The winds were blowing quite strong out of the south so we had the ride of our lives! Our average speed for the day was 15 mph (we usually average about 10) and most of the time on Rt. 287 North we were cruising at about 18-22 mph! That's unheard of! We were losing elevation most of the day, but the downhill was so slight, it was the wind that gave us our momentum. Boy did it feel good and you make sure to enjoy every minute knowing that it is probably a once in a trip experience! AND at the end of the day the computer said 93 miles! A new record!
Today we rode from Ennis, up and over a mountain pass (elevation about 7000 ft) and into Virginia City and Nevada City, and into this cute little town. Tomorrow we turn south, head toward Dillon and then toward Big Hole Pass. The Rockies are spectacular. Once you ride over a pass the road empties out into a valley with mountains surrounding you. Not many roads run directly east/west so there is lots of time to ride parallel with the mountain ranges and enjoy the scenery before the next climb begins. Our next big destination is Missoula and according to Dave the ride through the Bitterroot Valley is incredible.
A day to remember
Let me tell you about our ride from Cody to Yellowstone. Talk about every cloud having a silver lining! We left Cody on Saturday after a nice hearty breakfast, wondering if we would really make it into the park on our bikes after all this time and planning. It had rained the day before, so the gate was open and the fire forecast was positive. At first the wind was quite strong and right in our faces, so I was fretting that we would never cover the 80+ miles we needed in order to make it to the nearest park campground. Luckily the wind subsided and we covered the first 50 miles pretty easily. The evidence of fire was everywhere. The National Forest campgrounds were all closed and a few were being used by fire crews. Many of the houses and lodges closer to the park had been wrapped with protective foil in case the fire came over the ridge. There was one lodge still open (Pasaska Tepee Lodge built by Buffalo Bill Cody)about a mile from the entrance to the park, so we stopped there to rest and have lunch.
As we were sitting there the skies opened up and the rain came down complete with good rolls of thunder and some impressive lightening. As we were getting ready to continue into the park, information came into the fire personnel stationed there that about 7 miles east of our location a mud slide had just occurred. There was now mud about 3 feet deep covering the entire roadway. Had we slept in a little longer, or eaten just a little slower, we would be stuck on the wrong slide of a huge mudslide!
So the silver lining for us (not the poor motorists stuck behind the slide) was a private road into the park. We had a mountain pass coming up on a road that was under construction and in poor condition. Instead of a white knuckle ride with cars kicking up gravel and stones, we had the entire road to ourselves! The pass was 7 miles away and it was much more maneagable since we were able to pick our way up through the rough road and not worry about traffic. At the top of the pass you could see where the fire had come over the ridge, and was heading toward the road. The rain put the fire out and you could see the line dividing the burned trees and the ones left untouched. We actually rode about 27 miles into Yellowstone National Park, on a Saturday afternoon and felt like the entire park belonged to just us! It was a little eerie after awhile.
Of course, the rainstorms were not over for the day and as we got to the top of the mountain, the rain started coming down. And the temperature dropped. We endured this for a while, but even with rain jackets on we began to feel the effects of the cold rain. So, it was another visit to the bathrooms! The only shelter around. You know you have to be desperate to spend 30 minutes in a pit toilet! But after we had dried off, warmed up and put on more clothes, we were ready to make the final miles to our campsite. But we first passed by the Lake Lodge and cabins which looked awfully good to two wet and tired cyclists. So we put on our best bedraggled looks, kept our bike helmets on and were lucky enough to get a most understanding receptionists who managed to find us that one last cabin that had not been rented for the night. The silver lining at the end of a long, hard day.
Bison grunt, snort and give the greatest evil eye looks
Riding across the park on Sunday, we got the chance to come up close and personal with numerous bison herds in the Hayden Valley and a few who just like to hang out along the side of the woods. The rule is, stay 25 yards away from any wildlife in the park and we really wanted to follow that rule, but the bison were not cooperating. As we were happily pedaling our way across the park we would see the lines of cars stopped ahead and know the game was on. How do we weave our way down the road and not make any large, wooly animals mad at us? So we would cautiously coast up to the scene and look for the safest path. If the bison were on the left, we stuck to the right and so forth, but often the bison were everywhere, so now what to do? We tried to enlist help from motorists to act as motorized shields, but if the bison started to move, we were forgotten as the paint jobs and collision insurance popped into mind. So there we were stranded in the middle of the road playing Red Light, Green Light with massive animals. Bison looks away, cyclist moves, bison turns around, cyclist freezes. This continues until the bison lose interest in hanging out along the road, or the cyclist makes it to the other side of the herd.
At one point, a HUGE bison lumbered into the middle of the road, turned his massive head directly at us and gave us the best evil eye I've ever seen (I'm not making this up!). We of course stopped dead in our tracks quite a ways from him and thought we'd just hang out there for as long as he wanted us to, we were not messing with this guy. He eventually took a big gallop down the side of the road (away from us luckily), causing cars to take off away from his path, turned, gave us one last withering look and sauntered into the woods. We were not sad to see him go, and continued on our merry way.
We were really never in any danger, but boy, do those animals command respect and they are so much more impressive when viewed from the seat of a bicycle instead of from the relative safety of a car.
Tomorrow another mountain pass.... time to go eat pizza!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Hold Up in Cody!
Not the wild west shoot 'em out hold up like the one we watched on Monday night outside the historic Irma Hotel (good thing it was free because it was quite the hokey tourist act we usually try to avoid!) but the uncertainty of the fire situation. The east gate was open on Tuesday morning so we were able to drive into the park via that route. We spent the next days touring the park at 45 mph. We were blown away by the speed! And we were able to see so many areas of the park that would have been difficult to get to with a bike. Yellowstone is so much more than just Old Faithful although it is quite impressive to see the geyser spout high into the air. The diversity of the park is amazing. The thermal and volcanic aspect of the park is so interesting, but we also saw spectacular canyons, waterfalls, mountains and so much more. We actually drove over the Continental Divide 8 times in our journeys around the park.
And the wildlife viewing was fun and a bit more secure through the windshield of a car. We saw lots of bison of course, quite a few herds of elk, a coyote and some osprey. There was a quick sighting of a moose as we were driving and an almost sighting of a bear. Luckily none of these forms of wildlife chose to visit our campsite! People just loose their minds when it comes to taking pictures of the animals as they stop in the middle of the road or park just inches off the edge of mountainsides! We will have to be very careful of this phenomena when we are cycling through the park in the next days.
So, tomorrow morning we will get up early and evaluate the fire situation. If the east gate is open, we may decide to put in the 70+ miles it will take to get into the park and to a campground. It would be hard to only go part way and gamble on the gate remaining open. We might also decide to bike toward the northeast gate which is definitely open, but the road going there is much more challenging although spectacularly beautiful. The mountain passes are definitely not as long or steep as the Big Horns, so we know our legs are up to the challenge, but it puts us in the park north of where we need to be. Once we get into the park, we'll exit into West Yellowstone and head north into Montana. Hard to believe we are that close already! There are fires in Montana also, but we'll be watching and evaluating as we go.
And the wildlife viewing was fun and a bit more secure through the windshield of a car. We saw lots of bison of course, quite a few herds of elk, a coyote and some osprey. There was a quick sighting of a moose as we were driving and an almost sighting of a bear. Luckily none of these forms of wildlife chose to visit our campsite! People just loose their minds when it comes to taking pictures of the animals as they stop in the middle of the road or park just inches off the edge of mountainsides! We will have to be very careful of this phenomena when we are cycling through the park in the next days.
So, tomorrow morning we will get up early and evaluate the fire situation. If the east gate is open, we may decide to put in the 70+ miles it will take to get into the park and to a campground. It would be hard to only go part way and gamble on the gate remaining open. We might also decide to bike toward the northeast gate which is definitely open, but the road going there is much more challenging although spectacularly beautiful. The mountain passes are definitely not as long or steep as the Big Horns, so we know our legs are up to the challenge, but it puts us in the park north of where we need to be. Once we get into the park, we'll exit into West Yellowstone and head north into Montana. Hard to believe we are that close already! There are fires in Montana also, but we'll be watching and evaluating as we go.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Cody, Wyoming
The word for the day is Flexibility!
Thursday night a thunderstorm ignited a fire in southeastern Yellowstone. Thanks to a southwest wind, the fire is now at the east entrance of the park. And yes, that is the road we were planning on taking. There is another entrance, some 70 miles to the northwest but the air quality is quite poor due to the smoke. So biking into the park is not a feasible option anymore. But, we have made a few calls and will be entering the modern era for a few days. We will drive into the park (the situation is fine within most of the park), spend a few days there and then come back to Cody to decide on our exit strategy from this area. Every situation has it's silver lining and again we have been helped out by many nice people. The campground is storing our bikes for us and the rental car agency will pick us up from the campground. Also, we will be able to see more areas of the park in a car than from the slow, but steady pace of our bicycles. Again, things are working out just fine, just not exactly the way we originally planned. Another life lesson, don't sweat the things you have no control over. Once we return to Cody, we'll check on the fires and decide where this trip will take us next!
Thursday night a thunderstorm ignited a fire in southeastern Yellowstone. Thanks to a southwest wind, the fire is now at the east entrance of the park. And yes, that is the road we were planning on taking. There is another entrance, some 70 miles to the northwest but the air quality is quite poor due to the smoke. So biking into the park is not a feasible option anymore. But, we have made a few calls and will be entering the modern era for a few days. We will drive into the park (the situation is fine within most of the park), spend a few days there and then come back to Cody to decide on our exit strategy from this area. Every situation has it's silver lining and again we have been helped out by many nice people. The campground is storing our bikes for us and the rental car agency will pick us up from the campground. Also, we will be able to see more areas of the park in a car than from the slow, but steady pace of our bicycles. Again, things are working out just fine, just not exactly the way we originally planned. Another life lesson, don't sweat the things you have no control over. Once we return to Cody, we'll check on the fires and decide where this trip will take us next!
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