Sorry

Hello everybody. So I'm sorry that I have been really lousy at posting to this blog. I'm not sure what the problem is... Maybe a mental block or the simple fact that it is impossible to describe what an amazing experience this is and that the pictures and short descriptions just don't do it justice. Also, I am completely over Blogger, but I'll force myself to deal with it until I decide to work on a real site.

I'll pick up at West Yellowstone. We camped there for three nights, rented a car and had two rest days, one in Yellowstone and the next we went through the Tetons to Jackson and back.

In Yellowstone he geysers were definitely my favorite and each one was just as amusing as the next. For me it never gets old marveling at the fact that we are walking around on a huge volcano and the geysers are only tips of the iceberg of the underground ductwork.

The Tetons were larger than life. Absolutely brilliant. I went for a swim in beautiful and cold Jenny Lake. We had some killer burgers in Jackson and it seemed like a pretty cool town for the locals, but way too touristy.

The ride through Yellowstone after our rest days was pretty awesome too. We ended up doing over 90 miles, but it didn't seem like anything after two days of rest and I was distracted by the amazing scenery.

On the way out of the park we went to a little secret waterfall and swam and jumped off the top. Paul had a hard time convincing me that this was a good idea, but when he said that he had done it before and jumped first I was right behind. We even talked Karli into jumping.

We camped in the Tetons that night and the next day riding out of the Tetons there was the biggest pass we have come to yet. This was the most epic day I have ever spent on a bike. About 70 miles total with 26 miles and over 4000 feet for the one climb. That was the easy part. As I got to the summit, it started snowing and I got a big kick out of it. As I geared up for an awesome 26 mile descent it started hailing and 5 miles in I was cheating death and holding on to my bike for dear life. Finally I couldn't see a thing and had to stop and find shelter in a Catipillar excavator at a construction site. I was frozen to the bone since I was till in warm weather clothes. When the hail and snow let up a bit I made a dash to get some warm things and changed in the Cat. Still not so bad. All suited up with warm, but not waterproof (I ditched that stuff a while back) clothes I got back out in the storm for the descent. Next comes a 15 mile construction zone. I felt like I was on a hardcore mountain bike trail. Gravel and mud roads covered in snow and ice. The lady let me ride through, come to find out that all of the others ended having to get in the back of a truck to get through. I saw a motorcyclist loose control and fly off the road and prayed for his and my safety. After the construction zone I had to endure about 20 miles of riding with numb, wet limbs and as soon as I reached the edge of town I checked in to the first hotel that I found. Frozen solid and completely covered in mud, I had one of the most welcomed warm showers ever. It was also quite nice to have the room all to myself with some peace and quiet and relaxation. I didn't leave until 11 on the dot the next morning.

Other topics of interest:

Kev broke his frame at the rear weld of his right chain stay and hitched a ride to town to find a welder, but is all fixed up.

The wind is crazy in Wyoming.

We picked up 2 other cyclists and they are super cool and we are having a blast riding and hanging with them.

I will have a map with pinpoints at each stop and some commentary and pics soon.

I'll write more about these past few days, but I think I've had enough for now.

And now for some photos.
In no particular order since Blogger is such a pain.

The view of the road ahead from atop the rocks. Look closely or click for enlarged image.

The gang hiking on the rocks at the Oregon trail historic stop.

Linus one of the new guys with his bike flipped upside down from the wind.

Me at the top of Togwotee pass Elev. 9658. Right before the snow and hail.

The only shot I could get of the hail before I had to hide my camera for safety.

Beautiful days in Wyoming after a couple of nasty rainy days.

Another storm blowing in over a ghost town of all abandoned buildings.
Luckily we had shelter at the abandoned Lions club. A cool little commune in this picnic area.

Cool geysers.




Killer waterfall.

Me at the Tetons.

Karli and me with the buffalo.

Karli and me at one of the many divides we have crossed.

Earthquake lake. Formed by an earthquake that created a slide that damed the river. You can see all of the dead trees that were covered with water.

Where the buffalo roam.


Another well earned pass.

Kev with tons of paraphernalia on the back of his bike.

Our honorary group member Clive. He is riding solo, but we keep running into him. A really great and fun guy.

The group with our car at the Tetons.


Me at the solitary geyser. Finally a break from all of the other tourists.