Day 79: Monday, June 27 2011

38 miles to Grand Teton Park RV Resort, Moran WY

We climbed 10 miles to the top of Togwotee Pass (9,658 feet elevation).  It was not a bad ride because the wind was calm today and it was much warmer than yesterday.  We were definitely glad we waited.  Yesterday, we met a couple who came over the pass and they were dressed as though they had bicycled through the Arctic.  They had gloves, hats, long pants, and shoe covers on.  With the winds yesterday, it probably was a lot colder.  As a result, Vincent wore his winter bicycling gear and had 3 layers on.  When we were about 5 miles into the ride, he began removing layers.  I put the clothes he took off into the backpack and noticed he had his fleece, his fleece hat and his gloves in there.  Guess he thought it was going to be really cold.  Although long, the climb was much easier than the climbs we did in the Appalachia Mountains.  While in Dubois, I talked to one bicyclist going west who said he felt bad for the bicyclists riding east who would warn him about the climbs to come.  He said they were in for a shock when it came to the Appalachia climbs. 

Our view of the Grand Tetons coming down from Togwotee Pass was breathtaking and truly magnificent.  The Togwotee Trail, 38 miles of scenic Hwy 26-287, between Dubois and Yellowstone is being significantly improved for the first time since the 1950s.  The route up and over the pass has been completed and is great to ride on.  We didn’t realize just how nice until we came to that part of the road that has not been improved.  Toward the end of the trail, we had to be trucked over the route due to heavy construction.

When we were dropped off by the crew, we met a bicyclist from Virginia.  He is currently taking some time off to tour the area with his family, but has bicycled this area extensively.  He also told us they picked Ad (remember our friend from the Netherlands) up just outside Rawlins, WY and drove him to Lander, WY.  He had lost significant time fighting the wind.

Snow on the Towgotee Trail in June!

Grand Teton Mountains in the background.

Day 78: Sunday, June 26, 2011

20 miles to Lava Mountain Lodge, Dubois, WY

We had planned to bicycle to the base of Togwotee (pronounced toe-go-tee) Pass, but the wind was brutal again today, so we just bicycled into the Lodge which was right on the route.

There is a huge Swedish influence in this area which explained the notice we saw about the Swedish Smorgasborg in Dubois. Between 1914 and 1944, Scandanavian loggers known as Tie Hacks produced millions of hand-hewn railroad ties   After the ties were completed and the Spring runoff raised water levels, the Tie Hacks floated the ties on the Wind River near Togwotee Pass along the Togwotee Trail 100 miles down to Riverton.  They built wooden flumes to carry the ties through remote mountain areas down to the river.  These flumes were used until 1942 and some sections of the Warm Springs flumes are still visible today.

We passed the evening in the restaurant eating what else, but barbecue and listening to a fabulous singer who knew more Wyoming cowboy songs than I ever knew existed.  He also knew every song requested by the audience.

Tie Hack Memorial

Tie Hack Tools

Day 77: Saturday, June 25, 2011

I was exhausted from yesterday and turns out I now have 4 fever blisters, so decided to take today off.  We also tried to find a new charger for the computer and were told that Tony would probably be able to help us.  The locals said he could often be found at Kathy’s Coffee Shop and we would recognize him because he would be wearing his kilt.  We checked at Kathy’s, but he had already left.  The woman at the coffee shop gave us his phone number and we left a message with little hope of having him call us back since it was Saturday. We went over to the Cyber Café and were checking emails when I heard the woman at the desk say “Thanks Tony, I’ll talk to you later.”  I looked around quickly and noticed he didn’t have a kilt on, but asked if he was the computer guy.  Turns out he was!  He said he would check his stash of “hardware” and see if he had a charger for our computer.  He called us later to let us know, that he didn’t and wasn’t sure when we would be in a town that would have one. 

We heard that Chandlers Barbecue was having an all day, all you can eat barbecue buffet.  We headed up there about 3:00 and ate enough for the entire evening.

Mine entrance in Dubois, WY

Yummy barbecue at Chandler's

Day 76: Friday, June 24, 2011

40 miles to Dubois (pronounced DEW-boyz), WY

We biked along the Wind River and it is aptly named since we were bicycling with a head wind for the entire day.  We met Sandy and Gretchen, a mother-daughter team bicycling from Bend, Oregon to New Orleans, Louisiana. Further along the route, we managed to out-bicycle a rain storm and felt pretty good about that.  When we rode into the campground, about half of the sites were flooded.  It does seem that every river we have seen has been flooded.

Crowheart Butte

Day 75: Thursday, June 23, 2011

44 miles from Riverton WY to Twin Pines RV Camp, Lander, WY

We have been using Lander as our base for 3 days to cover about 145 miles.  The RV camp is relatively new, beautifully maintained and has the best shower to date!  In addition, the owners are very friendly people, the camp hosts Jim and Linda are delightful, and they have a big bonfire every night.  We enjoyed sitting around talking to people from all over the country and learning about their adventures.  We met a couple who prospects gold throughout the southwest.  They get great exercise and have tons of fun.

We rode through the Wind River Indian Reservation today.  Stopped at the Soshone Tribal Service Center to use the restroom and discovered they had great barbecue.  We split a huge brisket of beef sub with about a pound of beans, all for less than $7.00.  It was so good, we plan to stop by when Bob drops us off at Riverton to start our ride to Dubois, WY Friday.

Day 74: Wednesday, June 22, 2011

41 miles into Twin Pines RV Camp, Lander, WY

A new twist on the benefits of a head wind.  When Bob dropped me off at the Ice Slough in Sweetwater Station, he and I were immediately covered with mosquitos when we got out of the car.  As long as I had a head wind, they didn’t bother me, but as soon as the wind died down or I was moving very slowly up a hill, they were all over me.  Swatting mosquitos away and pedaling up a hill takes a lot of energy!!  Even stopping for photos was hazardous.  Fortunately, I only ended up with about a dozen bites.  Vincent was doubly happy he decided not to bicycle today after hearing this.  The views were definitely worth it.

Day 73: Tuesday, June 21, 2011

49 miles to Muddy Gap Junction, Wyoming

It was a cool and sunny morning.  Perfect for bicycling, although the wind picked up considerably during the day.  Wyoming is truly a visually spectacular state.  I had only been to Yellowstone previously and found the various formations and geological changes fascinating.  Turns out the entire state has significant topographical changes.  The pictures don’t really capture the beauty.  We’ll post more photos tomorrow when we finish the Rawlins to Lander leg.

Days 71 and 72: Sunday and Monday, June 19 and 20, 2011

It took us until Monday afternoon to get everything repaired.  Turns out we needed to patch one of the jeep tires also, since it kept losing air.  The jeep is awesome because it automatically monitors everything.  We thought the tire kept getting low because of the change in altitude and temperature, but only one kept giving a low reading consistently.  Bob is feeling much better about going to the next camp.

It rained most of the two days, so we didn’t lose bicycling time.  We spent most of the time in the trailer since it was raining so hard.  Bob got to watch the US Open (it made us homesick hearing about Bethesda and the hot/humid weather) and I worked on my counted cross stitch.  I’ve got about 16 percent of it completed.

We went to a great little café while we were waiting for the tire to be repaired. Everything, including the tortillas, was handmade.  I had a fantastic green chili bowl made with fresh green chilis, jalapenos, pork and beans.  Zach wants more pictures of food, including food we make in the trailer. 

As I sit here writing this blog, there are snow flurries outside. The forecast is for beautiful weather tomorrow.  Hope it is accurate.

Happy belated Father’s Day.

Day 70: Saturday, June 18, 2011

22 miles to Wyoming State Line from Walden, CO

After pouring, cold rain last night (and 2 inches of snow at the top of the mountain), today was bright and sunny although still a bit chilly.  Vincent and I had planned to bicycle to Riverside, WY, (about 50 miles) but the water heater in the trailer is not functioning properly.  As a compromise, we rode to the state line, where Bob met us, then stopped in Encampment, Wyoming for their Woodchoppers Jamboree.  The ACA maps always list the events in the area we are bicycling.  Very often, we miss them by a week or so.  Since we were passing through, we took a bit of time to check it out.  After that brief stop, we drove up to Rawlins, Wyoming where we will be able to have the water heater serviced.  We will be here at least 2 days, perhaps more, depending on the needed repairs.  It will give us a chance to catch up on chores.

Encampment Woodchopper's Jamboree

Day 69: Friday, June 17, 2011

It was raining and cold, so we decided not to bicycle.  Since we had reservations at the next RV campground, we drove to Walden, CO.  

Day 68: Thursday, June 16, 2011

We spent the day in Rocky Mountain National Park.  Trail Ridge Road which traverses the entire park only opened completely about a week ago.  There is still a lot of snow as you will see in the photos.  We did see a dramatic rescue evacuation of a bicyclist at Alpine Peak.  We didn’t hear what had happened, but were assured the bicyclist would be ok.  The photos will be better than words in presenting the sights we saw.

Day 67: Wednesday, June 15, 2011

24 miles to Granby, CO

When we left on this trip, I had no idea where I would spend my 60^th birthday.  As it turns out, it couldn’t have been better if we had planned it.  We bicycled 24 miles to an intersection on the trail, 7miles northeast of Hot Sulphur Springs.  Bob picked us up about 2:00 and we went straight to the Springs.  I had a facial, with hand, foot and neck massage. We spent hours in the Springs relaxing.  It would be great if we had hot springs every night after bicycling.  When we got back to the trailer I finished off the old-fashioned banana pudding that we made the other day.  Bob makes it every year for my birthday and we did it together this year because he was worried about not having a double-boiler.  We are going to spend tomorrow at the campsite, exploring the Arapaho National Recreation Area and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Byers Canyon, Grand County, CO

Day 66: Tuesday, June 14, 2011

57 miles to Kremling, CO

As much as we loved visiting with Dara and the town of Breckenridge, it was time to move forward with our journey.  A good portion of our ride was on a paved trail between Breckenridge and Silverthone with spectacularly beautiful  scenery.  We had the wind in our faces, but we descended about 2000 miles, so it wasn’t too bad.  We met a couple of riders who are raising money for Alzheimer’s. Check out their website at www.bikealzheimers.com.

Wildflower covered hill beside the Blue River

Cathie and Dave

Days 64 and 65: Sunday, June 12, and Monday, June 13, 2011

Days 64 and 65: Sunday, June 12, and Monday, June 13, 2011

We spent time with Vincent’s friend Dara, relaxing and enjoying the absolutely gorgeous weather in Breckenridge, Colorado.  Apparently, there was snow until about 3 weeks ago and the spring thaw is in full force.  Clearly, the locals are ready for summer since they are all wearing shorts, sleeveless shirts and flip flops, while I continue to wear my fleece.  We will spend another day here then head back onto the trail.

Zachary has asked that I post photos of some of the great food we are enjoying.  Below is an order of "Drunken Noodles” that we had at My Thai.  It was perfectly seasoned and quite delicious.

Dara, Vince, Cathie and Bob

Downtown Breckenridge, CO

The Blue River, which ran right through the RV Park

Day 63: Saturday, June 11, 2011

We had a lovely visit with Hal and his family at his 35-acre spread in Canon, Colorado last night.   He entertained us by showing us his goats, chickens, and llamas and telling us stories of life in the “wild west.”  It was great to see him and finally meet his wife who was very gracious to host us on such short notice. 

When we got back to the trailer, Vincent gave us the bad news that he had broken the Nook.  While he was reading, he saw a mouse and without thinking, leaned over to hit it with the Nook.  He didn’t get the mouse, but he did break the screen.  We certainly are having bad luck with our electronic gadgets.  Given that we are all reading different books, we decided to get another one at Wal Mart (where else would we go to buy it?)  As to the mice, apparently, it is quite common for them to climb up through the plumbing and get into trailers.  We set several mouse traps under all the appropriate compartments. 

We drove through Hoosier Pass and over the Continental Divide (11,541 feet), passing through the town of Fairplay located in South Park County.  Although I have never watched the show South Park, it evidently is based on a town similar to Fairplay and the town has capitalized on the success of the show as I saw several of the characters depicted on various media. Today was the first day I regretted driving, but given the lack of easy access to water on the route and the fact that I still have that headache, I suppose it was the right decision.

Day 62: Friday, June 10, 2011

20 miles to just outside Guffey, CO

We decided to bicycle only a short distance since we had to climb about 3000 feet in that distance.  I still have my headache, but no insomnia (unless you count having to get up every hour because I drank so much yesterday!) other symptoms.  The climbs here are deceptive because they aren’t steep, but they go on for miles.  I kept thinking we would have a steep hill to climb, but we never did.  We knew we were getting higher by both the decreasing temperature and the surrounding views. 

Unfortunately, Vincent’s knee began to bother him significantly today.  So much so that I was at least 500 feet ahead of him all day-even on the climbs and I was carrying all the food, water, etc.  We’ve done just about everything we can think of and he may need to see if he has some internal damage or an anatomical problem.  Meanwhile, I plan to keep bicycling but am a bit worried about being able to carry enough water for longer trips.  There are large stretches of the route that have limited services.  I’ll think of something.

The other reason I am glad we had a short day is that I was able to contact, Hal Martin, a friend that I haven’t seen in years.  We worked together at NIH and he then went to the Bureau of Prisons.  When I bicycled past the Florence, CO Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Facility, it got me to thinking that Hal lived in this area.  Sure enough I emailed another friend who had his latest contact information and we are going to meet up for dinner tonight.  Thanks Mike and Ellen, who happened to be checking emails during their vacation in Europe.

Day 61: Thursday, June 9, 2011

54 miles from Pueblo, CO to Royal Gorge in Canon, CO

We started our ride just outside of Pueblo Lake State Park.  It was a perfect day for bicycling: clear blue skies, temperatures in the 70’s and as it turns out, a fantastic tail wind (I didn’t’ really notice until we missed our turn and had to turn around  and was nearly blown off my bicycle).  The mountains are beautiful and we should be in for some spectacular views over the next several weeks.  We stopped at the library in Wetmore to get water and got a stern lecture from the librarian about altitude sickness.  She warned us to make sure we drink plenty.  We have increased our altitude pretty quickly and I have had altitude sickness before, so I drank plenty.  Hopefully, that will keep us from getting sick although we both have headaches as I type this.  There was bright sunshine so I am optimistic that is the cause and not the altitude. 

Royal Gorge is presumably stunning, but you have to pay to see any of it.  Given that we are trying to get to Breckenridge in order to visit Vincent’s friend for the weekend, we may skip this opportunity.

Me and my shadow

Days 59 and 60 Tuesday, June 7, and Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Pubelo KOA Kampground

We drove to Pueblo, then decided to spend a couple of days planning, organizing, sightseeing and having Vincent’s bicycle looked at again.  He has continued to have problems with the deraileuir and the wrap on his handle bars came off.  They worked on the derailleur, but if it doesn’t work any better, it may need to be replaced.  We’ll see how it works over the next several days.  We plan to visit a high school of Vincent’s soon, so could have it looked at again if necessary. 

On an entirely different note, I have been taking care of some of my food obsessions while we are here.  We drove up to Colorado Springs so I could get Costco’s dried blueberries.  My breakfast of choice is Old Wessex Scottish-Style Porridge Oats with blueberries.  After I ran out of the Costco berries, I tried a different brand, but they weren’t nearly as good.  Colorado Springs is huge and has every retail establishment you can think of.  We stopped at the Whole Foods (the place I get the oats), but alas, they didn’t have the Scottish-Style oats.  Fortunately, I still have 6 containers left (I brought 20 with me!). 

We picked up a box of Lemon Cookies, at WalMart,  that reminded me of the old Nabisco Lemon Coolers I used to love years ago.  The cookies are distributed by Niche Foods, LLC.  Turns out this company is dedicated to bringing back “Old Time Favorites.”   They have faithfully recreated the lemon cookies and I certainly hope I will be able to find them once I get back to Maryland, although I certainly won’t be able to eat like I can now unless I continue to bicycle 30 to 50 miles a day.

We walked around the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo and the Union Avenue Historic District while we waited for the bicycle.

Arkansas River at the end of the riverwalk in downtown Pueblo, CO.

"Walks Among the Stars"

Day 58: Monday, June 6, 2011

19 miles from outside Tribune, Kansas to Sheridan Lake, Colorado

We biked only a short distance today because Vincent finally decided he could try bicycling again.   We crossed into Colorado which at this point doesn’t look much different than Kansas.  Although the welcome sign says “Welcome to Colorful Colorado,” most of what we saw was pretty brown.  The heat continues (103 degrees today) and we can’t find any RV Campgrounds nearby, so we are going to drive through much of this area.   As a result, we are staying in Lamar, Colorado tonight. 

Day 57: Sunday, June 5, 2011

We spent the day at Scott Lake State Park and explored the site.  It was over 100 degrees for most of the afternoon, so we weren’t able to hike at all.  We did visit the Monument Rocks which were carved from the floor of a vast inland sea over 80 million years ago. They stand over 70 feet in height.  We were able to walk over to the pueblo ruins at the El Cuartelejo site since they are located in the state park.  The ruins  were discovered in 1899 and all that remains now are portions of the stone hearths, two sections of the outer wall and several post holes.  We also went to the Keystone Gallery, a small fossil museum and art gallery run by Chuck Bonner and Barbara Shelton.  Chuck’s father, Marion Bonner, discovered a near complete short-neck Dolichorhynchips in 1955, and the entire family was very involved in fossil hunting.  Chuck was giving a lecture to a group of young fossil hunters while we were there.  Quite an interesting shop and I love their slogan:  Conveniently located in the middle of nowhere.

Day 56: Saturday, June 4, 2011

54 miles from Ness City to just outside Scott City, Kansas

No doubt about it!  The wind is much harder for me to deal with than the mountains.  It was relentless today and never stopped for a minute.  I felt like I had gone 6 rounds in the ring as a punching bag.  So bad, that today was the first day I have walked my bicycle-for several miles- on relatively flat land, for goodness sake!  BTW, one of the women I met yesterday said she has lived in Kansas all of her life and she still curses the wind. 

A couple of Tylenol, a hot shower, and a good night’s rest and all will be better.  Even so, a day off to visit the Cuartelejo Pubelo Ruins about 20 miles north of here sounds like a great idea for tomorrow.  

Art on the trail just outside Ness City, KS

Re-learning history

Whimsical art on the trail

BAK Tent City, Soctt City, KS